Category Archives: Cancer

Minister denies cancer test pressure

January 26, 2012   Cancer, Carers

Care services minister Paul Burstow has denied suggestions from a DH adviser that GPs are being pressured to reduce use of a cancer test.

By Stephen Robinson, 26 January 2012
Mr Burstow: ‘All patients who need to have access to this test should receive it’

Yorkshire GP Dr Nick Summerton, a DH cancer adviser, had said that a letter sent to practices in the north of England implied GPs had over-used an ovarian cancer test and should audit appropriate use.

But Mr Burstow refuted the suggestion. ‘Doctors are not being pressured to reduce their use of this ovarian cancer test, and all patients who need to have access to this test should receive it,’ he said.

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Daily consumption of bacon and other red meat products can raise cancer rates

January 13, 2012   Cancer, Carers, health

Bacon linked to higher risk of pancreatic cancer, says report

Study claims eating two rashers or one sausage a day can increase threat of contracting disease by nearly 20%

 

Daily consumption of bacon and other red meat products can raise cancer rates, according to the study.

Eating two rashers of bacon a day can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 19% and the risk goes up if a person eats more, experts have said.

Eating 50g of processed meat every day – the equivalent to one sausage or two rashers of bacon – increases the risk by 19%, compared to people who do not eat processed meat at all.

For people consuming double this amount of processed meat (100g), the increased risk jumps to 38%, and is 57% for those eating 150g a day. But experts cautioned that the overall risk of pancreatic cancer was relatively low – in the UK, the lifetime risk of developing the disease is one in 77 for men and one in 79 for women.

Nevertheless, the disease is deadly – it is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage and kills 80% of people in under a year. Only 5% of patients are still alive five years after diagnosis.

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Telehealth solutions planned for COPD patients

January 9, 2012   Cancer, health

 The new service is expected to help reduce the number of unplanned emergency hospital admissions

Monday 9th January 2012

NHS Oldham is to provide patients with advanced telehealth solutions that will support them in the management of their long-term conditions.

 

The programme will involve up to 150 patients who have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), who will benefit from being supported in their own homes by Tunstall’s telehealth solutions.

 

COPD patients have been selected initially based on national evidence showing the benefits of telehealth for patients with long-term conditions.

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