On 8^th November 2016 Target Ovarian Cancer will be holding an event called Being Together in Hertfordshire. This is a free event for all women with ovarian cancer and will take place at the Jurys Inn Hotel in Watford from 10am – 4:30pm and will include lunch and refreshments.

Feedback  from previous Being Together events have shown that these days are extremely beneficial in helping women feel less isolated and more knowledgeable about ovarian cancer:

“The whole day has been brilliant. The hospitality was superb and the quality of the event was excellent”

 The event is an ideal opportunity for women to meet those with similar experiences and put their questions to a panel of experts. Women will also have the opportunity to take part in workshops surrounding living well, such as nutrition and relaxation. Although the event is free booking is essential.

You can book a place at www.targetovariancancer.org.uk/hertfordshire or by calling Target Ovarian Cancer on 020 7923 5475.

The Macmillan Information Centre in St Georges Hospital, Tooting has teamed up with the charity Thrive to support cancer patients in Wandsworth through a gardening group.

Thrive is a charity that has been in existence for 35 years and they use gardening to bring about positive changes in the lives of people with a disability, who are experiencing ill-health,  are isolated, disadvantaged or vulnerable.  This means they help people with a variety of disabilities and diseases such as mental ill-health, stroke, heart disease,  visual impairment, dementia and learning disabilities.

Their work is based on evidence that has shown that gardening improves physical and mental health which has led to the field of social and therapeutic horticulture.  This is where formal programmes involving plants and gardens are used to improve health and well-being and also communication and thinking skills.

Thrive has described the specific benefits and these are:

• Better physical health through exercise and muscle strengthening
• Improved mental health through a sense of purpose,  achieving a sense of peace and tranquillity, restoring attention and stress alleviation
• Reduction in isolation and exclusion through group work and connecting with others
• The development of skills which can lead to improved employment opportunities

Gardening and Cancer Support

As a result of the success of gardening in the above diseases, Macmillan Cancer Support has teamed up with Thrive to organise an interactive gardening group for residents of Wandsworth who are living with and beyond cancer. The programme will be led by a trained horticulturist and is available in all weather conditions as there are facilities for indoor gardening work across the many greenhouses in Battersea Park.

Each programme will last for 8 weeks and those who are interested just have to complete a very simple registration form.

More information

For more information please download the flyer below, call Macmillan on 0208 725 2677 or email  cancer.information@stgeorges.nhs.uk

Macmillan Cancer Care and Croydon Health Services are inviting anyone affected by cancer to their upcoming health and well-being event on Tuesday 13^th September 2016 from 2:30pm to 7:30pm. This event has been organised for people who have completed or are near the completion of their cancer treatment.  The event aims to provide patients with the information and support needed to improve their well-being with speakers covering a range of topics including diet, stress, exercise, work and sexuality.

The event will take place at: Oasis Restaurant, 1^st Floor, Croydon University Hospital

To book your place on this course please call Macmillan on 0208 401 3441 or email  ch-tr.wellbeingMCS@nhs.net

For more information please download the poster and the invitation letter below.

If you’re a man and have had a conversation with your GP about the PSA test, Prostate Cancer UK would like to hear from you.

Prostate Cancer UK knows, anecdotally, that men have mixed experiences when speaking to their GP about the PSA test, but they would like to collect and record this information formally to help inform their campaigning work.  They are inviting anyone who has had a conversation with their GP about the PSA test to complete a short survey asking how the conversation with your GP went and how this impacted your decision whether or not to have the test.

What is the PSA Test?

PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen and the PSA test measures the amount of PSA in the blood.

PSA is a protein produced by cells in the prostate and it is normal for men to have a small amount of PSA in their blood.  A high level of PSA in the blood suggests that there is a problem with a man’s prostate. For example, they may have an enlarged prostate, a prostate infection, or it could be something more serious like prostate cancer. Additionally, men can have a raised PSA if they take part in vigorous exercise or sexual intercourse in the 48 hours before they have a PSA test, or if they have a urine infection.

This means that when it comes to diagnosing prostate cancer the PSA test is not the best test as it isn’t accurate enough to determine whether a man has prostate cancer or not. In fact 76% of men with a raised PSA do not have prostate cancer.

The PSA test can be helpful in diagnosing prostate cancer if a man’s PSA level is extremely high (in the hundreds of thousands) but the challenge arises when PSA levels are slightly or moderately raised, then the test becomes hard to interpret.

Also, it is important to note that the PSA test can actually miss prostate cancer in some men because in 2% of men with fast-growing prostate cancer, PSA levels remain normal.

Why is Prostate Cancer UK Conducting a Survey?

The PSA test can be quite confusing for the reasons mentioned above. Hence why it is not used as a screening test and hence why men have to think carefully before having the test, if they don’t have symptoms. Therefore the conversations men have with their GP about the test are extremely important.

GPs need to provide men with accurate, balanced information about the PSA and men need  to feel empowered to make an informed decision about  whether they should have  a PSA test once they have spoken to their GP.

Through their survey Prostate Cancer UK would like to ensure that the conversations that men are having with their GPs are useful and if they are not, a survey like this provides much-needed information on what needs to be improved.

How Can I Take Part in The Survey?

If you’d like to take part in this survey, please visit Prostate Cancer UK’s website here. If you’d prefer to complete a paper version of the survey please email us and we’ll arrange for one to be sent out to you.

Is there Anything Else I Need to Know?

It is very important that black men are aware of the symptoms of prostate cancer as black men are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as their white counterparts. The symptoms of prostate cancer are:

• a weak urine flow
• needing to urinate more often, especially at night
• a feeling that your bladder has not emptied properly
• difficulty starting to urinate
• dribbling urine
• needing to rush to the toilet – you may occasionally leak urine before you get there
• blood in your urine.

These symptoms may be a sign of prostate cancer but could also be due to other prostate conditions such as an enlarged prostate or an infection.

For more information about black men’s risk of developing prostate cancer visit Prostate Cancer UK’s website here, view the video below or if you have any concerns you can call their helpline 0800 074 8383

This week, Macmillan Cancer Support  published their report Cancer: Then and Now. This report looked at diagnosis, treatment and aftercare from 1970 to 2016.

The report revealed that people are twice as likely to survive at least 10 years after being diagnosed with cancer than they were if they were diagnosed at the start of the 1970s. It is thought that this improvement in survival is due to earlier diagnosis and better treatment. Whilst there is good news generally there are some cancers where survival rates are still very low and these include lung and pancreatic cancer.  Macmillan states that the survival rates for these two cancers have not changed over the past 30 to 40 years.

When it comes to treatment Macmillan’s report reveals that treatment has improved significantly since the 1970s. Treatments now have a greater precision and are thus more effective. Techniques that are used in surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy have been refined so that there are less side effects. In surgery, new techniques that use robotics have allowed previously inoperable tumours to become operable. Radiotherapy has become less crude and new methods can more accurately focus on the cancer.  There are more chemotherapy drugs now than ever before and there is a greater understanding of how to manage the side effects. Newer types of treatments have been developed since the 1970s these include biological therapies which use our body’s immune system to target cancer cells.

Whilst Macmillan’s report celebrates the advances in cancer survival they do highlight that the disease continues to be very devastating affecting a person long after their treatment comes to an end. Many people will experience long-term side effects such as chronic fatigue,  incontinence, disability and general poor health. Thus the need for an effective after-care plan.

When comparing after-care over the last 30 to 40 years, Macmillan’s report explains that in the 1970s and 80s support for patients wasn’t commonplace. Now there are several organisations that offer comprehensive cancer support programmes ensuring that patients are catered for and their needs are met.

Finally, Macmillan’s report looked at end of life care and how that has changed over the years. They state that in the 70s end of life care lacked planning and expertise, but this area has now become a “highly developed field of practice that increasingly puts the patient’s needs and compassion at its heart”

This report was very interesting highlighting the progress that has been made in the treatment, diagnosis and support provided to patients.

The Lake Foundation has been playing its little part through its cancer support group.  For more information about our support group please email us

You can download Macmillan’s report below.

On 14^th July 2016, Public Health England launched a fourteen week campaign to raise awareness of  the symptoms of lung cancer, lung disease and heart disease.  The campaign will focus on the symptoms of persistent cough and inappropriate breathlessness stressing that a sign of lung cancer or other lung disease could be a cough lasting more than three weeks and/or getting out of breath while doing everyday tasks such as vacuuming.

Additionally, it’s important to note that breathlessness could be a sign of heart disease.

If you, or anyone that you know, are experiencing these conditions please visit your GP and finding these conditions early makes them easier to treat.

Professor Kevin Fenton, PHE National Director for Health and Wellbeing said:

“The estimated number of people with undiagnosed lung cancer, lung disease or heart disease, is deeply concerning. If diagnosed early, these diseases can be managed and treated successfully. This campaign will help people recognise the symptoms and encourage them to seek help, potentially saving lives from what are 3 of the biggest causes of death in England.”

For more information about this campaign, lung cancer and lung disease please click here

Penny Brohn Cancer Care is pleased to announce that its Living Well with the Impact of Cancer course will be coming to Croydon on 10^th and 17^th June 2016.

Penny Brohn Cancer Care’s course is a 2 day course over 2 weeks and will be held at Croydon University Hospital. The course can be attended by patients at any stage of illness and supporters such as a friend, family member or carer will also benefit from attending.

This is a free course that offers peer support, lifestyle recommendations and self-help tools. It will cover: nutrition, exercise, relaxation/stress management, emotional support, managing the impact of  cancer on close relationships and financial/welfare issues.

For more information on this course please download the flyer below or visit www.pennybrohn.org.uk/national-living-well-services and to book a place please complete the booking form below and email it to bookings@pennybrohn.org.uk

This week, Public Health England announced that it has launched a new improved prostate cancer pack to help GPs and other healthcare professionals discuss the PSA test with men.  This new pack is part of the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme and consists of an evidence document for GPs, summary information sheets for GPs and summary information sheets for men aged 50 and over.

The PSA test is a blood test that can be helpful as part of the process of diagnosing prostate cancer but it is not accurate enough to be used as a screening test. Men who are over 50 can book an appointment with their GP if they have concerns about prostate cancer and would like to discuss the PSA test and this new pack will ensure that these appointments are as useful and informative as possible.

Dr Anne Mackie from Public Health England said:

“The decision about whether a man takes a PSA test is a complex one and has to be thought through carefully. Our new information pack will make it easier for GPs to have this conversation with their patients, and assist men in making a decision that is right for them”

Prostate cancer is more common in black men with black men being twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as their white counterparts. We hope that these new packs will create a better understanding of prostate cancer and the use of the PSA test and thus facilitate the early diagnosis of this disease.

A new study has linked high dietary fibre with a reduced risk of breast cancer. The study of over 90,000 women compared the incidence of breast cancer in those who had diets high in fibrous foods (such as potatoes) with those who consumed less.

The risk of breast cancer was 12%-19% lower in young women with higher fibre diets. High intake during adolescence was also associated with 24% lower risk of breast cancer before menopause. Among all the women, the relationship between fibre intake and breast cancer risk reduction was the same: the greater the intake, the greater the reduction in breast cancer risk. Fibre from vegetable and fruit sources had the most obvious benefits.

The reasons for this effect are not yet completely understood but the study authors have suggested that fibre-rich foods reduce oestrogen levels and high oestrogen levels are associated with breast cancer development.

Women from the African and African-Caribbean community have already been noted to have poorer outcomes in relation to breast cancer when compared to white women.  It has also been reported that Black women tend to develop breast cancer earlier. Increasing dietary fibre certainly appears to be another weapon in the fight against breast cancer.

You can read more about this study here.

A new report about the burden of obesity in the UK, has delivered shocking predictions about future cancer rates. Based on today’s trends the report predicts that nearly 3 in 4 adults will be overweight or obese by 2035 and this would lead to an additional 670,000 cases of cancer.

Rising obesity may lead to increased cancer rates for several reasons. High amounts of fat in the body change the levels of hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone which may raise the risk of cancer. Raised levels of fat can also alter the quantities of chemical messengers in the body and possibly have cancer related effects.

 Black people are at already very high risk for particular forms of cancer.  Black men have the highest risk of developing prostate cancer amongst all other ethnicities. Young Black women have worse breast cancer outcomes compared with white women.

The report (co-authored by Cancer Research UK and the UK Health forum) also suggests a variety of strategies which may help reduce obesity rates and consequently cancer rates. These recommendations appear to be sensible and practical but may not be sufficient for members of the UK population at high risk of obesity e.g. Black men and women. According to a 2014 report, Black men and women have the highest rates of obesity in England. Furthermore, it has been reported that Black and other ethnic minority children have higher rates of obesity when compared to White children in the UK. Further investigation into the obesity challenges faced by the Black community is needed.

You can find more information about the studies here, here, and here.