Cervical Cancer: Vaccines

I've said this before and I will say it again: CERVICAL CANCER IS PREVENTABLE! I've explained the screening process and the various types of treatments available for abnormal cells so far and today I’m going to focus on vaccinations to protect women from cervical cancer.

Some cervical cancer cases are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) which is also sometimes known as genital warts or the wart virus. There are over one hundred different types of HPV and some cause genital warts. Lots of types of HPV are passed on through sexual contact and most women will be affected by HPV at some point. Most of the time the virus will just go away with no treatment but some types can increase your risk of developing cervical cancer.  HPV types sixteen and eighteen cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases, which is roughly about 7/10 and most of the other 30% are caused by other high risk types of HPV.

Extensive research into HPV has been done over the years and two cervical cancer vaccines have been created. These are celled Gardasil and Cervarix. Research is on-going into these vaccines and their effects will become clearer as time goes on but here is some information on the two vaccines:

Trials have been done with Gardasil, using women between the ages of sixteen and twenty six. Some were given the vaccine and some were given placebos. They were all monitored to see if they went on to develop HPV. Research has shown that Gardasil protects against some types of HPV including types sixteen and eighteen. Since then Gardasil has been given a licence in the UK and can be used on young girls and women between the ages of nine and twenty six.

Cervarix has also gone through rigorous trials involving women under the age of twenty six. They discovered that Cervarix can prevent HPV. It has also been licenced for use in the UK and is used to prevent pre cancerous cervical changes in women between the ages of ten and twenty five.

UK schoolgirls aged between twelve and thirteen (year eight at secondary school are currently being offered the Cervarix vaccine as part of the HPV vaccination programme. This involved the girls having three injections over a six month period. Their parents have to sign a consent form before their daughter can have the vaccinations and they should discuss the vaccine with their daughter so she can decide whether or not she would like it. From September 2012 the vaccination programme will switch to the Gardasil vaccine as this protects them against genital warts as well as cervical cancer. It is also possible to have the vaccination done privately should you wish to do so.

The vaccines are given to twelve year olds because they are unlikely to have already become sexually active and caught HPV. Research has shown that the vaccine works best in younger women. You can still have the vaccine if you are already sexually active; it wont get rid of HPV if you already have it but it can protect you from developing other types of the infection. It may be worth having if the type you have isn’t type sixteen or eighteen as these are the two that are most likely to cause cervical cancer. It is vital to have all three injections to make sure you are properly vaccinated.

Side effects of the vaccine are usually very mild but they can include:

Headaches and aching muscles, dizziness, fever, diarrhoea stomach pains and  itching and soreness around the injection area.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT YOU STILL NEED TO HAVE REGULAR SMEAR TESTS WHEN YOU REACH THE MINIMUM AGE REQUIRED. WHILST A VACCINE WILL HELP PROTECT YOU, SCREENING IS STILL NEEDED!!

If you are interested in having a cervical cancer vaccination – please contact your GP or Jo’s Trust.

xxx

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust

I have lots of lovely colleagues at work and they are all very supportive of the work I do with cancer charities. One of them, Tracey Sainsbury is our fertility counsellor and she does various things herself and is a fabulous and well informed woman. She recently did a talk at Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and she had such wonderful things to say about them that I decided to look into them and feature them on my blog. It ties in well with the series of post’s I’m doing to raise awareness of cervical cancer and the screening we have in place to try and prevent it.

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is also known as Jo’s Trust and it is the only UK based charity to focus solely on women that have been affected by cervical cancer and their families. They also help women dealing with cervical abnormalities. They aim to offer information, advice, friendship and support to these women, regardless of their age and status. They also try to educate women on the importance of cervical screening and to provide support for the women that have abnormal screening results or ladies that have a cervical cancer diagnosis.

Jo’s Trust has a mission: “Our mission is to see cervical cancer prevented, reduce the impact for everyone affected by cervical abnormalities and cervical cancer through providing the highest quality information and support services and campaigning for excellence in cervical cancer treatment and prevention."

The trust also has some core values and all the work they do is based around them. These qualities include remaining people focused, providing the highest quality, valuing and respecting others and empowerment.

The trust provides support groups, allowing women to come together, bond and share experiences. They also have a helpline to provide support, they have an online forum for people to come together in the comfort of their own home and a yearly meeting for women to get together and enjoy themselves. They also provide many helpful information leaflets which can be found on their website.

Jo’s Trust is a fabulous charity which does amazing things for women in the UK. I whole heartedly agree with their mission and their core values and I would love to see them succeed and help make cervical cancer a thing of the past. Please do check out their website and find out ways to help them achieve their goals. You can also find them on twitter @JosTrust

Their next meet up is set for Saturday 22^nd September  2012. If you would like to get involved or find out more, please visit their website.

http://www.jostrust.org.uk/

xxx

Cervical Cancer Project: Treatment for Abnormal Cells

Happy Monday everyone - I hope you enjoying the Olympics! As an Olympic skeptic, I was blown away by the opening ceremony!

As regular readers will know: I am on a mission to raise awareness of cervical cancer screening and prevention. I've done a few posts on the subject now and here is another one! There are quite a few different ways to treat abnormal cervical cells. I’ll try to explain the various types of treatment here today. It’s important to remember that treatment is decided based on the type of cells, your own body and the stage the cells are at. If you do have abnormal cells then it is vital to get them treated as soon as you possibly can. Treatment will destroy the abnormal cells before they can become cancerous.

To read my other cervical cancer posts please click these links:

http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/a-new-project-cervical-cancer-screening.html

http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/cancer-types-cervical.html

First Steps:

If you have mild cell changes then you may be told to wait six months and have a repeat test. This is because mild cell changes usually sort themselves out. If you have moderate to severe cell changes then you will probably be referred to your local hospital for a colposcopy. This is an outpatient procedure and it is basically a close examination of your cervix which doesn’t actually go inside your vagina. The doctor or nurse specialist uses something like a magnifying glass to look at the cells on your cervix in more detail and takes a biopsy to send to the lab for further examination.

Types of Treatment:

Laser Therapy (Laser Ablation): some cells can be burned away by a laser in an outpatient procedure. For this kind of treatment you will lie on a bed with your legs in stirrups whilst a doctor places a speculum into your vagina to hold it open whilst they point a laser beam at the abnormal areas. You will be given local anaesthetic to numb the area and prevent pain. The laser is a very strong and hot beam of light and it burns away the abnormal cells. This can cause a slight burning smell whist you are having the treatment but that just means the laser is working so try not to worry. You should be able to go home as soon as the treatment is finished. You may experience period type pains but they should go away with the normal paracetamol or ibuprofen and some bed rest.

Cold Coagulation: This name is a little misleading as the treatment isn’t cold at all! You lie on a bed with your legs in stirrups whilst a doctor inserts a speculum to hold your vagina open. A hot probe is then used to burn away the abnormal cells. You shouldn’t be able to feel the probe but it can cause some period type pains which should go away a few hours after the treatment has finished.

Cryotherapy: This is basically cold coagulation but with a cold probe instead of a hot one. The cold probe freezes the abnormal cells. The procedure is exactly the same as the cold coagulation.

Diathermy: This is done under local anaesthetic. An electronic current is used to cut away the tissue that contains the abnormal cells. It is a fairly quick procedure and it usually done as an outpatient case which means you should be able to go home afterwards. It can cause bleeding or discharge for about four weeks after the treatment but sanitary towels will have to be used as tampons have to be avoided for four weeks. Sex must also be avoided for four weeks following a diathermy procedure.

Cone Biopsy: This is a minor operation that can be used to diagnose cervical cancer or to treat abnormal cells. The entire area containing possible abnormal cells is removed. It is called a cone biopsy because a cone shaped area of tissue is removed from the cervix. This is called the transformation zone. This can be done under general or local anaesthetic.

Hysterectomy: If you are past menopause, or have had all your children, then your doctor may suggest removing your uterus. This is usually suggested if you have had abnormal cells more then once or if the cells are severely abnormal.

These treatments do sound rather uncomfortable and scary but it is massively important to have abnormal cells treated to prevent them developing into cervical cancer. Please do remember to book yourself in for a smear if you are due one. As I’ve said before, a little discomfort is nothing compared to a battle with cervical cancer.

xxx

Georgie's 19th Birthday

Tomorrow is Georgie’s 19^th Birthday. Instead of spending the day celebrating the fact that my wonderful cousin is approaching the end of his teens, our family will be spending the day without him.

Everyday is hard without Georgie but days like tomorrow just highlight the massive hole he has left in our lives.

It’s no secret that I loved my cousin very much. I still do. I miss him all the time. This blog and the work I do with Cancer Research UK have enabled me to keep him close to my everyday life. I still talk about him all the time and I still think about him all the time.

I’m not sure about what happens when we die. I like to think Georgie is sitting somewhere with his mum, munching on a huge plate of chicken drumsticks and all the other food he loved. I very much hope he can see us all. I hope he is at peace and free from pain.

I am eternally proud to have had such an amazing cousin. He was intelligent, kind, loving, funny and so much fun to be around. He was also incredibly brave. My heart swells with pride whenever I see his friends continue to write notes on his Facebook page. I’m always told such wonderful things about him. He is very much missed by all that knew him. He made a huge impact on people’s lives, which is incredible  for a seventeen year old. He made his mark on the world and he continues to do so with the amazing work his dad does in his memory. Georgie also lives on in the work I do which is all dedicated to him and the amazing impact he had on my life. He is my inspiration. I can only hope to be half as incredible as he was.

Happy Birthday Georgie. Forever seventeen.

Love you xxxxxxx

A New Project: Cervical Cancer Screening

Writing these blog posts is actually very informative for me as well as the people I write for. I have learnt SO much whilst researching my various subjects. One thing in particular has stuck with me and has been playing on my mind for a while. Before researching cervical cancer, I had no idea that it was one of the only cancer’s that is preventable. So many women suffer from this horrible type of cancer every year with many dying because of it. The idea of all these women having to face cancer when it could have been avoided breaks my heart. So I have decided I am going to try and help do something about it! I’m going to start a project to encourage ladies to have regular smears and to try and raise as much awareness of cervical cancer as I can. I’m hoping it will give me the opportunity to work with my lovely fellow ambassador Suzanne Fernando as I think she is fabulous! As I have mentioned before, I am not yet old enough to qualify for regular smear tests so I do not know much about them. I have done quite a lot of research on the subject and am going to use this blog post to explain cervical cancer screening in a bit more detail.


You can read my post about cervical cancer here: http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/cancer-types-cervical.html


Points to Consider:
You can have a smear test at several different places:
* Your GP’s surgery should offer them
* A family planning clinic
* A genito-urinary clinic
* An antenatal clinic
* A private health clinic
* Marie Stopes


You are well within your rights to request a female doctor or nurse performs your test but any male doctors will be chaperoned by a female staff member anyway. It is important to state if you require a female at the time of booking your appointment. 


A smear test should be scheduled whilst you are in the middle of your menstrual cycle (between periods) as it will be very difficult to see your cervix and get a cell sample whilst you are bleeding.


Age Limits:
There are varying age limits for women in the four nations of the UK.
* Women between the ages of twenty five and sixty four are screened every three to five years in England and Northern Ireland.
* In Scotland, cervical screening is offered to women aged between twenty and sixty.
* Wales offers cervical screening to women aged between twenty and sixty four.


Research has shown that screening every three years prevents 84/100 cases of cervical cancer that would develop if they weren’t caught by the smears. So getting a smear test every three years is recommended by the NHS up until you are fifty years old. Abnormal cells develop at a much slower rate in women over fifty so screening is recommended after five years for women in that age group. Your local primary care trust will contact you whenever it is time for a screening for you. I cannot stress the importance of attending these appointments enough – it could save you from a battle with cancer.


The Screening Process:
Cervical cancer is preventable. This is because pre cancerous cell changes can be picked up before they have a chance to develop. A cervical cancer screening test is known as a smear test. This involves a doctor or a nurse using a speculum to take a small sample of cells from the surface of your cervix. It sounds horrific and it can be very uncomfortable but I am going to try and explain it as clearly as I can!
You will need to take off your underwear and lie back on the couch/bed. Being as relaxed as you possibly can be will make the procedure less uncomfortable. 


Occasionally, the person doing the test will perform a vaginal examination first. This means they will place two gloved fingers inside your vagina to make sure your womb is in the correct position and that it feels like it’s a normal size. They will use their other hand to press down on your abdomen and gently feel your womb.
Then comes the actual smear test: The speculum is placed inside your vagina and has two arms which are used to spread the sides of your vagina apart so the cervix can be clearly seen. A small brush is then inserted and used scraped along the surface of your cervix to collect a sample of your cells. The brush and the cells are then sent to a lab in a pot of liquid and examined under a microscope. Any abnormal cells are reported and further investigation on these cells will be needed. 


The Results:
The important thing to remember with smear tests results is: DON’T PANIC!!! Cancer is not the only cause of abnormal cells or an abnormal result. Sometimes you may be asked to go back for a repeat test, again don’t panic, it could be because:
* You were on your period and the blood meant your cells weren’t visible enough
* Your cervix was inflamed and the cells weren’t visible enough
* An infection was blocking the view of the cells
* There were not enough cells collected in the first test


You may also be told that your test was borderline. This means cell changes have been noted but they were so very close to normal that they are probably nothing to worry yourself about and they will probably return to normal by themselves. You may be asked to go back and have another test in a few months to monitor the situation. You may also be offered a HPV test as HPV is a cause of cervical cancer. If you do test positive for HPV then you will probably been sent for more tests, including a colposcopy to monitor your cervix and the cell changes.


Cervical erosion can be picked up by smear tests. This is not cervical cancer. This means the glandular cells which are normally found inside your cervical canal are now visible on the surface of your cervix and it can be inflamed. This is a common condition for teenage girls, pregnant women and women on the pill. It can make you bleed slightly but it usually goes away by itself with no need for treatment.


Abnormal Tests Results:
Abnormal results are usually reported like this:
Mild Dyskaryosis or CIN 1(mild or slight cell changes)
If you are told that you have mild cell changes then you will probably be told to get a colposcopy straight away or to wait and have another smear in six months. Sometimes mild cell changes will go back to normal by themselves but it is important to monitor them and go back for any tests advised by your medical team. If a second test shows abnormal cells then a colposcopy is definitely needed to assess the situation. 


Moderate Dyskaryosis or CIN 2 (moderate cell changes)
Treatment will be needed if you have moderate cell changes but you only usually need it once. Then you will have follow up tests to monitor the cells in your cervix. If you have successful treatment after an abnormal smear and carry on having regular smears then you are unlikely to get cervical cancer. If you do not have treatment then you are at real risk of developing cervical cancer


Severe Dyskaryosis or CIN 3 (severe cell changes)
This is also sometimes known as carcinoma in situ (CIS) which sounds like cancer but it isn’t. This means some cells in your cervix look cancerous but are all found in the skin layer which covers your cervix. It won’t be “true” cancer until it breaks through the layer and starts to spread into the surrounding tissue. Urgent treatment is needed for this kind of smear result but if it is moved ASAP then cancer can be prevented.


All these results mean the cells found are pre cancerous meaning if they are left to go untreated, they could develop into cancer of the cervix. YOU DO NOT HAVE CERVICAL CANCER IF YOU ARE TOLD YOU HAVE ABNORMAL CELLS.


9/10 smears come back normal. 1/20 shows a borderline or mild cell change. Most of the time these cells will return to normal by themselves. 1/100 shows moderate cell changes whilst 1/200 show severe changes. Less than 1/1000 shows cancer. 


I will explain treatment for abnormal cells in my next blog post but it is hugely important to open any letters sent to you regarding your results. If you are asked to come in for a repeat or are told you have abnormal smears then do not panic. Do not ignore the result. Getting abnormal cells sorted as soon as they appear will save your life. It will mean your chances of getting cervical cancer will be significantly lower. If you are between 25 and 64 and haven’t had a smear for three years then please book one today. It will be uncomfortable for a few minutes but it will be far better then a battle with cervical cancer.


To find out more about smear tests please visit www.cancerreseasrchuk.org
Smear tests are available at my workplace so please let me know if you would prefer to have yours done at a private clinic.


xxx

Cancer Research UK - Annual Review

The Cancer Research UK Annual Review is now available to view. Please do have a read - our ambassador work features quite heavily! You will be able to see why I am so passionate about working alongside this amazing charity and why I am so proud to be part of a team that does such wonderful things in the fight against cancer. Together, we will beat cancer.


http://aboutus.cancerresearchuk.org/what-we-do/our-annual-publications-and-strategy/annual-review/

Cancer Campaigns Ambassador Showcase – Suzanne Fernando

I pretty sure I may have mentioned how fabulous my fellow campaigns ambassadors are once or twice before! I’ve featured a few on this blog before. I’m trying to work my way through this incredible group of colleagues I have to showcase how amazing they are individually. Today I’m going to tell you about an absolute warrior of a lady!

Suzanne Fernando was diagnosed with cancer during what should have been one of the most exciting times of her life – whilst she was giving birth to her second child. Her father’s side of her family had experienced cancer so she instinctively knew something wasn’t right within herself. She knew treatment would have harmed the baby and Suzanne’s maternal instinct was in full force so she decided against telling anyone and kept her fear to herself.

 Suzanne felt very ill throughout her pregnancy, she was sick frequently, in lots of pain and unable to eat. This was a massive contrast to her first pregnancy. Suzanne would bleed every so often but the position of the tumour meant it wasn’t picked up by some reason. A doctor expressed concern that Suzanne was coming in so often and decided to do an excruciatingly painful internal examination which revealed a cervical tumour the size of a man’s fist blocking the baby’s arrival. It was biopsied and Suzanne was kept in hospital to await the results. The next day she was told the horrific news: she had cancer and was unable to have a vaginal birth. Baby Aaron was immediately delivered by caesarean and Suzanne began to haemorrhage before being able to hold her beautiful daughter. Her partner had to watch helplessly as doctors tried to save her. Suzanne had to undergo a hysterectomy and it was touch and go for a while.

Suzanne survived this ordeal but had to face months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. After twenty intense courses of treatment, the cancer remained. Suzanne and her partner turned to holistic treatments such as Crystals, reflexology and hands on healing. This all seemed to help Suzanne massively and played a big part in her recovery and well being. She finally went into remission after a twenty four hour bombardment of radiation that went directly into her tumour. However, Suzanne has since had to face several operations, skin grafts, reconstructive surgery and still has to face ongoing surgeries.

Suzanne married her partner Kes in a beautiful, intimate ceremony in Scotland on the tenth anniversary of the day they met. Their gorgeous daughters were by their side. She has a lovely, happy family life that she is very grateful for. She has also built up her own business, is writing her first book and works alongside several cancer charities, including Cancer Research UK and Jo’s Trust. She became Scotland’s very first Cancer Campaigns Ambassador and works with the Scottish Government on issues surrounding cancer. She continuously raises funds and awareness and her main aim is to introduce Cervical Cancer Awareness Month to Scotland!

As I have mentioned before – cancer of the cervix is one of the only cancer’s that is PREVENTABLE. Regular smear tests will help doctors uncover any abnormal cells that may be at risk of developing into cancer. By finding them at this point, the doctor can get rid of them before cancer has a chance to develop. Please think about what poor Suzanne has been through and call your doctor to arrange your smear today. You can even contact me and have it done at the clinic I work at if you would like.

Suzanne is a fantastic woman and a real inspiration to me. She is very innovative and has some fabulous ideas. Her passion really comes through, as does her kindness and compassion. I am really passionate about encouraging women to have regular smear’s to try and prevent cervical cancer and I look forward to trying to find a way to work with Suzanne on this at some point in the very near future.

You read more about cervical cancer here: http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/cancer-types-cervical.html

Cancer Types: Neuroblastoma in Children

As a twitter addict, I get to know lots of people, many of whom have been affected by cancer in some way. Lately I have noticed that a lot of parents are tweeting to raise awareness and fund for children affected by neuroblastoma. Now I’m not exactly clueless when it comes to childhood cancer but I don’t know much about this specific type. It does seem to affect a lot of children which makes it one of the most cruellest cancers around, in my opinion. So this post is dedicated to all the children that have been affected by neuroblastoma; those that have survived, those that are still fighting and those that have sadly been lost. You are all in my thoughts xxx

What is Neuroblastoma:

Neuroblastoma is the second most common solid tumour found in children and most of the children diagnosed are under five years old. It is a cancer that affects the specialised nerve cells known as neural crest cells. These cells play an important part of the development of the nervous system. Neuroblastoma can occur anywhere in the body but it is most often found in the adrenal glands, which are found in the abdomen. These glands are very specialist and can be found above the kidneys. The release hormones that are used for maintaining blood pressure and enabling us to respond to stress. neuroblastoma can also occur in the nerve tissue along the spinal cord in the neck area as well as the chest and pelvis to name a few.

Causes, Signs and Symptoms of Neuroblastoma:

As with most cancer types, the exact causes of neuroblastoma are no yet known. The first symptoms are usually quite vague and it can be difficult to know something is wrong. These symptoms include loss of appetite, tiredness and a pain in the bones. There are other symptoms that may occur too:

* If the tumour is affecting the abdomen that the stomach may be swollen, the child may be suffering from constipation, they may also have difficultly weeing and they may have high blood pressure.

* If the tumour is affecting the chest area then the child may be breathless and have difficulty swallowing.

* If the tumour is affecting the neck then the child may have a visible lump and they may have difficulty swallowing or breathing.

* If the tumour is pressing on the spinal cord then the child may have weak legs and an unsteady walk. If they are not yet able to walk then they may have reduced leg movements and not crawl as much. They may also suffer constipation and pass urine infrequently.

* Sometimes small, blue coloured lumps will appear on the skin. These are deposits of neuroblastoma.

* Very rarely, children may suffer from jerky eye and muscle movements and generally be unsteady on their feet.

Diagnosing Neuroblastoma:

If a child is suffering from suspected neuroblastoma, they will have to undergo a series of tests to confirm the diagnosis. These tests can include blood and urine tests, bone marrow tests, x-rays, CT’s, MRI’s and MIBG scans. The tests will allow the doctors to discover if there is neuroblastoma present, what area of the body it affects, whether it has spread and the grading of the tumour. This is known as staging. Treatment will depend on the stage. The stages of neuroblastoma are:

Stage one: The cancer is localised to one area of the body and there is no evidence that is has spread. It can be completely removed by surgery.

Stage Two A: The cancer is localised and has not yet started to spread but complete removal by surgery is not possible.

Stage Two B: The cancer is localised but has begun to spread to nearby lymph nodes

Stage Three: The cancer has spread into surrounding organs but has not spread to distant areas of the body.

Stage Four: The cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes, bones, bone marrow, the liver, skin or other organs.

Stage Four S (Special Neuroblastoma): This is found in babies under one years of age. The cancer is localised at between stage one to two B but it has started to spread to the liver, skin or bone marrow.

A newer staging system has been developed and introduced by the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) and is beginning to be used more widely. It is designed to look at “image defined risk factors” and whether or not they are present in tumours. These factors are detected by scans and help doctors to understand the extent of the disease. A doctor can obviously explain this in more detail.

Treatment:

Treatment will depend on the size, biology and position of the tumour, whether  grading and staging of the cancer and the age of the child. Surgery is usually the option for localised tumours whilst chemotherapy is also an option. High dose chemo with stem cell rescue is also used and so is monoclonal antibody treatment. Radiotherapy and Photo Dynamic Therapy are also option. This can be explained by a doctor.

Watching a child suffer from cancer is one of the worst things you can ever experience. There are so many different emotions involved and it is an exhausting process, both physically and mentally. Help and support is available so please do take advantage of it should you ever find yourself in this horrific situation. Some support groups and organisations for neuroblastoma are:

CLIC Sargent: I love this charity and take part in their yearly big bucket collections. They were very helpful and supportive to our family whilst Georgie was ill and are genuinely a fabulous charity for children with cancer and their loved ones. They offer very practical help and support to children and young people under the age of twenty one. http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/Home

Neuroblastoma Society: This organisation offers the chance for parents to give each other mutual support and help as well as comfort. They have a very useful information booklet which you can download straight from their website. http://www.nsoc.co.uk/

Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG): the CCLG provides research and care for children with cancer and their parents. They have twenty one specialist centres across the UK. http://www.cclg.org.uk/

If your child or a child that you love is diagnosed with neuroblastoma then my heart goes out to you. There are so many families in this horrific situation across the UK. Please know that there are lots of people out there trying to find ways to help these children survive their battles. Neuroblastoma is a very cruel cancer and I sincerely hope ways of beating this disease and preventing it from occurring in the first place are found in the near future.

xxx

My Volunteers Week Speech

Happy Friday Everyone!

Back on June 1st 2012 I went to Cancer Research UK HQ to make a speech for volunteers week. My speech is about being a Cancer Campaigns Ambassador.

Enjoy!

All Things Plain Packaging!

Just to confirm - the public consultation into plain packaging for cigarettes has been extended to 10th August 2012. The tobacco companies are hard at work trying to convince people to oppose this plan. I've done so many blog posts on the subject so I won't do another detailed post! I'm going to provide links to all my related blog posts so you can read them! Please do also watch the video at the side of the page and sign the petition if you haven't already done so!


We are working very hard to make this campaign a reality and we really appreciate your support.


Please visit www.theanswerisplain.org if you have any more questions


Plain Packaging Related Posts:
http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/new-cancer-research-uk-campaign-answers.html
http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/westminster.html
http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/more-plain-packaging-information.html
http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/lifestyle-choices-smoking.html
http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/cancer-types-lung.html



The Answer is Plain!

xxx