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A good friend's son has advanced, stage 4 melanoma. He's 15, which is rare. Despite a missed diagnosis and a few major set-backs he's doing pretty well.
At last, the sun is shining, the sky is blue, it's actually warm enough to go out without a coat (well it was when I started writing this!) and everything suddenly seems much nicer. Most of us feel better in the nice weather and also we tend to feel we look healthier with a bit of colour, and even more fit with a deep tan!
As a nurse working on the helpline, I'm aware that some of the most common feelings people experience when faced with a cancer diagnosis are a sense of uncertainty,
June is Male Cancer Awareness Month, which is supported by Everyman who fund research with the aim of stamping out male cancers. I thought now was an ideal opportunity to blog about the two cancers in question - testicular cancer and prostate cancer - to raise awareness, and hopefully dispel some myths.
Carer's Week is from the 8th - 14th June 2009. The theme this year is "Carers...the UK's secret service".
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Lots of people dealing with cancer - doctors and nurses, researchers and statisticians, patients and carers - talk about a 5 year period. But what does it mean? When does it start? Why is it so significant?
The reality is that this magical point in time, means different things to different people.
On the nurse helpline we often speak to people who have been asked to make decisions about their treatment. One treatment versus another treatment, which treatment first, treatment versus no treatment - the list is endless and it's no wonder people end up anxious and confused.
There are lots of potential side effects to cancer treatments. One of the most difficult to come to terms with is a change in body image. Body image is the mental picture we have of our own appearance. This image is drawn from what our body actually looks like, and also from how we think we look. Throughout life, our body image is constantly changing.
There has been some speculation posted that asparagus can cure cancer.
As most of our bloggers have said, it’s best to treat theses claims for asparagus as a cure for cancer with a good dose of scepticism. There’s no good evidence that eating asparagus prevents or cures cancer.
As nurses on our helpline and email service, we come from all sorts of backgrounds. We have lots of experience of looking after people with cancer in different environments. This may be on hospital wards, in out-patient clinics, at hospices, or visiting patients in their own homes. As well as t
I'm sure that most of us, at some point in our lives, will have feelings of complete and utter despair. When life seems hopeless and there seems little point in going on. Fortunately, for a lot of us these feelings and emotions, although very difficult to cope with at the time, are short lived and pass with the support and love of our family, friends and health care professionals.
April is bowel cancer awareness month. Bowel Cancer UK has a new campaign called Check It that you might like to read about.
I'm in the middle of revising Cancerbackup's booklet (and web information) about sexuality and cancer, and thought it was an ideal time to write a quick blog on the subject.
Talking about serious illness, or death and dying is never easy. And talking to kids about it is really hard.
As adults we often struggle to understand and come to terms with someone we love and care about dying so how can we possibly explain something to a child we don't understand ourselves?
With the announcement that ovarian screening may be beneficial, I thought I'd take a look at the issues around screening for prostate cancer.
I recently attended a prostate cancer awareness evening in Colchester, Essex, and I thought it might be of interest to some of you to know these events are taking place.
I was driving back from visiting my family on Sunday with my partner when the news came on the radio. The news reader discussed the global economy, an MP having to justify his expenses on his home, and then the sad news that Jade Goody had died. My partner and I talked about how irrelevant everything else becomes when you're faced with the death of a loved one. And h
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I'm sure you're aware of the vast amount of coverage in the press about Jade Goody's sad situation. As a result, we've noticed an increase in enquires to our service about cervical cancer. Many people are also telling us about how the media is affecting them in other ways.
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Today is No Smoking Day. We all know about the potential harm that can be caused by cigarettes. But are we so aware of all the health benefits of giving up? As you can read from the link, these benefits start very soon after you quit.
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Just in case you haven't heard yet, from 1st April 2009 cancer patients in England will be eligible for free prescriptions. Anyone undergoing treatment for cancer, the effects of cancer, or the effects of cancer treatment can now apply for an exemption certificate.
You can apply by collecting an application form from your GP surgery or oncology clinic.
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I was reading through some of the blogs on the site and came across a long discussion in answer to a query about preparing for chemotherapy. The thread included loads of great suggestions - and a few less good ones - and made me think that some pointers from a nurse might be useful.
About 36,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year in the UK. Around two thirds of colorectal cancers are in the large bowel (colon) and one third are in the back passage (rectum). It is unusual for people under 50 to get bowel cancer. More than 8 out of 10 bowel cancers (83%) are diagnosed in the over 60’s.
It's worrying to know that 24% of people with cancer feel they don't have anyone to talk to about their cancer and one in five people find it hard to talk to their friends and family about it.
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It’s seems that never a day goes by without there being some sort of cancer story in the news. Recently there was a lot of news about Patrick Swayze who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. And then Kylie of course who has been in the news loads ever since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005.
One of the most common feelings people have when they’re living with cancer is a sense of loneliness - the feeling that they have to deal with it on their own.
When a close friend of mine became very unwell, I was surprised to find that I just didn't know what to say. As a nurse caring for people with cancer, I didn't expect to feel lost for words when I was faced with a similar situation in my personal life. I foun
It‘s always a shock when you or someone you know is diagnosed with cancer.
Shock is something we all experience at some point in our lives, often when something affects us personally, but national or international events can leave us all feeling shocked and confused – remember how we were affected by Princess Diana’s sudden death, or 9-11.
Of course when it’s something like a cancer diagnosis, it’s a very hard time for everyone involved. Everyone has different reactions. This is all very normal, and it’s usual to feel up one minute and down the next, OK and not OK, etc.
Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for people with cancer to feel very tired at some point.
Many people affected by cancer describe an extreme feeling of tiredness ( fatigue), and there's often several reasons for this, including things like:
One of the biggest challenges in trying to support carers, is that they often don't recognise themselves as such. Many people see it as their 'duty' to care for a relative, friend or neighbour. Yet this shouldn't mean that they don't get access to the help they need. The Royal Princess Trust for carers provides a useful definiton of what a carer is.
December is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Childhood cancer is devastating for all concerned. The treatment can last for months, which may mean long stays in hospital and being away from home, school, friends and siblings.
Working, for most people, is a big part of everyday life. So being diagnosed with cancer, or having treatment for it, can impact hugely on your working life. And not just physically affecting your ability to do your job, but emotionally and financially too. The decision as to whether people carry on working often depends on many factors: the job they do, their employers, and how the treatment, or disease, is likely to make them feel. It’s worth remembering too that not only is work a basis for our professional lives, but it also has social aspects too.
I read with interest, as I'm sure many people did, the news articles about the apparent cure of the man in Seattle with advanced melanoma skin cancer. His doctors tried a very new and experimental approach in cancer treatment, which looks as if it has worked for this man.
Cancer awareness months are good opportunites to raise awareness and support people affected by cancer. Did you know that March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month.Ovarian cancer is not as common as other cancers like breast cancer. About 7000 women in the UK are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year.
At last I have justification for a sleep-in!
As I sit here in Devon it's pouring with rain. It's been raining pretty much for the whole summer so far. It's ironic really as I've just written a piece for Cancerbackup's information website about the website SunSmart, which is the UK's national skin cancer prevention campaign.
Today is No Smoking Day. We all know about the potential harm that can be caused by cigarettes. But are we so aware of all the health benefits of giving up? As you can read from the link, these benefits start very soon after you quit.
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You may have read that the reality TV personality Jade Goody has returned home to the UK after being diagnosed with cervical cancer. She was appearing in India's "Bigg Boss" show - the Indian version of "Celebrity Big Brother" in the UK. Her spokesperson said she has pulled out of the show so that she can start treatment.
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness month. I wonder if you saw the item on TV recently about the possible symptoms of bowel cancer and bowel cancer screening.
Just to let you know - Children's Hospice Week is from 20-27th September. Events run throughout the week to raise awareness of children's hospice services across the UK and fundraise for them.
I recently attended a prostate cancer awareness evening in Colchester, Essex, and I thought it might be of interest to some of you to know these events are taking place.
Have you wondered why every year in October shops start to sell all sorts of pink items and you see people wearing pink ribbons? It's all to do with Breast Awareness Month but what's it all about?
Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) was introduced as a worldwide campaign in 1993 by Evelyn Lauder. One aim of the campaign was to increase awareness of breast cancer.
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Talking about serious illness, or death and dying is never easy. And talking to kids about it is really hard.
As adults we often struggle to understand and come to terms with someone we love and care about dying so how can we possibly explain something to a child we don't understand ourselves?
It's perfectly normal for people to worry about their health. It's important to be aware of your body and any changes so that you can take care of yourself and visit your doctor if you need to. Some people may go through phases in their life when they're more concerned than usual but find that there isn't anything wrong. This is often a response to something that's happening around them - such as a friend becoming seriously ill - or a high impact story in the media.
I'm sure that most of us, at some point in our lives, will have feelings of complete and utter despair. When life seems hopeless and there seems little point in going on. Fortunately, for a lot of us these feelings and emotions, although very difficult to cope with at the time, are short lived and pass with the support and love of our family, friends and health care professionals.
Well I might be being a bit over optimistic but there finally seems to be a bit of sunshine around and it feels warm enough to want to be outside. It's great to think we might be able to get into the garden for a bit, go out for walk, or sit outside at a country pub... And some people will be going off to the sun for a holiday.
The number of people surviving and living longer with cancer is increasing and is likely to continue to rise.
In recent years there have been various campaigns in the media such as Cancer Research UK’s ‘All Clear’ fundraising campaign. They’ve increased awareness that it’s possible to survive cancer and adapt to living with it.
There are a number of physical, emotional, social and practical issues that face cancer survivors and their family and friends including things like:
• Coping with long term side effects
• Financial worries
• Returning to work
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