Plain Packaging News

Morning all!!!

Tomorrow will see Australia become the first country in the world to introduce plain packaging of cigarettes.

Here are some of the latest news about this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/9713249/Australias-new-plain-packaging-makes-cigarettes-taste-worse.html

http://www.smh.com.au/national/plain-packs-put-off-smokers-20121129-2aitp.html

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/plain-packaging-leaves-bad-taste-in-smokers-mouths/story-e6frg6n6-1226527002998

As most will know, we Cancer Campaigns Ambassadors have been working very hard alongside Cancer Research UK all year to try and persuade the government to introduce plain packaging in the UK.

The campaign is aimed at young people and trying to discourage them from taking up smoking in the first place. IT IS NOT AIMED AT PEOPLE WHO ALREADY SMOKE.

Please look out for plain packaging news over the next few days and it will be really interesting to see how it pans out in Austalia whilst we wait for the government's decision.

Just a few facts about plain packaging for anyone that everyone should know:

Thousands of people every year are diagnosed with cancer because they have a smoking habit. Years of research has proven very clear links between cancer and smoking. One in every four cancer deaths in the UK is directly caused by smoking. a fifth of all cancer cases in the UK are also directly caused by smoking. Cancer Research research shows that smoking is the most important PREVENTABLE cause of cancer in the world.

More then four in five cases of Lung Cancer are caused by smoking. Lung Cancer has one of the lowest survival rates. it is the most common cause of cancer in the UK. Most of these cases are preventable if you give up smoking and allow your lungs to recover.

As well as Lung Cancer, smoking also increases your risk of over a dozen other cancers:
* Mouth
* Larynx (Voicebox)
* Pharynx (Upper Throat)
* Nose and Sinuses
* Oesophagus (Food Pipe)
* Liver
* Pancreas
* Stomach
* Kidney
* Bladder
* Cervix
* Bowel
* One type of Ovarian
* Some types of Leukaemia

* There is also evidence to suggest smoking can increase the risk of you developing Breast Cancer

There are at least 80 cancer causing substances in tobacco smoke. As you inhale the smoke these chemicals are released into your lungs and spread about your body. According to scientists; these chemicals can actually damage your DNA and mutate important genes, making your cells grow and multiply until they are out of control.

I  would like to make a very important point: I, and everyone else at CRUK, fight for EVERYONE suffering from cancer and EVERYONE who will suffer from cancer at some point in the future. No one deserves cancer; it is a horrific disease that changes the lives of sufferers and their loved ones. It is cruel and aggressive. It doesn't discriminate. This campaign is not aimed at making smokers feel like pariahs. It is not aimed at taking away your rights as a smoker. It is not aimed at making smokers lives more difficult. It’s not aimed at making smokers feel embarrassed, ashamed, guilty or pressurised to quit. This campaign is aimed at children and trying to get them to not take up smoking in the first place.

Cancer Research UK receives no government funding but has become the world’s leading charity dedicated to fighting cancer and saving lives through research. The charity is committed to reducing the harm caused by tobacco and has played a significant role in securing a ban on tobacco advertising, creating smoke free workplaces, removing cigarette vending machines and most recently changing the laws surrounding tobacco displays in retailers. We are now working hard to secure plain packaging and if the campaign is successful then the UK will become the first nation in Europe to introduce plain packaging.

Research has shown that eight out of ten smokers have started smoking by the age of nineteen. Most of these smokers will develop an addiction that will stay with them long into adulthood. Half of these long term smokers will die of a smoking related illness such as cancer. That is a huge amount of people suffering from an illness that could be prevented by not smoking in the first place.

The campaigns team at CRUK have been very thorough in their research and have providing their ambassadors with all the information needed. I have a list of arguments and rebuttals against plain packaging and I will write them here for you all to see:

“Plain Packaging will make packs easier to forge and will increase smuggling”

Tobacco products are already really easy to forge so covert markings are used to detect smuggled packs. These markings will remain on the plain packs.

“Plain Packaging will affect local shops”

Plain packaging is aimed at stopping young people from starting smoking so sales will decline slowly over time giving shops a chance to adjust. Plain packets will not have any detrimental effect on shopkeepers’ ability to find the requested pack’ peer-reviewed research has suggested that plain packs will actually speed up that process

“Cigarette prices will fall”

If there is any reduction in the price of cigarettes then taxes on cigarettes can be raised to compensate

“We can’t afford to lose tax from smokers”

Taxing of cigarettes contributes £10 billion to the treasury every year. HOWEVER the cost of smoking has been estimated to be £13.74 billion meaning the strain of smoking related illnesses cost more than the tax is brings in.

No figure can be put on the cost of human suffering caused by cancer

“Plain packaging is illegal as it infringes on trade mark rights”

Nobody is taking trademarks away by including plain packaging. International treaties have opt outs where public health in concerned so this is not an illegal move at all.

The important thing to remember about this campaign is that a lot of the campaigning has been done by volunteers like me. We are members of the public who genuinely believe in the work of Cancer Research UK. We are people who do this work in our spare time for no financial gains whatsoever. You have to really believe in something to be willing to dedicate hours and hours of your spare time to a cause, especially when you have a busy career, a family to take care of and an everyday life to lead. That dedication is a powerful tool. It means the work we do is genuinely done because we believe in what we are doing. We are people who have been affected by cancer and want to help prevent our experiences happening to others.

The other thing to remember is that the tobacco companies have spent a hell of a lot of money on opposing this campaign. Why would they do that if they were not worried that plain packaging would be a threat to their profits? Two million pounds was spent by JTI alone. Tobacco companies are not allowed to advertise their products anymore. Gone are the days where a Benson and Hedges advert would loom down on you from one of those massive billboards whilst you’re stuck in traffic. They have to rely on other means of enticing smokers. Packets are one of them. Cigarette packets have become increasingly glitzy in the past few years. Our campaign “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” has also proven tricky for tobacco companies because now cigarettes are hidden away in larger retailers.

Smoking is a lifestyle choice. One that I try to understand and respect. If you know of the dangers and choose to carry on smoking then that is entirely your prerogative and I wish you well. I sincerely hope you are in the very small minority that’s doe not get ill. But the fact remains that smoking is a dangerous habit and children should be encouraged to not take up smoking at all in the first place. The tobacco industry refers to children and young people as “pre smokers”, a fact I find rather disgusting. Most smokers I know would hate for their children to smoke.

If you believe plain packaging won’t put young people off smoking then think of your time at school. Imagine your mum put an ASDA own brand can of cola into your lunchbox instead of a Coca-Cola can, would you not have been slightly embarrassed by it? It’s the same logic with cigarettes – some are cooler then others. We all know how much image means when you are young. Smoking a certain brand of cigarettes will mean something. Taking the branding away will take that image away. No one will look cooler then anyone else if everyone has the same packet.

A comment I hear frequently is “if you’re doing this to tobacco, why not to alcohol?”. I have my own opinion on this. Certain types of Alcohol, in moderation, can have some health benefits whereas there are NO benefits to smoking. Absolutely none. It makes your hair, skin and clothes smell. It ages your skin. It discolours your teeth and nails. It damages your insides. It rots your teeth. It leads to a whole host of life threatening illnesses. Not to mention the damage it will do to your bank account.

I hope this blog post has provided you with all the information you need about plain packaging and why so many people are for such a historic move. Obviously, I understand that not everyone feels the same about the campaign but I hope this blog post explains my feelings on the subject.

Good luck to Australia, I sincerely hope to read that introducing the plain packs does have an impact on the amount of young people taking up smoking. I have one preteen sister, two teenage sisters and one teenage brother as well as a preteen sister in law. I actively try to discourage them from smoking by educating them on the subject and setting an example for them. I do practice what I preach after all!!

For more information about plain packaging please do contact Cancer Research UK www.cancerresearchuk.org

xxx

Cancer Types: Stomach

 Happy Thursday one and all! My apologies for the real lack of interesting blog posts recently. 

I wanted to kick things off with another one of my “Cancer Types” blog posts. This time I have decided to focus on the stomach. It’s a hugely important body part for us all; but what happens if cancer strikes?

The Stomach:

The stomach is a muscular bag and forms part of the digestive system. It lies just under the diaphragm and the top part is connected to the oesophagus (food pipe) whilst the other end is connected to the duodenum (the first part of the small bowel).

The stomach has a key role: it mixing up food that has been eaten and begins to break it down so it can be easily digested.

The stomach lining contains glands which produce and release stomach juices which contain an acid and digestive enzyme known as pepsin. This then begins to digest proteins found in the food you have eaten so that your body can absorb them. The acid helps the pepsin work properly and also helps to kill any bacteria in the food.

The stomach also makes a chemical that helps the body absorb vitamin B12, which is needed to help make red blood cells as well as to keep a healthy nervous system.

Risks and Causes of Stomach Cancer:

*Almost twice as many men are diagnosed with stomach cancer then women.

*Cancer of the stomach is more common in older people; around 95% of those diagnosed with this type of cancer are over the age of fifty five at the time of diagnosis.

*Helicobacter pylori infection (a type of bacteria found in the stomach) increases your risk of stomach cancer. Although millions of people have these bacteria and most do not develop stomach cancer so other factors do contribute.

*People who smoke have TWICE the risk of developing cancer of the stomach then a non smoker does.

*Eating lots of fruit and vegetables appears to lower your risk of developing stomach cancer whilst a diet high in preserved or very salty foods increases your risk.

There is currently no screening test in place for stomach cancer.

Symptoms of Stomach Cancer:

Symptoms of this type of cancer can be quite vague. They include:

*Indigestion and burping as well as acidity.

*Feeling full

*Bleeding as well as tiredness and breathlessness as a result of the blood loss.

*Blood clots

*Pain

*Feeling sick or being sick

*Difficulty in swallowing

*Loss of appetite

*Weight loss

Please don’t panic after reading these symptoms; they are very common and can be indicating any number of illnesses. Please remember that only about one in every fifty of the people going to the doctor with these symptoms are diagnosed with stomach cancer. Usually they are symptoms of a minor problem. Don’t ignore any of the symptoms though – get them checked out ASAP!!!

It can be difficult for your doctor to work out if you have a suspected case of stomach cancer or something that is less serious. If they do suspect you of having cancer of the stomach then they will refer you to specialist on a two week wait protocol. This means you will have an appointment with a specialist within two weeks of the doctor referring you. They may also decide to send you for an urgent endoscopy, especially if you are over the age of fifty five, have more then one of the symptoms listed above or if you have a swelling or lump which the doctor can feel.

Diagnosing Stomach Cancer:

Many different tests are used to diagnosed cancer of the stomach. These include:

*Endoscopic ultrasound

*MRI Scan

*PET-CT Scan

*CT Scan

*Chest X-Ray

*Laparoscopy

Types of Stomach Cancer:

Around 95% of all diagnosed cases of stomach cancer are adenocarcinomas which start in the gland cells found in the lining of the stomach. These cells produce mucus and stomach juices.

Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the skin-like cells which can be found mixed with the gland cells to form the stomach lining.

Rare cancers can also be found in the stomach. These include lymphoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) and neuroendocrine (NET). GIST’s and NETs can be benign as well as malignant.

Treating Stomach Cancer:

The main options for treating stomach cancer are chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.

The doctor will consider your general health, the stage of your cancer, your age and your fitness levels before creating a treatment plan for you.

AS WITH ALL CANCERS: THE EARLIER YOU ARE DIAGNOSED, THE EASIER IT IS TO GET THE DISEASE UNDER CONTROL AND TREAT YOU SUCCESSFULLY.

If your cancer has not spread beyond the stomach at the time of diagnosis then surgery will almost certainly be your option. If the doctor thinks it is possible to cure you by removing part or all of the stomach then this will be the first approach in most situations. The amount of stomach removed will depend on where the cancer is positioned in your stomach.

You may also have surgery to relieve your symptoms even if the doctors don’t think they can cure you this way.

Removing your stomach is a major operation and it will have a huge impact on your life so it is important to get all the facts from your doctor before undergoing this surgery. If your cancer is located near to where the stomach connects to your oesophagus then that may need to be removed too.

If only part of the stomach is removed then you can still eat but in small portions and the remaining part of your stomach will gradually stretch over time. If you have all or most of your stomach removed then you may eventually be able to eat properly again but this will be a long process and your doctor will be able to provide you with advice on this. You will need to have injections of vitamin B12 for the rest of your life to help prevent anemia and nerve problems.

You may have chemotherapy alongside the surgery or you may have chemo on its own. Chemotherapy on it’s own is most likely if the cancer has spread and is quite advanced. The chemo will relieve your symptoms and will help slow the cancer down and prevent it from spreading further.

You may also have chemo before and/or after surgery to get rid of any microscopic cells that may be lingering.

Radiotherapy is not commonly used to treat cancer of the stomach but you may have it to relieve your symptoms and to try to shrink an advanced tumour.

Around 7,800 people are diagnosed with stomach cancer in the UK every year. Most of them are over the age of fifty five when they are diagnosed.As I mention over and over in this blog: cancer is easier to treat the earlier it is found. If you are worried about anything you have read here today then please do go and visit your GP for a check up.

Please visit www.cancerresearchuk.org for any information regarding cancer of the stomach.

xxx

An Award Winning Blog?

Another quick blog post!

I have just been told that this blog of mine has been nominated for a WEGO Best in Show Blog Award 2012!!!!

Thank you to whoever it was that nominated the blog for this, I really do appreciate it! I'm very proud of this blog and, whilst I don't do it for the recognition, I am happy to know that people do read it and like what I do.

Thank you :)

xxx

Raising Awareness of Bowel Cancer

As mentioned in the post below, today marks 13 years since my aunt passed away. She was yet to reach her thirtieth birthday when she died. She died after being diagnosed with bowel cancer (colon cancer to be precise). My uncle/Godfather also passed away in his very early thirties after battling the same type of cancer.

I get it; talking about your bowels and your poop can be embarrassing. It can also save your life. My aunt was diagnosed too late and she died pretty soon after diagnosis. We live with a constant what if: “if she had been diagnosed sooner, would she still be here today?”

My dad lost a brother and a sister to bowel cancer. As an adult fully aware of what has happened to our family, I can now fully appreciate why my dad forced me to each Bran Flakes for breakfast as a child (I do eat it now as well for anyone wondering!). Taking care of your bowels and being aware of what is “normal” for you is hugely important, especially for a family like mine. I hope my dad won't mind me saying this publicly, but he had regular colonoscopies to check himself and to make sure he is OK  When I am a little older, I will be doing the same. They may be unpleasant but they are a hell of a lot better then a battle with cancer. With a family history like ours, you really can't be too careful.

Bowel cancer can hit you at any age; my aunt and uncle are testament to that. I cannot stress enough the importance of being aware and going to the doctor if you feel something is not right. Your doctor will have seen and heard it all before and much worse besides. They will treat you with care and in the strictest confidence so I urge you to go to the doctor if you feel something isn't right. It could very well save your life.

I know some people struggle to understand why I spend so much time and energy writing this blog and all the other cancer related work I do. Days like today should make people understand why this is all so important to me. I have six mimossimou’s a year (Death anniversaries in Greek).  That pain and grief is difficult to portray in words but it is very real. If I can save ONE life with this work and this blog then it is all worth it.

Please do read about bowel cancer and some of the charities around to help people prevent the disease as well as support people with the disease. Please do read about the symptoms and read about how you could potentially prevent yourself from developing this horrific type of cancer.

Life is the most precious commodity we possess and we should respect it and look after ourselves to try and preserve our lives as best we can. Check your bowels, get to know what is normal and please do seek medical advice should you feel something is not right.

Beating Bowel Cancer - http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/charity-showcase-beating-bowel-cancer.html

Bowel Cancer and Bowel Cancer UK – http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/bowel-cancer-uk.html

xxx

Aunty Eleni - Thirteen Years On

Hi all,

Hope you are well.

Sorry for the lack of blog posts recently, I am in the middle of moving homes AND work is a little crazy at the moment! I’m busy researching away though!

I just wanted to do a post as tomorrow will mark thirteen years since my beautiful Auntie Eleni passed away. Eleni means Helen in Greek.

I have lost two aunts and an uncle to cancer but Eleni is the only one I can remember clearly as I was ten when she died as opposed to a baby when the others passed away.

My parents divorced when I was fairly young and my dad would have myself and my sister Nikki at the weekends. He would always take us out to the cinema, to museums etc…. and my auntie Eleni would sometimes come with us. She was very protective of us and would always make Dad give in to our demands, I remember queuing up for ages to get to The Tower of London and as soon as we stepped inside, we began to demand McDonalds. My dad refused as we had only just got there but Auntie Eleni stepped in and to McDonalds we went!

I have taken after my aunt in many ways. I remember I was my yiayia once (my mum’s mum) and she said something funny. I laughed my head off and she stared at me with a really weird look on her face. I asked her what was wrong and she said I had the EXACT same laugh at my Auntie Eleni and she was stunned by it. My mum has also commented on this so I tend to think of my aunt when I have a real laughing fit. I also inherited her crazy curly hair, although hers always looked much nicer then mine ever does. I’m also the proud owner of a lot of her old possessions which are safely locked away.

Auntie Eleni’s death is the first one I clearly remember. I was in year six at primary school at the time. My mum let us have the day off school and took us to the newly opened Bluewater to buy something to make us feel a bit better. It was a very painful and difficult time and I still really miss my aunt to this day.

My sister Eleni is named after our aunt and was born after her death so she wasn’t able to meet the lady she is named after. She is told all about her and I know our aunt would have adored her just as much as she did the rest of us.

My dad, my stepmum, my brother and sister live in Cyprus now and I miss them all the time. Its days like tomorrow that make me wish my dad was still in this country as I would like to be able to spend the day with him. I know he likes to talk about his sister and the other family he has lost and it’s hard to do that over the phone as I just want to be able to hug him!!

I was the first grandchild on the Christofi side of my family and I was the apple of my aunt’s eye (we all were). She would always tell me that I was a clever girl and would change the world someday. I hope I’m making that come true with the work I do.

RIP Auntie Eleni, miss you more everyday xxxxx

Award Nominee :)

Thank you to the people that have nominated myself and this blog for the 2012 WEGO Health Activist Awards. I really do appreciate the lovely lovely support shown to me by so many of you! I'll let you know if we win!!!

http://links.mkt3867.com/ctt?kn=4&ms=NTA5NTI4NgS2&r=MjcyMjY5MTgwNzES1&b=0&j=NTgyMTM3ODkS1&mt=1&rt=0

:) xxx

Georgia Hillman - A Little Star

I think it’s pretty obvious to anyone that knows anything about me, that I am hugely passionate about beating childhood cancer for very obvious reasons. I grew up with a child that suffered so cruelly at the hands of cancer. I used to play in the playrooms at Great Ormond Street Hospital with children that were really really ill. It has always been apparent to me that some children have to suffer with this horrific disease at such a young age. These children are incredibly brave, too brave for me to be able to put into words. This is why I am a huge supporter of the Cancer Research UK Little Stars Awards scheme for childhood cancer sufferers and their siblings. It’s amazing that the charity is able to give these children a little something to let them know we all think they are amazing.

I came across Ruth Hillman on Twitter through some CRUK related Twitter friends. The first thing I noticed about Ruth is that she is a very kind and lovely lady. I then realised her daughter was a childhood cancer survivor.

Georgia Hillman is honestly one of the cutest children I have ever come across, which is no mean feat when you consider how many siblings and cousins I have! She is also one of the most incredibly brave children I have ever come across and I am going to share her story here with you today.

Georgia was just one year and two days old when she was diagnosed with Wilm’s Tumour (a kind of kidney cancer) in August 2008. Ruth came across a lump whilst blowing raspberries on her daughter’s tummy one day. This broke my heart as I always used to blow raspberries on my sister’s stomach’s when they were little. The idea of such a cute display of affection between mother and daughter leading to a cancer diagnosis is really upsetting. However it does point out the importance of mother’s intuition – Ruth could feel there was something not quite right with her daughter.

 Ruth says “The previous Thursday I’d been at a coffee morning where I’d been tickling another boy’s tummy and I noticed his was all squidgy. I didn't think much of it at the time, but that night, alarm bells started to ring…..I thought she’d maybe swallowed a toy as she was always putting something in her mouth”.

At first Ruth was told there was nothing wrong. She wasn't satisfied with this answer and asked to be referred to a pediatrician  After being told a referral could take up to six months, Ruth spent the morning calling private hospitals and managed to find one that would see Georgia immediately  Ruth says: “I believe that Georgia was pretty much diagnosed over the phone as I was told to bring her in immediately”.

Georgia was taken to X-Ray as soon as they arrived at the hospital. A nurse chaperoned Ruth and Georgia everywhere they went and everything moved at a fast paced. Whilst Georgia was having a ultrasound, Ruth asked the nurse if she should summon her husband home as he was away working in Birmingham. Ruth vividly remembers the nurse’s reply: “ I've never seen a child rushed through x-ray and ultrasound quite so quickly in all my years as a nurse; if it were me, I’d be getting my husband straight away.”

Tests revealed a tumour the size of a football. At first they thought it was coming from Georgia’s liver but further tests showed it was coming from her kidney and was spreading out through the poor little thing’s abdomen with all her organ’s being pushed aside to make room. They were also told that it had spread.  In just a few days, the Hillman’s had gone from excitedly celebrating Georgia’s first birthday to a sleepless night in a hospital waiting to hear news about their sick child.

Georgia had six weeks of intensive chemotherapy which, thankfully, reduced the huge tumour to the size of a Satsuma. She then had keyhole surgery to remove the tumour and another seven months of chemotherapy. She also had three blood transfusions. An incredible amount of trauma for her to go through at such a young age. She didn't understand what was happening but she’s a clever little girl and could understand everything that had to happen. Ruth says: “If the nurses didn't complete a procedure properly, she wouldn't clap….as soon as they did, she would clap and smile.”

Georgia was very sick throughout her treatment; Ruth says she was sick nine times in one day, which happened to be poor Ruth’s birthday. She had a peg inserted for feeding and to have anti sickness drugs administered in January. Incredibly, she didn't need it for eating but it did put a stop to all the vomiting. Sadly, the peg became infected and in late April poor Georgia spent a week fighting for her life when the infection became really bad. Ruth says: “When she was not sick, she was a very bubbly, happy child and so very brave. She would never cry or whinge. I know Ben or I would never have coped half as well.”

Georgia completed her treatment in June 2009 and doctors declared her free from cancer in July. She has progressed and gone from strength to strength ever since. Her very proud mum says:

“People are amazed by Georgia when they hear what she has been through. She’s happy, healthy, cheeky….normal….child with nothing to show for her ordeal other then a few scars on her tummy. We feel so very lucky to have Georgia still with us and certainly could not be prouder of a lovely little  girl who has achieve so much in five short years.”

Exactly four years to the day after her first MRI and biopsy, Georgia started school. She continues to thrive every day and is a very cute and clever little girl.

Georgia’s dad nominated Georgia for a Little Star award and she had a star shaped trophy to remind her of how brave she has been from such a young age. She was chosen by CRUK to attend a party at London Zoo as an ambassador for the charity and spent a day mingling with celebrities and dancing with Same Difference!

I, for one, think Georgia is an incredible young girl and I am also astounded by the strength of her parents who have also been to hell and back. The Hillman’s are a walking example of making sure you trust your instincts and push for second opinions if you feel you are being fobbed off by doctors. I wish them a very happy and healthy life together and hope Georgia continues to shine and progress. I’m hoping to be able to meet both her and Ruth in the very near future to tell them how incredible they are in person – hint hint to our mutual friends at CRUK!!!!

If you know of a brave child who should receive a Little Star Award, please do take a minute to nominate them here: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/news/little_star_awards/do-you-know-a-little-star

I’m sending lots of love, as always, to every single child affected by cancer and to their families too. It’s a horrible thing to have to go through and I’m proud to say I’m part of the huge team of people working hard to make childhood cancer a thing of the past.

xxx