Brought to you by: Mercy Hospital Copyright ©2010. the associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.  

Talk to focus on tobacco

More Americans die each year from lung cancer than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined, according to a news release from Integris Health.

Advertisement

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. to spread the word to Oklahoma City’s Hispanic population, Dr. Jose Acosta will deliver a presentation about the harmful effects of tobacco, including second- and third-hand smoke. the presentation is co-sponsored by the Integris Hispanic Initiative and the Latino M-Power program. it will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 in the cancer center conference room at Integris Southwest Medical Center, 4301 S Western Ave.

For more information or to register, call 951-2277. Press 2 for Spanish.

Experts to discuss Parkinson’s

National and local experts will share information about Parkinson’s disease at “The Victory Summit” this month in Tulsa. the summit is a collaboration between the Davis Phinney Foundation, the American Parkinson Disease Association and the Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma, among others.

Guests will learn about the latest research into the disease, which affects the body’s motor system. Victims suffer tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement and impaired balance or a lack of coordination. the disease is progressive. there is no cure.

The summit will include interactive sessions on exercise, speech therapy and other activities that may help with symptoms, according to a news release.

Dale and Glenda Alexander, of Oklahoma City, will be honored as “Local Heroes” for their leadership in the Parkinson’s community. Dale Alexander was diagnosed with the disease in 2002. Since then, he and his wife have raised $300,000 for support groups as co-chairmen of the annual “Tee it Up for Parkinson’s” golf tournament.

The summit will be from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 12, at the Tulsa Convention Center, 100 Civic Center, Tulsa. the event is free, but advance registration is required. go to davisphinneyfoundation.org for details.

Hospital to host charity sale

The volunteer auxiliary at Integris Canadian Valley Hospital invites everyone to attend a Gift Gallery Holiday Bazaar.

“The two-day event will feature jewelry, home and holiday decorations, OU and OSU items, gift sets, gourmet foods, infant and toddler attire, stocking stuffers and much more,” according to a news release.

All proceeds will benefit the auxiliary’s charitable projects, including the creation of homemade comfort items.

“Many members … stitch or knit baby caps and blankets for newborns at the hospital,” the release notes, “or make quilts and hand crocheted crosses for patients facing illness or injury. the hospital has more than 120 volunteers whose main objective is to ease the stress of being ill or having a loved one hospitalized.”

Sales will last from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 17 and from 7 a.m. to noon Nov. 18. the bazaar will be held in Conference Room A/B at the hospital, 1201 Health Center Pkwy., Yukon.

Look like a fireman

Ever wondered how you’d look with a mustache? Now’s the time to find out. the Oklahoma City Barons hockey team and Integris Men’s Health University encourage you to grow a mustache (or don a fake one if you’re female) to celebrate Movember.

What’s Movember? It’s a men’s health movement that started in Australia in 2003 and has grown into a worldwide effort to raise awareness and funds for cancers that affect men. Since 2009, more than $45 million has been raised.

Locally, anyone wearing a real or fake mustache will get $4 off admission to any Barons home game in November. the deal only applies to tickets purchased at the box office; game dates are Nov. 11, 12, 18 and 19.

The Barons also will offer a donation site at movember.com to raise money for men’s cancer awareness.

A “Best Mustache Contest” will be held at the Nov. 19 game.

For participation details, go to okcbarons.com. to learn more about the prizes and rules, go to integrisok.com/movember-integris.

Life Photo Galleriesview all

New research from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for Lung Cancer Awareness Month shows a low awareness of the key symptoms of lung cancer, the UK’s biggest cancer killer. In the season of winter colds and flu, the Society is advising people not to ignore a persistent cough or chest infection that doesn’t clear up, as it could be a sign of something more serious.

“If you don’t recognise a symptom is important, then you won’t realise you need help”, said Graham Phillips, community pharmacist and Board member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

“many people will repeatedly buy cough medicines or maybe iron tablets for tiredness and a lack of energy. If you find yourself doing this, then ask your pharmacist for advice. We can discuss your symptoms with you and help you understand you may have an underlying problem that needs checking out with your GP,” he added.

“Early detection of lung cancer saves lives. when symptoms are present and recognised at an early stage, treatment is much more likely to be successful. Pharmacists can play a vital role in this by talking to people with the relevant warning signs,” he said.

When asked to name warning signs or symptoms of lung cancer, only 33% of those questioned in a Royal Pharmaceutical Society/YouGov survey identified having a cough as a warning sign, while a further 11% specifically mentioned a persistent cough, which is a key symptom.

Just under half of those surveyed (48%) said breathlessness, breathing difficulties and wheezing were a warning sign, whilst only 29% mentioned having blood in the phlegm or coughing up blood as an indicator. A further 15% mentioned chest or lung pain and 10% mentioned weight loss as symptoms.

Almost 4 out of 5 (78%) said they would like their local pharmacist to talk to them if they were displaying any symptoms of lung cancer before they had noticed them, and 92% recognised that treatment is most effective in the early stages of the disease.

When questioned, 66%* of people said it was likely they would consider some of the key symptoms of lung cancer to be a bad cold or cough or nasty bout of flu, rather than symptoms of lung cancer, if they had them.

“whatever the time of year, if you can’t seem to shake off symptoms that seem similar to colds and flu, such as a persistent cough or chest infection, or if you keep losing your voice, feel breathless or tired and lacking in energy, then ask your pharmacist for advice instead of buying an over-the-counter medicine or picking something up in the supermarket,” said Graham.

“your pharmacist can also help you to stop smoking, the cause of 90%** of cases of lung cancer. We are open evenings and weekends, are easily accessible on the local high street and can provide confidential advice without an appointment,” he added.

Dr Jesme Fox, Medical Director of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, which is working with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to promote lung cancer awareness, said: “Lung cancer has extremely poor survival rates and one of the reasons for this is that the disease tends to be diagnosed at a very advanced stage, when there are limited treatment options.

“Pharmacy staff can play a key role in the fight against lung cancer and we hope this campaign will help to increase early detection of the disease as this can save lives.”

Source: Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Thursday, 25 November 2010

East Belfast MP Naomi Long has joined celebrities such as Ricky Gervais to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer and of what needs to be done to improve outcomes for patients and mark National Lung Cancer Awareness Month this November.

Each year 39,750 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK. the disease is te UK’s largest cancer killer, with one person with lung cancer dying every 15 minutes. Despite this, awareness of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer is low and more than two thirds of patients are diagnosed at a stage when curative treatment is no longer an option.

Ms Long said: “There are, on average 61 diagnoses of lung cancer in each UK parliamentary constituency every year. I commend the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s work in supporting patients with lung cancer and campaigning for research funding and awareness raising. it is vital that we all take action to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer if lung cancer outcomes are to improve.”

Dr Rosemary Gillespie, Chief Executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation said: “We are delighted that Naomi Long has chosen to mark Lung Cancer Awareness Month and support our campaign to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer.”