These days cancer is hitting a lot of our headlines. below are some extracts from various researchers and writers on currents trends and issues on cancer
[some books in our library collection]
melanoma is a dangerous form of skin cancer often attributed to high exposure to the sun or tanning beds. These types of tumors often resemble moles and are nearly always curable when recognized and treated early. Unfortunately, when left untreated for too long, the cancer can advance and spread, and in some cases even become fatal.
"Moles are usually harmless, but in some cases, such as Daly’s, they can be deadly. Some of the biggest warning signs of melanoma are inconsistencies in mole appearance. Individuals who find their moles have become asymmetric, developed an uneven border, or changed in color, and overall shape and size are advised to seek a professional opinion immediately."
extracted from http://www.medicaldaily.com/skin-cancer-newlywed-bride-aggressive-melanoma-pulled-muscle-375693?rel=most_read3
While it is encouraged and even seems like everyone should get screened for cancer, in many cases, screening can be unnecessary and even harmful to a patient such as over treatment and false positive results.
In the study, researchers from the University of Michigan Health System examined 55 professional guideline recommendations for cancer screening, and they found that 69 percent didn’t fully explain the costs and benefits of the procedure. while cancer screening may find potential cancers sooner that can be treated early, there are the risks of false positives, over treatment, and unnecessary, invasive procedures as well as over-diagnosis as revealed by another study in 2015. The study found that over diagnosis is a common effect of increased screening, especially for thyroid cancers.
Screenings have become much more developed and fine-tuned in recent years, giving them the ability to identify any type of tumor — even if they’re tiny, benign, and not life-threatening. Regardless, spotting any tumor calls for a doctor to act upon it, even if it’s better off untreated. This leads to an increase in diagnoses, costly treatments, and unnecessary procedures. On top of all that, a recent study published this year found that researchers are still uncertain as to whether cancer screening truly saves lives."
However with breast cancer screening, research has shown that their benefits outweigh the risks; the screenings have reduced the number of deaths from breast cancer.
The lesson from this is that each type of cancer is different, and benefits of screening vary therefore each patient has a right to learn the costs and benefits of each screening.
extracted from http://www.medicaldaily.com/cancer-screening-benefits-costs-374685
A recent U.S. jury verdict linking regular use of Johnson & Johnson talcum powder to a woman's death from ovarian cancer is a cause for concern even though some scientists say the evidence of real danger is inconclusive at best. The article by Mathew Lewis and Bill Trott in the medical daily says,
"Jurors in St. Louis on Monday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $72 million in damages to the family of a woman who had used the company's talc-based Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for several decades. The company maintains that the safety of cosmetic talc but the idea that talcum has some asbestos in it put that on the radar of certain researchers and public health experts years ago.
Most of the concern has focused on whether women who routinely applied talcum powder on their genitals had an increased risk of ovarian cancer, according to the American Cancer Society's website.Experts believe it is possible in theory for talc to reach the ovaries by traveling up the vagina, through the uterus and Fallopian tubes and into the ovaries, where it causes inflammation. Dr. Adetunji Toriola, a Washington University epidemiologist at Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, said such an association is scientifically plausible.
"
Cramer, a paid consultant for plaintiff attorneys in the trial against J&J, demonstrated that increased risk in case-controlled studies, which compared past talcum use in women who developed ovarian cancer to women who did not.
extracted from http://www.medicaldaily.com/talc-cancer-risk-differs-jurors-researchers-375060
2.Cancer pain relief and palliative care in children by World Health Organisation
3.Management of gynecological cancers in older women edited by S M Lichtman and R A Audisio
4.Breast cancer nursing edited by S Denton
5. Breast cancer edited by D RRutherford
6. Brain tumors by L E Abrey and W P Mason
7. Cancer control knowledge into action: WHO guide for effective programmes: early detction
8. Cancer control knowledge into action: WHO guide for effective programmes:palliative care
9.reproductive health matters journal - reproductive cancers
For these and many other books on cancers please visit our library located inside Mpilo Hospital 3rd floor. Thank you.
Skin cancer awareness issues
More recently, a young bride lost her life to cancer after mistaking its symptoms for muscle pain. According to Dana Govey's report, Clare Daly of Kirby, England died this past December from advanced melanoma that she had mistaken for a pulled muscle for months.melanoma is a dangerous form of skin cancer often attributed to high exposure to the sun or tanning beds. These types of tumors often resemble moles and are nearly always curable when recognized and treated early. Unfortunately, when left untreated for too long, the cancer can advance and spread, and in some cases even become fatal.
"Moles are usually harmless, but in some cases, such as Daly’s, they can be deadly. Some of the biggest warning signs of melanoma are inconsistencies in mole appearance. Individuals who find their moles have become asymmetric, developed an uneven border, or changed in color, and overall shape and size are advised to seek a professional opinion immediately."
extracted from http://www.medicaldaily.com/skin-cancer-newlywed-bride-aggressive-melanoma-pulled-muscle-375693?rel=most_read3
cancer screening benefits and problems
Cancer screening guidelines don’t always help patients understand the risks and benefits of the procedures, according to a new study discussed in the medical daily.While it is encouraged and even seems like everyone should get screened for cancer, in many cases, screening can be unnecessary and even harmful to a patient such as over treatment and false positive results.
In the study, researchers from the University of Michigan Health System examined 55 professional guideline recommendations for cancer screening, and they found that 69 percent didn’t fully explain the costs and benefits of the procedure. while cancer screening may find potential cancers sooner that can be treated early, there are the risks of false positives, over treatment, and unnecessary, invasive procedures as well as over-diagnosis as revealed by another study in 2015. The study found that over diagnosis is a common effect of increased screening, especially for thyroid cancers.
Screenings have become much more developed and fine-tuned in recent years, giving them the ability to identify any type of tumor — even if they’re tiny, benign, and not life-threatening. Regardless, spotting any tumor calls for a doctor to act upon it, even if it’s better off untreated. This leads to an increase in diagnoses, costly treatments, and unnecessary procedures. On top of all that, a recent study published this year found that researchers are still uncertain as to whether cancer screening truly saves lives."
However with breast cancer screening, research has shown that their benefits outweigh the risks; the screenings have reduced the number of deaths from breast cancer.
The lesson from this is that each type of cancer is different, and benefits of screening vary therefore each patient has a right to learn the costs and benefits of each screening.
extracted from http://www.medicaldaily.com/cancer-screening-benefits-costs-374685
American Cancer Society Changes Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines to Reflect Analysis of Benefits and Harms by Marilyn Fenichel
"The American Cancer Society (ACS) breast
cancer screening guidelines now recommend that women at average risk of
developing
breast cancer begin screening with mammography at
age 45 years instead of 40, as recommended in the 2003 guidelines, and
switch
to biannual mammograms after age 55. Those
modifications are the result of a rigorous review process aimed at
weighing benefits
and harms, with the most notable one being
overdiagnosis, or detecting and treating a cancer that probably would
not have
presented a serious health risk to a woman during
her lifetime.
The guidelines, published in October (JAMA
2015;314:1599–614; doi:10 1001/jama 2015.12783), were developed using
an evidence-based review process that the Institute
of Medicine recommended. That review process
involved analysis of randomized trials, observational studies, and
modeling/simulation
studies with the ability to generate estimates of
long-term outcomes."
extracted from http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/108/2/djw022.extract
Popular Johnson and Johnson Talcum powder associated with ovarian cancer
A recent U.S. jury verdict linking regular use of Johnson & Johnson talcum powder to a woman's death from ovarian cancer is a cause for concern even though some scientists say the evidence of real danger is inconclusive at best. The article by Mathew Lewis and Bill Trott in the medical daily says,
"Jurors in St. Louis on Monday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $72 million in damages to the family of a woman who had used the company's talc-based Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for several decades. The company maintains that the safety of cosmetic talc but the idea that talcum has some asbestos in it put that on the radar of certain researchers and public health experts years ago.
Most of the concern has focused on whether women who routinely applied talcum powder on their genitals had an increased risk of ovarian cancer, according to the American Cancer Society's website.Experts believe it is possible in theory for talc to reach the ovaries by traveling up the vagina, through the uterus and Fallopian tubes and into the ovaries, where it causes inflammation. Dr. Adetunji Toriola, a Washington University epidemiologist at Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, said such an association is scientifically plausible.
"
Cramer, a paid consultant for plaintiff attorneys in the trial against J&J, demonstrated that increased risk in case-controlled studies, which compared past talcum use in women who developed ovarian cancer to women who did not.
extracted from http://www.medicaldaily.com/talc-cancer-risk-differs-jurors-researchers-375060
some books in our collection that discuss cancer and issues around it include
1. Acute care oncology nursing by C C Chernecky and K Murphy-Ende2.Cancer pain relief and palliative care in children by World Health Organisation
3.Management of gynecological cancers in older women edited by S M Lichtman and R A Audisio
4.Breast cancer nursing edited by S Denton
5. Breast cancer edited by D RRutherford
6. Brain tumors by L E Abrey and W P Mason
7. Cancer control knowledge into action: WHO guide for effective programmes: early detction
8. Cancer control knowledge into action: WHO guide for effective programmes:palliative care
9.reproductive health matters journal - reproductive cancers
For these and many other books on cancers please visit our library located inside Mpilo Hospital 3rd floor. Thank you.
Comments
Post a Comment