Some Good News on Pancreatic Cancer?
I think this article on the BBC web site may prove to be a glimmer of hope in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer may lurk in the body for many years before patients fall ill, US scientists say
Research hints at earlier opportunities to spot and treat the disease, which is fatal in 95% of cases.
Genetic analysis of tumours by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Johns Hopkins University suggested the first mutations may happen 20 years before they become lethal.
UK survival rates for the disease have not improved in the past 40 years.
The disease is often aggressive and unresponsive to treatment by the time it is diagnosed.
The study, published by the Nature journal, found that tumours appear to be slow growing.
In other words if we could find a test for pancreatic cancer, we might be able to catch people suffering from the disease very early in the growth of the cancer. I know of pancreatic cancer survivors, who were caught very early, so perhaps something might work.
I know that my old University of Liverpool is looking for such a test amongst other pancreas research, so perhaps they are on the right track, if not for a complete cure, but for something that might help.
Let’s hope so, as I wouldn’t want anybody to suffer the same death as my son did from an uncureable cancer.
Gene Therapy on the Horizon
Horizon tonight was on gene therapy. It really did give people with genetic diseases hope.
As both my wife and our son died of cancer, it was thought that he may have inherited a faulty gene. He hadn’t, but I can understand how much something like that, would blow families apart.
On the other hand, I have an inherited genetic disease in coeliac disease. Would I want to be cured by gene therapy? Probably not now, as I control my symptoms through diet, but it would have been nice to know, I carried the faulty gene earlier and I could have modified my diet accordingly.
No Pope Here!
I will put it this way. The Catholic Church’s attitude to women, homosexuals, child abuse, birth-control and lot of other things are just so far outside my beliefs about what is good for humanity in general, that I’ve declared my personal space a Pope-free zone. It was so refreshing and uplifting to hear of the work of the Bobby Robson centre in Newcastle, yeserday while other channels were covering the Pope’s visit. When you’ve lost your wife and son to serious cancers, it is just so much more important to you, that research is done to make sure others don’t face the same challenges and problems that I do.
Today, I shall be going to Clare, to see the Tour of Britain Cycle Race, go through one of Suffolk’s historic villages. I shall probably pop in to the church, which is one of the finest parish churches in England.
Some may find it strange that a man with no religion should visit a church or a cathedral, which I generally do, when I’m exploring a town or city! But then what is wrong with my contemplation of beautiful buildings in a secular manner?
Thank Heavens For Sir Bobby!
I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to listen to the Popefest on the radio and it was a great relief when I found that Radio 5 Live, were doing a program on the cancer research centre that Sir Bobby Robson helped to fund!
What a refreshing and uplifting program and yet another reason to celebrate one of the finest Englishmen of the last few decades! He will certainly have or have had more effect on the lives of ordinary people all over Europe than the current Pope.
We can all learn a lot from how Sir Bobby carried on until the end.
He was a selfless man with true humanity, who probably never did anyone any harm! He certainly never meant it, if he did! And to say that about a man, who worked in one of the most ruthless professions is extraordinary.
We will never see his like again!
The Familiar Skirt
As I sat in Carluccio’s in Spitalfields tonight, I realised that the lady on the next table, was wearing a skirt, that was very similar to one that C had sometimes worn in the last couple of years of her life.
I didn’t get emotional, but quietly wished to myself, that the lady didn’t sufer a similar fate to C. Last Thursday would have been C’s sixty-second birthday and next Tuesday would have been our forty-second wedding anniversary.
I could put a cliche in here but I won’t! Add one yourself!
Something to Look Forward To!
The tour de France it is not, but the Tour of Britain is a spectacle in its own right and it will be coming almost past my door, as it goes from Bury St. Edmunds, through Haverhill, Clare and Cavendish on its way to Colchester on the 17th of September. Read more here.
I note two that it has teamed up with The Prostate Cancer Charity, something that has touched a few of my friends.
Farewell to a Brave Man
I’m not the greatest fan of rugby union, but I can remember Andy Ripley in his pomp. Andy has just died after a long and valiant battle against prostate cancer. He will be remembered for a long time.
Mixed Messages on Cancer
A new and authoritative report says that eating five portions of vegetables a day does not protect you from cancer, as much as was thought.
Eating more fruit and vegetables has only a modest effect on protecting against cancer, a study into the link between diet and disease has found.
The study of 500,000 Europeans joins a growing body of evidence undermining the high hopes that pushing “five-a-day” might slash Western cancer rates.
The international team of researchers estimates only around 2.5% of cancers could be averted by increasing intake.
It two and a half percent benefit is worth having, but it’s not great.
Now what is interesting in these findings is that some research has shown that diagnosed coeliacs have a lower risk of cancer than normal. It could be argued that this was due to the fact that coeliacs tend to eat well and generally eat lots of unprocessed meat, fish, fruit and vegetables.
But perhaps we should all adhere to the last two paragraphs of the article.
Yinka Ebo of Cancer Research UK said: “It’s still a good idea to eat your five-a-day but remember that fruits and vegetables are pieces in a much larger lifestyle jigsaw.
“There are many things we can do to lower our chances of developing cancer such as not smoking, keeping a healthy weight, cutting down on alcohol, eating a healthy balanced diet, being physically active and staying safe in the sun.”
I do all of those things. They also supposedly protect you from strokes.
I blame the genes. After all my father and grandfather died before their time and my wife and son both died from cancer at early ages.
Death of my Son
My youngest son died yesterday from pancreatic cancer, at just 37. He passed away peacefully at home with friends and family.
I shall always remember how he bore his illness very bravely and always thought of others, despite the fact he only had days to live. The support from the local surgery, district nurses and Macmillan was impeccable and meant he was at least as comfortable as possible.
Nothing I can say will really make any difference.
Pancreatic cancer is an awful disease for which there appears to little chance of any progress towards a cure. I do have hope though and it is my wife’s and my old University of Liverpool, that is one of the leaders in this fight.
Read more about their work here.
Power to the Computer Programmer
I’m impressed by the article in The Times about the new scanner at the London Chest Hospital. The cost of each scan is around £500 which might seem a lot, but if it can detect a problem that saves a life, it’s peanuts! Incidentally, in its previous incarnation, this hospital was Bart’s, who did a wonderful job on my mother-in-law. And did it twice!
I’m also pleased that the next scanner goes in at my local hospital, Addenbrooke’s.
We will be seeing a lot more devices like this. Some will be big and massively expensive and will be limited to regional centres like Addenbrooke’s. I’d always prefer to travel to get the best treatment.
But think next time you are in the GP’s surgery. He, or in my case she, has massive levels of computing power on their desk. Could we not see equipment plugged into the USB ports on their computer to scan for such things as skin cancer?
I’m too old at 62 to develop ideas like that, but I know there are programmers out there who can create applications like that. The rewards would be massive for worthwhile applications.
Go and create!
The Anonymous Widower 