Professor Dr. Arthur Porter and Professor Karol Sikora made the uncomfortable and complicated topic of cancer interesting and digestible during what was the first in a series of informational seminars on cancer Feb. 27 at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre on Providenciales.

InterHealth Canada recently announced that Porter and Sikora would be heading up a newly opened Cancer Center at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in partnership with the government, the Ministry of Health and Human Services, the National Health Insurance Plan (NHIP) and the Cancer Centre of the Bahamas, where the two doctors are directors.

Cancer is the number two killer in most of the Caribbean after heart disease, but Porter says there are ways to ensure cancer is not a death sentence.Porter, who is considered an authority worldwide on the topic of cancer, told about 50 people gathered to hear the informational seminar that the most important thing in cancer treatment is early detection. “Individuals should not wait until they have symptoms, many patients don’t have any symptoms at all,” he said.

Cervical cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer are in the Turks and Caicos Islands, as in most other parts of the world, the most common cancers. However, all of these have early screening options which are covered by the NHIP. “Cancer can be identified well at early stages, where treatment is easily done and can lead to cures,” Porter said.

Treatment for cancer has improved in recent years, with less invasive procedures and fewer side effects, according to Sikora, who explained treatment options available.

“Surgery is the most important treatment of most cancers,” he explained. if caught early, cancer cells can be removed before they metastasize, or spread, to other areas of the body, at which stage treatment becomes more complex.

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the second stages generally used to treat cancer patients.

Chemotherapy services are now available on Providenciales using the hospital’s recently installed state of the art chemotherapeutic admixture unit.

Treatments are administered utilising the staff and skills of the Bahamas Cancer Centre, the only cancer centre in the Caribbean accredited by the American College of Radiation Oncology.

“Cancer is a human disease, every person needs a personal treatment,” Sikora said. This is the approach the two top doctors take towards helping patients they treat across the globe.

“Everybody deserves the best in cancer care,” said Porter, who describes the best care as not only utilizing the best medicine and know how, but also being close to home and culturally sensitive.

The two doctors who lead the Cancer Centre of the Bahamas have added the TCI to their expanding network of cancer treatment centers. while many Caribbean nations do not have a large enough population to support their own center, by leveraging staff and resources Porter says they can offer top cancer treatment in a number of Caribbean nations, including the TCI.

A fortunate concept for the residents of this country, and the approximately 30 new cancer patients anticipated per year will benefit from cancer care and expertise from some of the world’s best doctors in the field of oncology. the two will hold clinics once a month at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre and are in regular contact with the physicians locally who are caring for and treating resident cancer patients.

Until now, cancer sufferers in the TCI have been forced to go off-island for both consults and treatment, which has been a traumatic burden for both patients and their family members. It has also proved an expensive and inconvenient process for all concerned.

They will also be holding regular open seminars hoping to educate and sensitize the population on the importance of early detection and treatment.

Photo: (from left) Professor Karol Sikora, Roger Cheesman and Dr. Arthur Porter

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Doctors are being accused of letting down cancer patients by not spotting other serious medical problems caused by treatment for the disease.

GPs are failing to identify conditions such as osteoporosis, heart disease and bowel trouble that can affect patients’ lives for years after they have become free of tumours, claims one of the UK’s leading cancer experts.

The problem is so common that as many as 250,000 people who have survived cancer have had symptoms of such illnesses not picked up by their GP, Professor Jane Maher, the medical director of Macmillan Cancer Support, told the Guardian.

GPs’ lack of knowledge about cancer, and poor communication between hospital specialists and family doctors, meant signs of cancer treatment side-effects went undetected and caused patients pain, misery and discomfort, said Maher.

Research undertaken by the government’s National Cancer Survivorship Initiative (NCSI) estimates that 20%-25% of those who have been diagnosed with the disease later experience a consequence of their treatment which affects their physical or mental health or quality of life.

Given that about 2 million people in the UK have been treated for cancer, between 400,000 and 500,000 of them will have suffered a debilitating side-effect.

“GPs and oncologists are failing cancer patients far too often,” said Maher. “By not sharing vital information and recording clearly on the patients’ medical records they are putting a significant number of cancer patients at risk of having their work, health, relationships and home lives unnecessarily spoiled by long-term side-effects of their treatment.

“Based on the NCSI work looking into consequences of cancer treatment, I fear that up to 500,000 people’s symptoms are being missed by GPs.”

For example, there are about 80,000 people who have had life-saving pelvic radiotherapy for cervical, bowel, prostate or bladder cancer. while one in three of them are known to have problems as a result – with their bowels, sex life or urine function – GPs often fail to spot them, research shows.

“GPs need to recognise that people who have had cancer may have health problems related to their treatment, and GPs are the best people to pick these up,” she added. “But that doesn’t happen nearly enough at the moment.”

Maher, who is also a consultant clinical oncologist at Mount Vernon cancer hospital in London, said patients’ health suffered as a result.

She said that GPs too often do not know that an increased risk of heart disease is a potential consequence of some forms of breast cancer, so do not check patients’ blood pressure regularly.

“And while we know that men with prostate cancer have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis, that’s usually not recognised by the GP because that condition is associated with women,” she added.

“Whereas women at higher risk have a scan to check out their bones, get tablets and are advised to stop smoking and to do weight-bearing exercises, men generally don’t get that advice.

“GPs need to look at men who have had prostate cancer in a different way and be more aware of the risks of osteoporosis among them.”

However, GPs need to do much more to ensure that cancer survivors’ medical records detail the type of cancer they have had and treatment received.

“At the moment GPs aren’t recording whether someone has had chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

“That’s partly because they don’t get enough information from hospitals, but also because they don’t realise why it’s important for them to do that.”

The NHS and Macmillan are now piloting an improved treatment summary in which the oncologist spells out the treatment and risks of it.

Professor Steve Field, the chairman of the government’s advisory NHS Future Forum and ex-chair of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), said flaws in the NHS as a whole were to blame.

“GPs will not be used to the long-term side-effects of many cancer drugs, so sometimes those side-effects aren’t picked up by the GP and primary care team,” he said.

“The quality of information given by hospitals to GPs varies and sometimes there’s confusion about who’s looking after the patient – the GP or consultant – and the patient can get lost in the cracks in the service.”

The problem was likely to get worse because of the growing number of cancer patients living longer unless the NHS as a whole, not just GPs, took action, Field added.

“There’s a strong case for there being a single electronic clinical record for every patient, something the NHS IT programme seems not to have delivered.

“There’s certainly an overwhelming desire from within the cancer community for that, and for patients to be able to put information into it, which would help the risks in the handovers of patients between hospitals and GP.

“That should improve the long-term management of patients who have had cancer.”

The government’s cancer tsar Professor Sir Mike Richards, who shares Maher’s concerns, said: “Cancer survival rates are improving year on year with more and more patients becoming long-term survivors.

“To ensure that these patients receive the best possible care it is essential that GPs and oncologists should work together as a team.”

Dr Clare Gerada, chair of the RCGP, admitted that family doctors were generally unaware of these risks.

“GPs need help with this,” she said. “But GPs are bright people who are used to managing people with long-term conditions.

“If Prof Maher and the NHS tell us exactly what cancer someone has had, and what treatment, and what the possible risks are of that, and in a way that’s easy to understand, we will do things better.”

The Department of Health said it was seeking to make healthcare more joined-up.

“The health secretary has said repeatedly, from the start of the health and social care bill, that more needs to be done to improve integration,” a spokesman said.

“Professor Maher’s comments reinforce this. Through the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative we are working to ensure that survivors get the care and support they need to lead as healthy and active a life as possible, for as long as possible.”

my sister past away on the 17 of july suddenly and i think this may have been a contribitor to her death i would like to know more about this disease

The reason this disease is so deadly is that it is often too late by the time it is diagnosed. Early symptoms may include a deep, boring pain in the upper right quadrant of the back, often confused with gall bladder disease. also, the sudden onset of diabetes-like symptoms without other indications such as excess weight, poor diet, age or genetic indicators. if you are worried about it, get tested.

I am sorry to hear about your sister. Pancreatic cancer symptoms are often so vague that the cancer is not found until it has metastasized (spread) and most people usually live only 3-6 months after diagnosis. Pancreatic cancer is also resistant to most types of cancer treatment. the pancreas is so important because without it you would be unable to digest and absorb nutrients from your food.

Medline Plus is an excellent research source. it gives brief information and lists many good links. try nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pancr…

The National Cancer Institute has information at cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/tre…

My dad went to the hospital on July 5th, was finally diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on July 20th, and died on July 29th, only one week ago. In hindsight he lost some weight because of a loss of appetite. He got very weak and lost alot of weight the last three weeks in all parts of his body except his stomach, which kept growing. when he did eat or drink nothing tasted good. He became very jaundice with yellow eyes and was very weak. Frequent urination was also present probably because the tumor pushing on his bladder. He was alert until Saturday morning and feel asleep that afternoon and died 12 hours later. very painful. He said it was the worst pain he ever felt. Really no signs up until late June and a month later he died. Hope this helps, sorry for your loss.

Blood Cancer Treatment in India available at ISO approved hospitals

Blood Cancer Treatment in India is available at various corporate hospitals that are JCI accredited, ISO certified or in the process of achieving these seals. various corporate hospitals in India are specially designed according to the needs of international patients. over the last two decades, the economic boom in India has led to the building of medical facilities & infrastructure that rival the very best that western medical care has to offer. Blood Cancer Treatment in India is available at various corporate hospitals that facilitate world class, high quality and affordable medical treatment and healthcare tourism in India.

About Blood Cancer

Blood Cancer or Leukemia refers to a group of cancers of the blood cells. in blood cancer, white blood cells become abnormal, and divide and grow in an uncontrolled way.

White blood cells and blood cancer

White blood cells are made in your bone marrow, which is the soft spongy centre of your bones. Your bone marrow makes the most basic type of cells (called stem cells), and they can develop further into three types of cells –

white blood cells – protect your body from infection red blood cells – carry oxygen around your body platelets – important for normal blood clotting

Once these cells are made, they enter your bloodstream. White blood cells are involved in your body’s immune system, a defense system that protects you from infections. There are two main types of white blood cells – myeloid cells and lymphocytes.

In blood cancer, some of the white blood cells don’t grow properly. They stay in the bone marrow and keep reproducing in an uncontrolled way. These abnormal white blood cells fill up the bone marrow and prevent it from making healthy white blood cells. this means the body is less able to fight off infections. the abnormal white blood cells also prevent bone marrow from making enough red blood cells and platelets. a lack of red blood cells leads to less oxygen being delivered to the organs and tissues of your body. this is called anemia, and it can make you feel tired and breathless. a lack of platelets can lead to problems with the blood-clotting system, and results in bleeding and bruising much more easily than usual.

Causes of Blood Cancer

The exact cause of blood cancer is unknown, although there are some factors that increase the chance of developing it.

a weakened immune system – this may be a result of medicines that suppress the immune system (eg medicines to prevent rejection of organ transplants), high doses of radiation (eg radiotherapy or chemotherapy for another cancer), or diseases that affect the immune system (eg HIV) age – chronic leukemia is more common in people who are over 40 gender – slightly more men than women are affected by leukemia smoking certain genetic conditions, such as Down’s syndrome other blood disorders, such as aplastic anemia, a rare condition where the bone marrow fails to produce blood cells correctly contact with a chemical called benzene, one of the chemicals in petrol and a solvent used in the rubber and plastics industry

Types of Blood Cancer / Leukemia

There are several types of blood cancer. They are named according to the type of white blood cells (myeloid cells or lymphocytes) that are affected and how quickly the disease develops. Only the common types are discussed here. the two main types of blood cancer are acute and chronic.

Acute blood cancer

In acute blood cancer, symptoms develop rapidly and the cancer can quickly become life-threatening if it’s not treated. the most common form of acute blood cancer affects lymphocytes. this is called acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). another type of acute blood cancer is acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Chronic blood cancer

In chronic blood cancer, symptoms develop slowly and the white blood cells are almost fully grown and normal when they leave the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream. They can function, but not as well as they should do. one type of blood cancer, called chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), affects a particular type of white blood cells called myeloid cells. It has two phases, a chronic phase that can last for several years, during which symptoms develop slowly, followed by a more aggressive phase (accelerated phase), where symptoms quickly get worse.

Symptoms

The symptoms of blood cancer vary, depending on the exact type of disease and how advanced it is. There may be no symptoms in the early stages, especially in people with chronic blood cancer. many symptoms are vague, such as fever, headaches, weight loss and night sweats.

Symptoms of blood cancer include –

tiredness, breathlessness and pale skin (due to anemia, a reduction in number of red cells in the blood) frequent infections that do not get better increased bruising abnormal bleeding from gums and cuts heavier periods in women nosebleeds bone pain (due to the pressure of a build-up of cells in the bone marrow) swollen lymph glands (glands in the neck, groin and under the arms) abdominal pain (due to an enlarged spleen or liver) swollen gums, and occasionally, swollen testicles headaches and vision problems

Treatment for Blood Cancer

The effectiveness of treatment for blood cancer depends on the type and stage of the disease. Acute blood cancer or acute leukemia often goes into remission (the symptoms go away; the disease is under control but not necessarily cured). But many people with acute blood cancer have a relapse (the disease returns).

Treatment includes –

chemotherapy radiotherapy bone marrow or stem cell transplant monoclonal antibodies biological therapy (which may be in the form of tablets) steroids

Why consider India?

Blood Cancer Treatment in India is available at various hospitals of Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and New Delhi at an affordable price. various corporate hospitals in India use latest technology to perform complex medical treatments and procedures. most state of the art equipment is imported from countries like USA, UK, Germany, Japan etc. while the treatment in Indian private hospitals are at par with the hospitals in USA and UK, the cost for such treatment in India is actually a fraction of what it would cost in western countries.

More Bone Cancer Symptoms Uk Articles

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