Tag Archives: cancer

Cure for dementia will be found in 7 years says Jeremy Hunt

July 6, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Carers, dementia, health

BRITISH scientists will find a cure for dementia in just seven years, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has declared.

By: Jo Willey

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt

Not only will this save lives, it will also save the NHS by slashing ­billions of pounds a year from the cost of caring for those with the ­condition.

Mr Hunt said: “Finding drugs that can halt or cure dementia may seem a distant prospect now but there are drugs companies that think they will have a cure for dementia by 2020.”

He said the answer lay in DNA mapping, claiming it could unlock a “treasure trove” of information to help tackle diseases from dementia to cancer.

Plans are already under way for Britain to be the first country in the world to map the personal DNA code – known as a genome – of up to 100,000 patients.

The project would be the “medical equivalent of the invention of the internet in terms of its significance”, Mr Hunt told the annual conference of the Local Government Association in Manchester.

He added: “For the UK, this is a very big opportunity, because we are the country that first cracked what DNA was back in 1953.

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'Carers walk the cancer journey with patients but need more support'

June 26, 2013   Cancer, Carers, ukcuts

Up to 1.1 million people are thought to be providing unpaid care to a friend or family member who has cancer but they are getting neither the information nor help they need

guardian.co.uk,

Researchers found carers are often not told how best to support patients or where they can turn for practical or emotional support (picture posed by models).

When Fiona O’Kelly’s widowed mum was diagnosed with leukaemia two years ago, her life changed overnight. “It’s like our roles suddenly flipped,” she recalls. “Mum used to help me look after my two boys but now I look after her. She was independent up to then but her cancer and the treatment have left her frail and affected her memory.

“There are times when I think I can’t cope but I know staying in her own home and being cared for by family is the best thing for Mum.”

O’Kelly, whose sons are 10 and 16, negotiated a year off work following the diagnosis, and has since dropped her hours from four to two days a week. Her husband has also changed his working hours to minimise childcare costs.

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“It’s important for carers to be cared for” Gloria Hunniford

June 16, 2013   Cancer, Carers, health

SHE’S had her fair share of negative life experiences, and Gloria Hunniford has spoken out about the importance of looking after elderly carers.

By: Kelby McNally
Gloria-Hunniford-swapped-stories-with-the-eldery-carers-of-the-Redbridge-Carers-Support-Service Gloria Hunniford swapped stories with the eldery carers of the Redbridge Carers Support Service
The singer – who cared for her own daughter, Caron Keating, before she tragically passed away from cancer – opened up about how it feels to be an older carer.”It is so important for carers to get cared for themselves,” she said as she joined a group of elderly carers at Redbridge Carers Support Service.

“I know myself having lost my daughter how strenuous caring can be to a family. It is a big responsibility and it takes a lot of energy.”

The Health Lottery Ambassador swapped stories with the people of the service, who put on activities for local carers aged seventy or over.

“The camaraderie is great as they obviously all get on very well,” revealed Gloria after the event.

The singer admitted that it’s a great feeling being able to see the lottery in action
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