Health bosses raise awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms

4:10pm Tuesday 6th March 2012 in News

MARCH is ovarian cancer awareness month and hospital chiefs are keen to raise awareness of the symptoms to ensure early detection and treatment.

According to statistics, 17 women in the town will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012 but knowing the signs including persistent pelvic/stomach pain, increased stomach size, persistent bloating and having difficulty eating could help patients seek advice early.

Nigel Holland, gynaecological consultant at the trust, said: “If ovarian cancer is diagnosed at an early stage the outcome is good. “However, because some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer can be vague and similar to those of more common conditions, it can be difficult to diagnose.”

Women are also advised to tell their GP if there are two or more cases of ovarian or breast cancer in their close family.

Visit ovarian.org.uk.

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Organization encouraging dental professionals to offer free screenings to the public

Did you know that the fastest growing segment of the oral cancer community is young, healthy non-smokers? It’s shocking but true. Exposure to the HPV-16 virus, the most common sexually transmitted infection, is now the leading cause of oral cancers in the U.S. There is little that can be done to stop this virus from spreading. our only hope to save lives is through increased professional involvement and public awareness to generate early discovery of the disease process. to that end, the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) is encouraging the dental community to get involved in Oral Cancer Awareness Month this April 2012 by offering free oral cancer screenings to the public in a national effort to raise awareness of this silent killer.

Oral cancer has existed outside the consciousness of much of the public, which is one reason 37,000 Americans will be newly diagnosed this year alone. that is about 100 new people a day. that lack of awareness has contributed to this cancer not being discovered until very late in its development. by implementing a public awareness campaign, OCF wants to educate the public about the risk factors, early signs and symptoms of the disease, as well as the need for all adults to undergo an annual oral cancer screening. in the early stages of oral cancer’s development, it is often is painless, and physical signs may not be obvious to an individual. this makes it a very dangerous disease and is also the reason it is crucial to have an annual oral cancer screening. OCF is asking dental and medical professionals nationwide to act as the first line of defense against oral cancer through the process of early discovery, and to raise public awareness of this cause by opening their doors for at least a half-day, during the month of April, to opportunistically screen members of their community.

These screenings are more important now than ever. Oral cancer is one of the few cancers that are on the rise in the U.S. when found early, oral cancers have an 80% or better survival rate. unfortunately, most oral cancers are found in late stages, when the five-year survival rate plummets to about 30%. Late stage diagnosis can be greatly reduced through increased public awareness of these facts, and OCF believes that a national program of opportunistic screenings is the best means of creating that awareness.

A visit to the dentist is no longer just about a cleaning or restorative procedures; when a dental exam includes a simple, painless, visual and tactile oral cancer screening, it can save your life. The Oral Cancer Foundation urges you to find out if your local dentist is participating in Oral Cancer Awareness Month this April by visiting OCF’s event section of the website at ow.ly/8jzhN. If you do not see your dental practice listed, please encourage them to contact the Foundation for more information on how easy it is for them to participate. like other screenings you may receive, such as cervical, skin, prostate, colon and breast examinations, oral cancer screenings are an effective means of finding cancer at its earliest and highly treatable stage. Of all these screenings, the one for oral cancer is the least invasive and time-consuming. It is also affordable and in many cases, it may even be free.

The Oral Cancer Foundation is a big believer in the development of strategic partnerships. in April 2012, OCF will again join forces with both professional societies and private sector companies who are stakeholders in this disease. The American Dental Association, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Academy of Oral Medicine form the core of the professional society sponsorship. OCF has also aligned with private sector entities Henry Schein inc., LED Dental, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, who are asking their customer base to be active in this April’s endeavor. in addition, the 21 treatment facilities with head and neck departments that participated in 2011′s effort are expected to participate again in 2012. With the help of these partners in 2011, OCF was able to create over 2,000 screening sites/events, a ten-fold increase over any previous year. these events, combined with 7 major walk/run awareness events coordinated by OCF, resulted in over 50,000 individual screenings for this deadly disease during April alone. For 2012, the Foundation and its partners have set of goal of at least doubling those results.

Oral cancer is not a rare disease. Each hour of every day, one American dies of the disease, and four more Americans are newly diagnosed. these staggering statistics are the result of the public’s low awareness of the diseases risk factors, which makes these free screening events so crucial. this disease can be defeated, but only with an informed public supported by involved professionals who want to make a difference in the world of oral cancer.

About the Oral Cancer Foundation: The Oral Cancer Foundation, founded by oral cancer survivor Brian R. Hill, is a non-profit 501(c) 3 public service charity that provides information, patient support, sponsorship of research, and advocacy related to this disease. Oral cancer is the largest group of those cancers that fall into the head and neck cancer category. Common names for it include such things as mouth cancer, tongue cancer, head and neck cancer, and throat cancer. It maintains a Web site at oralcancer.org, which receives millions of hits per month. Supporting the foundation’s goals is a scientific advisory board composed of leading cancer authorities from varied medical and dental specialties, and from prominent educational, treatment, and research institutions in the United States.

SOURCE Oral Cancer Foundation

CHIPLEY – New Chipley City council members, Kevin Russell and Lee Dell Kennedy, were sworn in during the city’s regularly scheduled council meeting on October 11 with a brief ceremony and luncheon honoring exiting members Cheryl McCall and Rev. Price Wilson.

McCall received a plaque from the Chipley fire Department thanking her for her support of the fire department during her years serving as council member.

Linda Cain was approved of to continue as Mayor with a vote of 3-2, with Council member Roger Sloan and Kennedy voting “no.”

Karen Rustin was approved of as new Mayor Pro-Tem with a vote of 3-2, with Sloan and Kennedy voting “no.”

Council liaisons were approved of with a vote of 4-1 with Sloan voting “no.”

The liaisons appointed were: Cain for Administration and Police; Kennedy for Recreation and Public Works; Sloan for Industrial Park, Cemetery and Tourist Development Council; Russell for planning & Zoning and CRA; and Rustin for Code Enforcement, fire, Historic Merchants of Chipley.

Council awarded Public Works Director Chester Campbell with Employee of the Quarter.

Cain presented Northwest Florida Community Hospital representative Heather Shelby with a signed proclamation recognizing October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Northwest Florida Community Hospital educates women about the importance of early detection for breast cancer in the form of monthly breast self exams, a yearly Clinical Breast Exam and an annual screening mammogram for women 40 and older,” read Cain. “The key to surviving breast cancer is early detection and treatment. According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is confined to the breast, the five-year survival rate is close to 100 percent.

The early detection of breast cancer helps reduce the need for therapeutic treatment and minimizes pain and suffering, allowing women to continue leading happy, productive lives.

Still, many women do not utilize mammography at regular intervals. In recognition of the fact that mammography is the best available method of detecting breast changes that may be cancer, long before physical symptoms can be seen or felt, and that breast cancer deaths could decline further if all women age 40 and older received mammograms at regular intervals.

Therefore, be it resolved that I, Mayor Linda Cain and the City Council of the City of Chipley hereby proclaim the month of October, 2011, as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Chipley and urge all women age 40 and older in Chipley, Florida to get a yearly screening mammogram.”

Public Hearing and Final Reading for Ordinance 907: Amendment to Chapter 12, entitled “Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions” and Chapter 13, entitled “Recreation.” this ordinance, if approved, will establish regulations of firearms.

First Reading of Ordinance 909: Amendment to Ordinance 834. this ordinance, if approved, will renew and extend the non-exclusive franchise to Waste Management, Inc. of Florida for the collection and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste collection.

First Reading of Ordinance 910: Amendment to the Comprehensive plan. this ordinance will establish a land use change of a parcel located at the corner of Johnson Ave. and 5th Street from low density residential to neighborhood commercial.

Approval of RC Track at the old land fill in Chipley, with a stipulation that if the noise level becomes an issue the city would be able to bring the issue back up for discussion. The RC Track’s estimated date of completion is three months from now.

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Free colon cancer screening kits available

Free colon cancer screening kits will be available to people 50 and older during March, which is colon cancer awareness month.

“Early detection is critical since colon cancer often produces no symptoms during early stages,” says Jennifer Kelley, community manager for the American Cancer Society. he kits are a painless and noninvasive test done in the privacy of a person’s home. when found at its earliest stage, colon cancer has a 90 percent survival rate.

The American Cancer Society recommends that everyone get tested for colon cancer beginning at age 50. People should talk to their doctor about testing earlier if they have a family history of colon cancer or have a personal history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis.

The kits will be offered beginning today at Walgreens stores at Central and Hillside, 13th and Waco, Central and West, Harry and Broadway, 55th and Broadway, and Harry and Edgemoor.

They also will be available at AMS Labs at 2916 E. Central. The kits are made possible through a collaboration of the American Cancer Society, via Christi Health, Walgreens, AMS Labs, Project Access, KU School of Medicine, Surgical Specialists, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Wichita Surgical Specialists, Kansas Surgical Arts, and via Christi Volunteers/Partners in Caring.

Scientists contend that glowing jellyfish can detect cancer using a process called “virimaging” that illuminates tinier growths.  If proven to be effective, this may be a marvel of science, and great news in detecting and treating the deadly pancreatic cancer.

As the pink ribbons that celebrated “National Breast Cancer Awareness Month” are replaced by purple ribbons to celebrate “National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month”, researchers have revealed a medical breakthrough in tumor surveillance.

Researchers at the Yorkshire Cancer Research Center at York University say that by using glowing jellyfish, they can detect cancer at much earlier stages and deeper inside the human body.

In a process called, “virimaging”, scientists take the illuminated cells from a glowing jellyfish and inject them with a specially made virus designed to track cancerous cells. once the proteins reach the tumor, they light up and allow a special camera to reveal the presence of the mutated cells 10 times better than a CT scan.

Because this month is meant to bring awareness to pancreatic cancer, could this technology serve to help diagnose the presence of cancer of the pancreas much sooner, offering improved chances of survival?

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadliest forms of cancer.  Sadly, over 90% of sufferers succumb to the deadly condition because it is so difficult to detect at the early stages.  when patients present with symptoms of the insidious disease, they are already in the advanced stages, making is difficult for even the most aggressive treatments to work.

Recent evidence points to the fact that cancer cells of the pancreas are among the slowest growing, often taking two decades for a patient to show symptoms of its presence.  There are just no credible screening sources to detect the presence of pancreatic cancer on a routine basis.

If glowing jellyfish can detect cancer at the cellular level and much deeper inside the body, this can mean the difference between a slow death and complete eradication.

Professor Maitland, one of the researchers who discovered “virimaging”, says that the technology of using glowing jellyfish to detect cancer can be made available for use in less than 10 years.

This new technology proves that nature has a way of providing the body of science with more means of cancer detection if a step away from the conventional is practiced. because pancreatic cancer carries a grim prognosis, the use of glowing jellyfish to help in its detection can only save lives.

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Sara Capple Lawhorne accomplished a great deal during her 67 years and her children hope they can do as much in her name now that the former Nevada Regional Medical Center community relations director has fallen victim to pancreatic cancer.

Lawhorne died Oct. 22 after the city council proclaimed November Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and her son Marc of Nevada and daughter Mary Katherine Wilson of Fayetteville, Ark., took part in the NRMC Foundation’s recent sale of symbolic purple bracelets to raise money for research.

“The doctors only gave Mother three or four months and she lived 16 months and three days,” Wilson said Tuesday. “There was no hope at all. But through all this, she never complained, kept high spirits and tried to live life the best she could.

“This disease is horrible. I never saw anyone suffer the way she did.”

Tragically and almost inexplicably, Lawhorne’s former husband Ron, of Lamar, was diagnosed with the same malady about the same time she was. He is still fighting it and was honored on Thanksgiving Day by his children and other relatives.

Wilson said her mom had shown signs of pancreatitis, an infection of the pancreas, two months before her true condition was ascertained. “My paternal grandfather died of colon cancer a long time ago, but we hadn’t had pancreatic cancer anywhere in our family,” she said.

“We’d like to get more funding to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at pancan.org. Something has to be done because only two percent of cancer funding goes to this.”

Known as “the silent killer,” the disease is so insidious largely because it is asymptomatic in the early stages and often isn’t discovered until after surgery becomes unfeasible, according to references. It is the fifth deadliest cancer after lung, colon-rectal, breast and prostate cancer.

A malignant neoplasm of the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin, it has been diagnosed in 43,140 Americans so far his year, 36,800 of whom will die before the year is out. fewer than five percent last five years.

Natalie Eberhard, NRMC assistant community relations director, remembers Lawhorne as “an amazing ball of light, always smiling, who put 110 percent into everything she did.

“Sara had good working relationships, clinical and non-clinical, with everybody,” said Eberhard. “She had made a great impression on the hospital staff, and her funeral was very touching.

“We would like to have more capability because we don’t have a lot here that is specific to cancer. a cancer center is something our community needs, but it’s a big deal to add one on.”

Lawhorne, whose parents Barney and Betty Lou owned Capple Hardware, was also a noted singer who had performed lead roles in operas and musicals with the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra, Kansas City Lyric Opera, Kansas State University Choir, Emory University Choir, Joplin little Theater and St. Joseph Community Performing Arts Council.

She became community relations director in 1993 at NRMC, where she was instrumental in forming the hospital foundation.

References say symptoms of advanced pancreatic cancer may include pain in the upper abdomen that radiates to the back; loss of appetite and-or nausea and vomiting; significant weight loss; painless jaundice with yellow skin and eyes and dark urine; Trousseau sign, in which blood clots form in the portal blood vessels, deep veins of the extremities or superficial veins anywhere on the body; diabetes mellitus, with many patients getting diabetes months or years before pancreatic cancer — an indication that new onset diabetes in an elderly person may be an early warning sign; and clinical depression before cancer diagnosis, although the nature of this association is as yet unknown.