Basildon family: Our mission to raise awareness of cervical cancer

2:00pm Monday 15th August 2011

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WATCHING someone you love waste away from a killer disease is awful to endure.

But it’s something Alex Waters had to do.

Alex is still grieving for her step-daughter, who died of cervical cancer, aged just 24.

Adela Waters was a single mum, so her death, in June, also left two young children without a mother.

one of the hardest things for Alex, 42, to come to terms with is that Adela’s death could have been prevented if she had been diagnosed early enough.

now, Alex, from Basildon, is trying to achieve something positive from the tragedy.

she is working to raise awarness of cervical cancer and is encouraging all young women to get checked out if they feel things aren’t quite right.

she explained: “Adela knew something was wrong. she was bleeding really badly and kept going to the GP. But she just kept being told it was nothing to worry about.

“Eventually, in October last year, she was screened for cancer and told the news it was most likely terminal.

“It was too late by that time. Adela was only 24 with two children and her whole life ahead of her.”

Adela, from Surrey, began a course of chemo-therapy, determined to fight the cancer, but her frail body couldn’t take it and she died six months later.

Alex said: “I’m desperate to raise awareness to cervical cancer and how women need to be aware of the symptoms.

“Cases like Jade Goody have helped put cervival cancer in the spotlight, but more needs to be done.

“At the moment, women are screened from 25 onwards for cervical cancer. I would like to see this age bracket reduced or at least see more doctors sending younger patients for screening if they feel something is wrong – not just dismissing them.”

When big Brother celebrity Jade Goody died in March 2009 of cervical cancer she was 27, and like Adela, a mum of two.

Jade’s death helped make the world sit up and take notice that young women die of cancer too.

after her death, a record number of women asked for smear tests and a campaign began to persuade NHS health chiefs to introduce screening for women bet-ween the ages of 20 and 24.

however, experts say the cervix of women of that age is changing and there is a risk their cells may look abnormal when they are not, exposing them to the trauma of further tests and biopsies.

But Alex says women need to be listened to. she added: “After watching someone I loved so much die, I want to get across to women that if you think something is wrong, go to the GP and get it checked out.

“The earlier screening takes place, the more chance there is of saving a person. If we can save even one life through sharing Adela’s story, then her death has not been in vain.”

To show her commitment, Alex, a staff nurse at Brockfield House mental health hospital, in Runwell, will be having her hair shaved off for the charity Cancer Research, on August 26.

the fundraising evening, which will also be a celebration of Adela’s life, will take place at the former Runwell Hospital Social Club. Alex’s husband Carl, 46 – Adela’s father – will also be taking part, with a sponsored leg wax.

As well as getting sponsored to have her locks cut off, Alex’s long hair will be put to good use.

she said: “I heard about a charity called the little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for youngsters who lose their hair to chemotherapy, so they will be getting mine.”

Alex, who has seven children between her and Carl, added: “My dad has also recently been diagnosed with leukemia, but it looks as though he is beating it.

“I feel cancer has affected so many people I love and I need to do something to fight it.

“I would just urge women out there who may be having abnormal symptoms, to trust their instincts. It might save their life.”

To donate, visit donate inmemory.cancerresearch.org/ 0001633

Basildon family: our mission to raise awareness of cervical cancer

2:00pm Monday 15th August 2011

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WATCHING someone you love waste away from a killer disease is awful to endure.

but it’s something Alex Waters had to do.

Alex is still grieving for her step-daughter, who died of cervical cancer, aged just 24.

Adela Waters was a single mum, so her death, in June, also left two young children without a mother.

one of the hardest things for Alex, 42, to come to terms with is that Adela’s death could have been prevented if she had been diagnosed early enough.

now, Alex, from Basildon, is trying to achieve something positive from the tragedy.

she is working to raise awarness of cervical cancer and is encouraging all young women to get checked out if they feel things aren’t quite right.

she explained: “Adela knew something was wrong. she was bleeding really badly and kept going to the GP. but she just kept being told it was nothing to worry about.

“Eventually, in October last year, she was screened for cancer and told the news it was most likely terminal.

“It was too late by that time. Adela was only 24 with two children and her whole life ahead of her.”

Adela, from Surrey, began a course of chemo-therapy, determined to fight the cancer, but her frail body couldn’t take it and she died six months later.

Alex said: “I’m desperate to raise awareness to cervical cancer and how women need to be aware of the symptoms.

“Cases like Jade Goody have helped put cervival cancer in the spotlight, but more needs to be done.

“At the moment, women are screened from 25 onwards for cervical cancer. I would like to see this age bracket reduced or at least see more doctors sending younger patients for screening if they feel something is wrong – not just dismissing them.”

When Big Brother celebrity Jade Goody died in March 2009 of cervical cancer she was 27, and like Adela, a mum of two.

Jade’s death helped make the world sit up and take notice that young women die of cancer too.

After her death, a record number of women asked for smear tests and a campaign began to persuade NHS health chiefs to introduce screening for women bet-ween the ages of 20 and 24.

However, experts say the cervix of women of that age is changing and there is a risk their cells may look abnormal when they are not, exposing them to the trauma of further tests and biopsies.

but Alex says women need to be listened to. she added: “After watching someone I loved so much die, I want to get across to women that if you think something is wrong, go to the GP and get it checked out.

“The earlier screening takes place, the more chance there is of saving a person. If we can save even one life through sharing Adela’s story, then her death has not been in vain.”

to show her commitment, Alex, a staff nurse at Brockfield House mental health hospital, in Runwell, will be having her hair shaved off for the charity Cancer Research, on August 26.

the fundraising evening, which will also be a celebration of Adela’s life, will take place at the former Runwell Hospital Social Club. Alex’s husband Carl, 46 – Adela’s father – will also be taking part, with a sponsored leg wax.

as well as getting sponsored to have her locks cut off, Alex’s long hair will be put to good use.

she said: “I heard about a charity called the little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for youngsters who lose their hair to chemotherapy, so they will be getting mine.”

Alex, who has seven children between her and Carl, added: “My dad has also recently been diagnosed with leukemia, but it looks as though he is beating it.

“I feel cancer has affected so many people I love and I need to do something to fight it.

“I would just urge women out there who may be having abnormal symptoms, to trust their instincts. It might save their life.”

to donate, visit donate inmemory.cancerresearch.org/ 0001633

New campaign to highlight the symptoms of killer disease

11:40am Friday 8th April 2011

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Nurse specialists in Bradford are mounting an awareness campaign of one of the most deadly forms of cancer.

About 150 patients are treated each year in Bradford for oesophageal and stomach cancer. Many present late because of a lack of awareness of the symptoms.

Survival rates for the cancers are low with only one in ten patients with oesophageal cancer surviving ten years after diagnosis and five-year survival rates for stomach cancer are only 15 per cent.

to increase awareness of symptoms and to encourage patients to seek help sooner, upper GI cancer nurse specialists Amanda Procter and Tracey Wilcock and specialist dietician Anna Fletcher, of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, will be manning an information stall at the Kirkgate shopping centre in Bradford next Friday from 9am to noon.

“We hear a lot about more common cancers and we want to raise the profile of oesophageal and stomach cancer,” said Amanda.

“It is not as common as other cancers but it is increasing, particularly in men over 50. it can be due to lifestyle, such as smoking, drinking and diet and in those with a history of reflux.

“The symptoms we are looking out for are feeling full very quickly, ongoing reflux that does not get better, acid indigestion that does not get better, food getting stuck and weight loss.

“People with any of these symptoms should see their GP and they will be referred for an endoscopy.

“The problem that we often find is that patients present quite late. Tumours can grow for some time before they cause problems and sometimes it can be too advanced for curative treatment. Then we would manage symptoms. Our main message is don’t ignore any problems because the earlier we catch it there is a lot better chance of a cure.”

As well as information leaflets the team will be looking at body anatomy to raise body awareness and how a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of cancer.

• Mick Dawkins has his daughter Karen Owen to thank for saving his life.

Karen, a nurse at Bradford Royal Infirmary, pestered her dad to go to his GP, when he complained of symptoms typically linked to cancer in may 2009.

Mr Dawkins, 64, of Fairweather Green, who has never smoked and is a social drinker, said: “Food was sticking in my throat and before that I did have a lot of acid indigestion.’’ his GP referred him to BRI for an endoscopy. the examination revealed a tumour – cancer of the oesophagus, also known as the gullet or food pipe. “I was shocked – I had never heard of this sort of cancer before,” he said.

in August 2009 he began a course of chemotherapy to shrink the tumour and in November he underwent a nine-hour operation.

Mr Dawkins attends a support group once a month at Bradford Cancer Support called SOS – Stomach and Oesophagus Support – where he meets other patients. he said: “It is good to find out how other people are getting on.

“If anyone has any of the symptoms they should get it checked out by a doctor. I wouldn’t be here now if I hadn’t.”

As we know, this killer disease has no symptoms and only diagnose when it's too late. what could be done to avoid this or what to do to find out if you are not getting this? does it start by having stomach aches or similar to indigestion or colon cancer symptoms?

It isn't just pancreatic cancer that has no symptoms until it is advanced . . that is true of all most every single cancer . . and there are over 200 different types and just as many rare subtypes. Cancer is a progressive disease which means it start out microscopic and grows indefinitely. Tiny. big. Bigger. Large. Enormous. When it is tiny no one can find it in a body . . it is too small to be noticed . . cancer is not something foreign . . it is your own DNA that has mutated . . so the body considers a cancer just another part of the body. Small cancer can co-incide quite nicely inside the body . . it isn't until the cancer begins to invade surrounding tissue at the Bigger or Large stage that it may be noticed.

So . . no cancer does not 'start' by having stomach aches or similar indigestion . . by the time you feel any of that . . the cancer is advanced. you literally . . feel nothing . .when cancer first starts. and the rest will depend on how aggressive the type of tumor you have .. some grow very fast and can take days or weeks . . but some grow very slowly and can take years. If you have a fast growing tumor than the cancer may be noticable sooner but it is hard to get into treatment quick enough to stop it or slow it down . . if the tumors are slower growing than you may have more 'time' to make decisions about treatment. This fact is often confusing to people . . they do not realize that many cancers are aggressive and fast growing and that time is critical (you don't have time to 'experiment' with treatments to see what will work – you might only get one chance to control the disease). and, than there are other types of slower growing cancers in which people do have more time to try out treatments. Treatment for cancer can be complicated by many factors . . which is why it is difficult to treat and why there is no 'cure' for all cancers at this moment. There is treatment though for all cancer types and that treatment could lead to an individual remission or 'cure'. . no guarantee though.

A well known survivor of pancreatic cancer is Steven Jobs, the founder of the Apple Computer who was diagnosed in 2004 and is doing very well.

My aunt unfortunately has this. she started having problems with her stomach, like bad indigestion and pain in the stomach. she had tests, barium meal which showed up nothing. Then a year ago, she developed jaundice, which after that they discovered it was pancreatic cancer. she is now really thin, but getting chemotherapy, and has gained a few pounds. she has been told there is no cure and all they can do is try and shrink the tumour.

the classical sign of pancreatic ca is migratory thrombophlebitis.. although rarely seen..
unfortunately as u have correctly put … diagnosis is usually late…
anorexia is one of the earliest signs.
sometimes patient may present with features of obstructive jaundice..
they may even present with features of acute pancreatitis….
rarely.. an asymptomatic lump in the upper abdomen