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Brothers to brave Atlantic Ocean in row for skin cancer research

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Two Lymington brothers are preparing to row the Atlantic Ocean in memory of their late father Peter Massey, who sufferer with basal cell carcinoma skin cancer and sadly passed away in 2015 aged 63.

Jude Massey, 17, and Dr Greg Bailey, 26, have launched a campaign to raise £100,000 for the British Skin Foundation – a charity that funds skin cancer research – whilst also raising awareness of the dangers of skin cancer.

The 3,000 mile trip is due to take place in January 2018 and will commence in the Canaries and end in Barbados. “It’s a gruelling trip’” explained Jude, “We’ll be rowing for two hours on and two hours off non-stop both day and night.”

Conditions on the boat will be basic, relying on solar panels to power a water maker for both vital drinking water and fresh water to rehydrate freeze-dried meals. They’ll also have GPS communication, along with radar alerts to avoid collisions with nearby vessels.

Once they have departed they will be at the mercy of the elements with the potential for hurricanes, capsizes, electrical failure, passage of large vessels, large marine life, sea sickness, injury and equipment breakages. Should conditions become unsafe to row, the brothers must deploy their para-anchor, a submersible parachute shaped piece of equipment which will keep the boat pointing into the waves and reduce the likelihood of a capsize as they sit and wait in the watertight cabin.

The challenge will be a good test of both physical and psychological strength. To add some perspective, only 317 crews have successfully crossed the Atlantic, with 153 unsuccessful crews and six crews who died attempting the challenge. Some 536 individuals have been into space and over 5,500 have climbed Mount Everest. The brothers have put their lives on hold to complete the challenge, directing all of their efforts into training and fundraising. The duo, who have never rowed before are aiming to take between four and eight weeks to complete the journey. If they succeed, Jude – a sailing instructor – is likely to become a record holder as the first vegan to complete this journey, shining the spotlight on endurance events for vegans.

Peter, Jude father and Greg’s stepfather, spent 16 years undergoing painful treatment for skin cancer. “There are no words to describe how awful this disease is both for the sufferer and their family” said NHS doctor Greg. “The more awareness we can raise, the better for everyone.”

The brothers will be packing plenty of sunscreen for their trip as they’ll need to be covering themselves from head to toe every day. 

The boys are launching their sponsorship awareness campaign and are seeking support from different companies and organisations. They can be contacted through their website, email (contact@oceanbrothers.co.uk) or telephone (07590 926796). Please follow their Facebook & Twitter pages to keep up to date with their training and latest news.

For more information on sun safety, mole checking and skin cancer, please visit the British Skin Foundation website here.

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Turns out Protopic and Elidel carry no cancer risk

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If you’ve ever considered using Protopic or Elidel as an alternative to steroids, you, like me, will have been taken aback by the FDA’s black-box warning that these drugs theoretically could increase your risk of getting cancer. (In the US, there’s an actual black box on the packaging, somewhat more prominent than the warning on cigarette packs.)

A new, well-written report debunks this claim thoroughly.

Written by two researchers at Saint Louis University in Missouri and UT Medical School in Texas and a science writer in Chicago, and published in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, the paper points out that the FDA’s 2005 advisory was based on three justifications: extensive off-label use to treat children under two years old; a very small number of adverse drug reports (two for Elidel and five for Protopic); and a study done in monkeys in which the animals were given much larger doses than would be typical for human patients.

Now, eight years after the first FDA warnings appeared, the authors say that use of these creams has not been shown to increase a patient’s risk of developing any type of cancer.

Elidel (pimecrolimus) and Protopic (tacrolimus) are “calcineurin inhibitors” formulated as creams. They reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory molecules produced by T cells. With all immune-suppressant drugs there is always a possibility that the drug will prevent the body from destroying cells that have become malignant. But Elidel and Protopic do not raise the risk above the background level.

Unlike topical steroids, calcineurin inhibitors do not thin the skin, and patients who use them apparently do not experience a “rebound” effect in which the eczema returns after drug use stops, as is the case with steroids.

According to a graph in the report, Elidel sales are now much lower than they were in 2005, while Protopic sales have recovered to their original levels.

This matters because calcineurin inhibitors are a valuable alternative to steroids—for some, at least. When I tried Elidel, it did nothing for me, and Protopic gave me an intense burning sensation and a terrible headache.

So if you have been putting off using these drugs for fear they might cause cancer—now’s the time to give them a try!
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World Cancer Day – Saturday 4th February – We can, I can.

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Currently 8.2 million people die a year from cancer with lung cancer being the most diagnosed globally. In the UK 2.5 million people are living with cancer and this number is expected to rise to 4 million by 2030.

Living with a cancer diagnosis is hard, it changes the life of person who is diagnosed and the lives of the people around them. World Cancer Day 2017 is part of a three year campaign to create reach and impact in the fight against cancer. The day aims to explore how ‘everyone – as a collective or as individuals – can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer’, it is a moment where people are encouraged to pause and reflect on what WE can do and to pledge to take action.

Make this world cancer day count – which pledge will you be taking on?

I can:

·         Ask for support

·         Love and be loved

·         Make healthy lifestyle choices

·         Make my voice heard

·         Return to work

·         Take control of my cancer journey

·         Understand that early detection saves lives

We can:

·         Build a quality work force

·         Challenge perceptions

·         Create healthy cities

·         Create healthy schools

·         Create healthy workplaces

·         Improve access to cancer care

·         Inspire action, take action

·         Join forces to make a difference

·         Make the case for investing in cancer control

·         Prevent cancer

·         Shape policy change

·         Support others to return to work

#worldcancerday #wecanican

 http://www.worldcancerday.org/about/2016-2018-world-cancer-day-campaign – Image reproduced with permission

For further information on supporting people with cancer, read this blog by Fiona Holland at Derby University…

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Innovative ovarian cancer test detects the disease before symptoms are present

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Find out more about the brand new ROCA test, which is helping to detect ovarian cancer at an earlier stage before any symptoms are present.

Ovarian cancer is common in the UK, affecting around 7,000 women each year. It can often be difficult to spot the symptoms, meaning many women are not diagnosed until the disease is in its later stages and has spread to other parts of the body. For this reason, ovarian cancer is often described as the silent killer. There is now a brand new test for ovarian cancer, called the ROCA Test. Here, we explain more about this disease and what the new test means for diagnosis.

ovarian-cancer

You are more likely to develop ovarian cancer if you are older, as eight in ten cases occur in women who have gone through menopause. In one in ten cases, there is a genetic link so, if two or more of your close family members have a history of ovarian cancer or breast cancer, then you should discuss this with your doctor.

Spotting ovarian cancer

Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer is the most important factor in increasing the chance of successful treatment. However, most women don’t realise they have it until the late stages when the cancer is more aggressive. Currently, three quarters of women with the disease are only diagnosed once the cancer has already spread. Only three percent of women in the UK say they feel very confident about recognising a symptom of ovarian cancer.

The best way to protect yourself is to be vigilant for the signs and symptoms. You should look out for the following:

  • increased abdominal size or persistent bloating;
  • difficulty eating and feeling full;
  • pelvic or abdominal pain; and
  • needing to wee more urgently or more often.

These symptoms can be caused by countless other conditions and aren’t usually a cause for concern. However, with ovarian cancer the symptoms happen frequently – typically more than 12 times in a month, and are more persistent. Make sure you see a doctor if you are concerned about any of the symptoms mentioned above.

The ROCA Test

The ROCA Test is a simple blood test and it forms the first part of a multimodal screening for ovarian cancer. The results of the blood test give healthcare professionals an indication of how likely a woman is to have ovarian cancer, and whether she should undergo additional testing. Further tests are often more invasive, but give a more conclusive answer.

The ROCA Test has undergone extensive research by the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKTOCS). After 15 years and 670,000 screenings, UKTOCS has announced that the ROCA Test is safe and effective. Multimodal screening using the ROCA Test identified 85 out of 100 cancers, which is twice as many as would have been found by a conventional test.

What does this mean for women?

The ROCA Test could help to prevent one in five deaths from ovarian cancer by diagnosing women earlier. This test is able to detect ovarian cancer before the woman experiences any symptoms and is particularly useful for monitoring women who are known to have a high genetic risk of ovarian cancer. This means that more women can be diagnosed earlier, when the disease is easier to treat.

How can I get tested?

BMI Healthcare is now offering the ROCA Test across the country, but it is not currently available on the NHS. If you choose to have the ROCA Test, you will be cared for by BMI gynaecological consultants at one of their screening clinics. You can find out more about cancer screening and treatments at the cancer care hub.

Content Supplied by BMI Healthcare

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