Irish Health Supplement

AWARENESS

ACTION

PREVENTION

In thIs edItIon:SCREENING 2LUNGCANCER&SMOKING 3BREASTCANCER 4BOWELANDSKINCANCER 5MyThS 6MENANDCANCER 7hELPANDCONTRIBUTORS 8

FAIT

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Change your thoughts

and you change your world.

Faith

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HEALTH IS

WEALT

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PREVENTION

LOVE

Faith, H

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Cha

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Supp

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revention, S creening, Health is Wealth, Aw

areness is Best, Trust your Instinct

Awareness is best

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FORGET THE MYTH

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Bless yo

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Bless your little Irish heart and every other Irish part.

Forget Myths know the facts

other Irish part. Being Irish is very cool

Believe you can and your halfway there.

FAITH H

OPE CHARITY

ALW

AYS CH

ECK IT OUT

Trust your instincts

SUPPO

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Inst

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HE

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EVENTIO

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LOVE

Faith, H

ope, Charity

, Support, Love, Prevention, S creening, H

ealth is Wealth, Awareness is Best

, Tru

st y

our I

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Fad saol agat

There cannot be a crisis next week. M

y schedule is already fulll

Good laugh and long sleep

Níl saoi gan locht.

Díon

Bíonn gach tosnú lag

Is fada an bóthar nach mbíonn casadh annare the best cures in a doctors book.

FOR

GET TH

E MYTH

S KNOW

THE FACTS

Go m

aire tú do shláinte

A man is often a bad advisor to him

self and good to another.

Is fear rith maith ná drochsheasamh

SCREENING

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine


Sláinte agus táinte

Belie

ve you can and your halfway there.

FAITH HOPE CHARITY

Fad saol agat


SUPPORTChange your thoughts


A chroí!

Awareness is best

FAITH, H

OPE, CHARITY, SUPPORT, LOVE

FAITH

Díon

Céad M

íle Fáilte!

A chroí! Thuas seal thío

s se

al

Díon

A chuisle mo chroí!

Craic Agus Ceol

A ch

uisl

e!A

chr

oí!

Níl saoi gan locht

A chroí!

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t you

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Sure I’ll be grandSU

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FAIT

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DíonHEALTH IS WEALTH

A chuisle!

LOVE

Faith, Hope, C

harity, Support, Love, Prevent

ion

, S

c

reen

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Hea

lth is

Wea

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wareness is Best, Trust your Instinct

Awaren

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is b

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There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already fulllCéad Míle Fáilte!HOPE


Is fada an bóthar nach mbíonn casadh annIs fear rith maith ná drochsheasa mh

FORGET THE MYTHS KNOW THE FACTS

ALWAYS CHECK IT OUT

A man is often a bad advisor to himself and good to another.

Is fada an bóthar nach mbíonn casadh annSCREENING

Bless your l

itt

le Iri

sh h

eart

and

ever

y ot

her I

rish

part

.

Bíonn gach

tosn

ú la

g

Sláint

e ag

us tá

inte

Believ

e you

can

and

your

hal

fway

ther

e.

FAIT

H HOPE C

HARIT

Y

Craic

Agus

Ceol

Trust

yo

ur in

stin

cts

A chuisle!

Chan

ge yo

ur th

ough

ts

and yo

u ch

ange

your

wor

ld.

Faith

Go mbeire muid beo ar an am seo arís

FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY, SUPPORT, LOVE

FAITH

Don’t be bothering the Doctor.

A chuisle!

Díon Craic Agus Ceol

AsanIrishhealthprofessionalandchairoftheFederationofIrishSocieties,IwanttoensurethatIrishpeopleinBritainarewellinformedaboutcancer;motivatedtotakepreventativeaction;braveenoughtogetdiagnosedearlyandreceivehighqualitytreatment.WeareworkingcloselywiththeNationalCancerActionTeamtoraiseawarenessofcanceramongtheIrishinEngland.

Solet’stalkaboutcancerwithinourcommunity.Asanationwehaveacollectivefearwhenitcomestomentioningthe‘BigC’.Wehearandtalkabouttumours,growthsandmasses,butnevertheword“cancer”itself.Weareafraidthatevensayingthedreadedwordwillconfirmourworstfears.

Thisfearmeanswewouldratherputupwithworry,anxietyandsometimespainfulanduncomfortablesymptomsthanspeaktoourdoctor.Wecanbeembarrassedtotalkaboutourbodiesandprivatematterssuchasbowelhabits,urinaryproblemsandperiods.Thisembarrassmentnotonlydelaysusgoingtothedoctorbutcanstopusattendingcancerscreeningwhichcandetectcancerevenbeforeitdevelops.Insomecasesourguiltaboutsmoking,excessivealcoholuse,poordietorbeingoverweightpreventsusfromseekinghelp.

Andunderlyingallofthereasonswefindnottogotothedoctor,istheveryrealfearofwhatthedoctormighttellus.

Soletmehelpyoumanagetheseworries,embarrassmentsandfears.Weneedtotalkaboutcancer,becauseburyingourheadsinthesandwon’tmakeitgoaway.Infact,itcouldmakeitworse.Doctorsaretheretotalkaboutthethingsthatareworryingus.Theydounderstandthatweareembarrassedtotalkaboutthesethingsbuttheyarecomfortablediscussingourissues,andthey’vehearditallbefore!

Pleaserememberalsothatacancerdiagnosisisnotadeathsentence.Therehavebeenmanyadvancesintreatmentresultinginbettersurvivalrates.Thereisevidenceifcancerisdetectedbeforeithashadachancetodeveloporspread,thetreatmentismuchsimplerandmorestraightforward.Thereisgoodresearchwhichshowsthatamammogram(breastscreening),cervicalscreening(alsoknownasasmeartest)andbowelcancerscreeningsaveslives.Ifyouarereadingthisandthinkingtoyourself,wellsureitmightbetoolatenow,thenpleasethinkagain.It’snevertoolatetogethelpandadvicefromprofessionals.

Dr Mary Tilki,ChairFederationofIrishSocieties

S u p p l e m e n tP R E S E N T E D b y N A T I O N A l C A N C E R A C T I O N T E A M

Health I S S U E 2

Cancer and the Irish community

WelcomeThis health supplement is aimed at providing information to the Irish community in England on the issues associated with cancer. It has been developed by the National Cancer Action Team in partnership with the Federation of Irish Societies to support the ‘Cancer does not discriminate’ campaign.

Inthisissuewecover:

• NhSCancerScreeningProgrammes• Personaljourneysandstories• Awarenessinformationonanumberof

cancers• Mythsandrealitiesaboutcancer

Wewouldliketohearfromyou.Ifyouhaveastoryorwouldliketotelluswhatyouthoughtofthisissue,[email protected]

Paula lloyd Knight,AssociateDirectorPatientExperienceNationalCancerActionTeam

Everyoneisatriskofdevelopinglungcancer.Itisknownthatsmokersandex-smokershaveanincreasedriskofgettinglungcancer.however,pleaserememberthatpeoplewhohaveneversmokedarealsoatriskofgettingthisdisease.

Thereareotherthingsthatincreasetheriskofdevelopinglungcancer.Forexample,contactwithchemicalsfoundintheworkplaceorenvironment,suchasasbestos,radonanddieselexhaustfumes.

Passivesmoking(breathinginotherpeople’scigarettesmoke)increasestheriskoflungcancer,butitisstillmuchlessthanifyousmokeyourself.

SCREENING LUNG CANCER & SMOKING

Breast Screeninglooksforcancerinthebreastwhenitistoosmalltoseeorfeel.Theearlierbreastcancerisfound,theeasieritistotreat.Screeningiscarriedoutbytakingx-raysofthebreasts(calledmammograms).

Screeninginvitationsaresentevery3yearstowomenaged50-70.Thisagerangeiscurrentlybeingextended,towomenaged47-73.Womenovertheinvitationagerangecanrequestscreeningeverythreeyearsbycontactingtheirlocalscreeningunit.

Itisestimatedthatbreastscreeningsavesaround1,400liveseachyear.

Cervical Screeninglooksforabnormalcellchangesonthecervix(theneckofthewomb)whichcandevelopintocancer.Findingthemandtreatingthemcanstopcancerfromdeveloping.

Duringscreening,aninstrumentcalledaspeculumisgentlyinsertedintothevaginatoholditopen.Atinysoftbrushisusedtocollectcellsfromthecervix,whicharesenttoalaboratorytobeexamined.

Screeninginvitationsaresentevery3yearsforwomenaged25-49andevery5yearsforwomenaged50-64.Womenagedover64whohaveneverbeenscreenedcanrequestscreening.Womenover64whoselastthreetestswerenotallnormalshouldcontinuebeingscreeneduntil3normalresultsareobtained.ScreeningisusuallycarriedoutbythepracticenurseatyourGPsurgery.

Bowel Cancer Screeninglooksforbloodinfaeces,whichcanbeasignofbowelcancer.youcompleteakitathome,usingtinyfaecessamples,whichisthensenttoalaboratorytobetested.Anyonewithanabnormalresultisaskedtodiscusshavingacolonoscopy,aproceduretoexaminetheinsideofthebowel.

Kitsaresentevery2yearstomenandwomenaged60-69.Thisisbeingextendedtopeopleagedupto74.Anyoneovertheinvitationagecanrequestafreescreeningkitbyringing

0800 707 60 60.

Regularscreeningreducestheriskofdyingfrombowelcancer.Ifcaughtearly,9outof10peoplesurvivebowelcancer.

TheoccurrenceofcanceramongtheIrishcommunitylivinginEnglandandWalesishigherthanthatofthegeneralpopulation.Weknowthisfromsomeveryexpertmedicalstudiesoverrecent

decades.Significantly,thishighercancerrateistrueofnotonlyfirstgenerationimmigrants,suchasme,butalsoofsecond-generationIrishpeople.

Surprisinglyitisn’tsocio-economicdisadvantage(i.e.havinglessmoney)thatexplainsthedifferencewiththerestofthepopulationinEnglandandWales.Insteadweneedtolookattheeating,smokinganddrinkinghabitsofIrishpeoplefortheexplanation.Thatissometimescombinedwithareluctancetotakeadvantageofscreeningservicesonoffer.WecanalsobehesitanttovisittheGPassoonassymptoms,thatmightbeearlysignsofcancer,occur.

Dr Gabriel Scally, the Director of Public Health at NHS South of England, talks to us about cancer and making positive changes.

NhSNationalCancerActionTeamacceptsnoliabilityfortheviewsandopinionsoforganisationsorindividualsinthissupplement.NhSNationalCancerActionTeamacceptsnoliabilityfortheviewsandopinionsoforganisationsorindividualsinthissupplement.2 3

Cancer does not discriminate. Being aware could save your life”

Paula Lloyd Knight, Associate Director, Patient Experience,

National Cancer Action Team

IN ENglAND ThERE ARE ThREE NATIONAl CANCER SCREENINg PROgRAMMES fOR CERVICAl, bREAST & bOWEl CANCERS

SCREENINg:ThE KEy fACTS

InformationprovidedbyNhSCancerScreeningProgrammes

Awareness in Smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world, and causes more than eight in ten cases of lung cancer. Lung cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers, and is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK. The good news is that most of these deaths are preventable, by giving up smoking.”

lung Cancer

Time To Act Whether you have smoked for one year or for 30 years, it’s never too late to stop and the risks will reduce and benefits accrue immediately. Many Irish people who would not consider themselves religious still stop smoking during Lent. Lent is an ideal opportunity to give up and you may find a mutual support group of family members or friends who could help each other quit and stay off once Lent is over. Birthdays, anniversaries, new babies, starting work, retiring or other rites of passage are also perfect times to stop smoking.

STOPPINg yOUR TObACCO USE

Smoking causes cancer

InformationprovidedbyRoyCastleLungCancerFoundation

InformationprovidedbyCancerResearchUK

CancerResearchUK

lOOKINg AfTER yOUR lUNgS

WhAT TO lOOK OUT fOR

Coughing up blood

Hoarse voice

A cough thatdoesn’t go away

A long standingcough gets worse

Chest and / or

shoulder painsUnexplainedweight loss

Unexplainedbreathlessness

Chest infections

Unexplained tirednessor lack of energy

Therearelotsofreasonswhyyoumighthavesomeofthesymptomsshowninthediagram.Itmaybenothingseriousbutit’sworthgettingyourselfcheckedout.

Ifyouhaveanyofthefollowingsymptomsformorethanthreeweeks,makeanappointmentwithyourGPtoday.

Itismostlikelythatthiswillbenothingseriousandwillputyourmindatrest.Ifitislungcancer,earlydiagnosisandtreatmentcouldsaveyourlife.

Lung Cancer is the most common cancer in the world. In the UK, around 40,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. It is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK, for both men and women.

It’s never too late! Stopping at any age will increase your life expectancy, provided that you stop before you develop cancer or another serious disease.

IS IT TOO lATE TO STOP?

Within the first 24 hours your blood pressure and lungs will be showing improvement.

After three months your circulation and breathing should have improved noticeably. After five years, your risk of having a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker. After ten years, your risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker.

I’ve tried to give up many times, but always fail - what else can I do?If you’ve tried before and it didn’t work out don’t worry. You haven’t failed, you have just given yourself more practice for the next time you quit.

Research has shown that the more attempts you have made in the past, the more likely you are to succeed in the future. This is because every time you are getting more experienced in how to quit.

Next time you quit spend a little longer planning. The preparation you do up front can make all the difference.

Ways to quitThere are lots of ways to quit and the NHS provides free support to help.

Quitting can be hard, but with the help of your free, local NHS Stop Smoking Service you are up to four times more likely to quit successfully than by going it alone.

What support is available to me?You can speak to an adviser over the phone, go to face-to-face meetings, get one-to-one local advice or join the Smokefree Together programme for information and advice via post, text and email.

You can try nicotine replacement products or medication to help you cope with withdrawal symptoms.

Call the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 022 4 332. They can help you decide on the best way to quit and provide information about your nearest services. Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm.

Information on how to get this support, along with advice on smoking and other forms of tobacco, can be found at www.nhs.uk/smokefree. There are lots of useful tools on this website that can help you get started on your journey towards becoming smokefree.

InformationprovidedbytheNhSSmokefree

DID yOU KNOW?

Stop smoking medicines and Nicotine Replacement Therapy products are available on prescription and they can

double your chance of successfully quitting.

They DO NOT contain toxic cancer causing chemicals that are in cigarettes.

Call 0800 022 4 332 for more information.

NhSSmokefree

In order to win in football you need to first be prepared, physically, mentally and emotionally. You need to size up your opponent, look for their weaknesses, work as a team and plan your attack. The same is true of cancer. You need to size up your body, check for changes, work with your team - family friends, GP and NHS.

So we need to do a bit of homework. Read the supplement and if you have niggling doubts or changes in your body simply tell your GP. Heeding this advice could save your life. Get screened.”

John (Johnny) Giles, former football player and manager for Republic of Ireland

Thesearerealchallengestousasacommunity.Irelandwasthefirstcountryintheworldtoprotectpeoplefromsecond-handtobaccosmokeandthisexamplehasspreadacrosstheworld.however,wedoknowtheIrishinthiscountrydosmokemorethantherestofthepopulation.Wealsoknowthatwedon’talwayshaveahealthyrelationshipwithalcoholandthereisgoodevidencethatourdietsarenotwhattheyshouldbe.ChangingthesehabitsforhealthieronesisnotalwayseasybuttheIrishareastrongcommunity.Wecanmakeabigdifferencetoourhealth,andthatofourfamilies,ifwecanmakethesechanges.

TheNhSisagreatinstitutionanditisthereforustouse.It’simportantthatwetakeuptheoffersofbowel,breastandcervicalcancerscreening.It’salsoimportanttogotoourGPsassoonaswehaveworriesaboutsymptoms.AsaDoctorIknowhowreluctantwearesometimestocomeforward.Ialsoknowthatcancer,ifcaughtearly,canbetreatedexpertlyandeffectively.WecouldnotdoabetterthingforourIrishcommunitythanlookafterourhealth.

Dr gabriel Scally,DirectorofPublichealth,NhSSouthofEngland

I talk for a living, but like everybody else, I find it difficult to talk about cancer. What about yourself? Is there something you’re embarrassed to talk even to your doctor about? Well, there’s no need to be, they’ve heard and seen it all before. So, come on! Speak up for yourself! It’s your life, your health. Don’t just worry and do nothing about it. Get your symptoms checked out!”

Sir Terry Wogan, radio and television broadcaster

Weallknowthewordcancer,buthowmanyofusknowexactlywhatishappeninginourbodywhencancerdevelopsandwhatcancauseit?

Cancerisadiseaseofcells.Ourbodiescontainaboutahundredmillionmillionhumancellsofover 200 different types. They join together toform tissues, which in turn form organs – likethe lungsandskin.Eachcell-typehas itsowncharacteristics,soitcandoitsjob.

Inourbodies,cellsaredividingall the time toreplace cells that have died. This process iscontrolled by the cell’s DNA, which is like aninstruction book which tells the cell what todo and when to divide. But in cancer cells,that control is lost. The DNA is damaged andthe cell just keeps on dividing. The result is agrowingmassofcellswherethey’renotwanted–sometimesformingatumour.

DNAcangetdamagedinmanydifferentways.People can be born with damaged DNA andthings in our environment like chemicals intobacco,someinfectionsandtoomuchUVlightcandamageDNA.

Beforeacancerwilldevelopseveralchangestoacell’sDNAneed tobuildupover time. Thisis why cancer is more common among olderpeople.

What is Cancer?

Patientsfromblackandminorityethnic(BME)groupshavereportedapoorerperceptionofcancerservicesthanwhiteBritishcancerpatients.TohelpunderstandandimprovetheexperienceofcancerpatientsfromBMEcommunities,theNationalCancerActionTeamiscallingforIrishpatientsandtheircarers,tosignuptobecomepartofBMECancerVoiceandhavetheirsay.

Ifyouareaged16yearsorolderandwanttohelpusimproveNhScancer

have you or your family been affected by cancer? have your say!

services,joinBMECancerVoicenowbycalling0800 634 7382orvisitourwebsitewww.bMEcancervoice.co.ukformoreinformation.Ifyouareinterestedinjustcompletingaone-offsurveypleasevisitourwebsitefordetails.

follow @bMECancerVoice on Twitter

Ahealthylifestyleisthemostimportantwayforyoutopreventlungcancer.• Keepphysicallyfit.• haveahealthydiet–eatmorefruitand

vegetablesandlesssalt,sugaranddrinklessalcohol.

• Itisnevertoolatetostopsmoking–nomatterwhatageyouare,itcanmakearealdifferencetoyourhealth.

PhotocourtesyoftheJohnGilesFoundation

workandtryingtofititinwasdifficult.Ihadnosymptoms,nolumpsthatIcouldfeel’.ButMarydecidedtogoandisverygladshedid.

Withinaweekofthescreeningshewasbackattheunitforanultrasoundandbiopsy.ItwaswhilstwaitingfortheresultsthatMary’ssymptomsappeared.‘Ithensawadimplehadappearedonmybreast,whichisoneofthesymptoms.ItappearedinthetwoweeksIwaswaitingfortheresults.’

Marywentbackforherresultsaccompaniedbyafriend,‘itwasverydaunting.Iwasinaroomwithfivepeople.SoIjustknewitwasbadnews.Mostofwhattheytoldmewentovermyhead,soitwasgoodhavingsomeonewithmetotakeitallin.AllIcouldthinkwashowamIgoingtotellmygirls?’

Maryhad3tinylumpsinherbreast,toosmalltofeelatthetimewithselfexamination.Soherbreastscreeningappointmentenabledthedoctorstocatchhercancerveryearly.

Onceshehadbeendiagnosed,shetoldherdaughtersandherclosefriendsandfamily.Maryalsojoinedasupportgroupandfeltitreallyhelpedtotalktopeoplewhoknewwhatshewasgoingthrough.Maryhadsurgery,chemotherapyandradiotherapyoverthecourseofseveralmonths.

BothMaryshavesincehadnorecurrenceoftheircancerandbotharevocalsupportersofbreastscreening.So,ifyouareover50(47insomeareas)andyou’vereceivedabreastscreeninginvitation,go!Theearlieryouarediagnosed,thebetterthechancesofsuccessfultreatment.Andthoseunder50?Getselfexaminingtodayandknowyourbreasts.

Leicester,whichMaryattended,ralliedaroundher,sendingcardsandflowersduringherlongmonthsoftreatment.Maryhadafullmastectomyandintensivechemotherapyandradiotherapyandhasnorecurrencesincetreatment.

Mary Charlwood’sstoryhighlightstheimportanceofattendingyourbreastscreening.InNovember1999Marywasinvitedtoherfirstmammogram,the

procedureofbreastscreening,havingturned50.‘Inearlydidn’tgoasIwasverybusywith

BREAST CANCER BOWEL AND SKIN CANCER

4 NhSNationalCancerActionTeamacceptsnoliabilityfortheviewsandopinionsoforganisationsorindividualsinthissupplement. 5

Gettingbeyondourownfearandlearningthefactscangoalongwayinimprovingoursurvivalandqualityoflife.Bowelcancer(cancerofthecolonandrectum)isatreatablecancer,sodon’tletfearandworrystopyoufromaskingyourhealthcareprovideraboutscreeningandtesting.Bowelcancerisnotonlytreatablebutbeatable.

Menandwomenaged60–69areeligibleforbowelcancerscreening(currentlybeingextendedupto74).Thescreeningtestdetectsbloodhiddeninthesmallsamplesofyourpoo.youcompletethetestathomeoverthecourseofafewdays.Oncecomplete,yousimplyreturnitbypostforanalysis.Around2inevery100testsshowabnormalresultsandrequirefurtherinvestigationtofindoutwhatiscausingthebleeding.Ifdiagnosedatalaterstagebowelcancercanstillbetreatedsuccessfullyusingoneoracombinationofsurgery,chemotherapyandradiotherapy.

ThishoweverdependsonpeoplerecognisingandactingonsymptomsbygoingtotheirGP,andbytakingpartinbowelcancerscreeningwhenitisoffered.Itcouldsaveyourlife.

MarkFlannagan,CEOsaid:“Wemustencouragepeopletoactwhentheyrecognisesymptoms.Soifyounoticeachangethatlaststhreeweeksormore-

bowel Cancer Skin CancerSkin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK and the number of people who develop it is increasing. The majority of cases are caused by too much ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun or sunbeds. So by enjoying the sun safely the risk of skin cancer can be reduced.

bOWEl CANCER SyMPTOMSMostofthesesymptomswillnotbebowelcancerbutyourGPwillwanttoseeyouifyouhavebeenexperiencinganyofthesesymptomsfor3weeksormore:

6 symptoms to look out for: •Bleedingfromthebottom(rectalbleeding)withoutanyobviousreason.

•Anypersistentchangeinbowelhabit,especiallylooserpoo.

•Abdominalpain.

•Alumpinyourtummyespeciallyontherighthandside.

•Unexplainedtiredness,dizziness&breathlessness(signsofanaemia).

•Unexplainedweightloss.

“Bowel cancer is treatable, especially if

diagnosed early. However only 9% of patients are diagnosed at

the earliest stage. It’s crucial to be symptom aware and go to your GP

if you have concerns.”

Deborah Alsina, CEO, Bowel Cancer

UK

What if I notice a change?Ifyouareconcernedaboutskinchangesthenvisityourdoctorwithoutdelay.Anychangeinamole,freckleornormalpatchofskinthatoccursquickly,overweeksormonths,shouldbetakenseriously.

Reducing the risk of Skin CancerRemember to: • Spendtimeintheshadebetween11and3• Makesureyouneverburn• AimtocoverupwithaTshirt,hatand

sunglasses• Remembertotakeextracarewithchildren• Usefactor15+sunscreenwithfourorfive

stars

Sunbeds • Sunbedsaren’tasafealternativeto

tanningoutdoors.Likethesun,sunbedsgiveoutUVrayswhichdamagetheDNAinourskincellsandcancauseskincancer.

• Sowhenthetanfadesthedamagecanremain.

• Sunbedsalsocauseprematureskinageing,whichmeansthatskinbecomescoarse,leatheryandwrinkledatayoungerage.

Why do outdoor workers need sun protection?IfyouworkoutdoorsthenyourskinisregularlyexposedtoUVraysfromthesun.Don’tforgettotakecarewhenoutdoorsandprotectyourskinfromoverexposuretoUVraysbyusingclothing,shadeandsunscreen.

Know the signsThe AbCD rule Ifyounoticeanyofthefollowingsigns,thenseeyourdoctor.

AsymmetryThetwohalvesofyourmoledonotlookthesame.

borderTheedgesofyourmoleare

irregular,blurredorjagged.

ColourThecolourofyourmoleisuneven,withmorethanoneshade.

Diameteryourmoleiswiderthan6mmindiameter(thesizeofapencileraser).

Other signs of skin cancer that you should see your doctor about• anewgrowthorsorethatwon’theal• aspot,moleorsorethatitchesorhurts• amoleorgrowththatbleeds,crustsor

scabs

InformationprovidedbyBeatingBowelCancer

InformationprovidedbyCancerResearchUKWords by Gina Potter, photo by Stephen Potter

Words and Photos by Claire Elshaw

MynameisGinaPotterandIliveinthebeautifulseasidetownofBangorinNorthernIreland,whereIworkasaSecretaryforafirmofarchitects.Iwasdiagnosedwithbowelcancerattheageof42in2005.I’dhadongoingsymptomsforanumberofyears.AtthetimeIwastooscaredtomentionittomydoctor,somethingInowregret.LuckilywhenIdidhaveabiopsyofthetumour,thesurgeoninformedmethatitwasindeedcancer,buthadbeencaughtearly.healsosaidhewassurprisedthatatmyageitwascancerous,anditwasmostlikelyhereditary.MyNanahaddevelopedthesamecancer,luckilyshesurvivedaswell!Mysymptomsincludedbleedingfromthebackpassage,painsinmystomachaftereatingcertainsaltyfoodsandloosemucoustypestools.Thetumourwasremovedthemonthafterdiagnosisbykeyholesurgery,followedbysixmonthsofchemotherapy.Ifoundtreatmenthardgoing,asIhadnumeroussideeffects.Worstofthesewasconstantsickness,butwithprayer,supportfromfamilyandfriends,reflexology,retailtherapyandcontinuingtoworkIgotthroughit.

Themedicationanddrugsthatthehospitalprovidedalsohelpedenormously.Thisincludeda24houranti-sicknesssyringedriver,whichwasinsertedintomystomachfor7daysateachroundoftreatment.Iwasabletoputthe

syringedriverintoabumbagwhichenabledmetogotoworkandkeepmyselfbusy.

ThedayIfinishedtreatmentIcouldn’tstopmytears.Ihuggedmyhusbandof26yearsandIcouldseethereliefinhiseyes!

After5yearsoftestsandscansIgottheallclearinAugust2010,ImustsayIcriedtearsofjoyuponhearingthis.MyhusbandandI

wenttoLondonfortheweekendasIfelthedeservedthetrip,givenwhathe

hadbeenthroughthelast5years.Icouldn’thavegotthroughitwithouthim!

Sincegettingtheallclearin2010Ifinallyfeelabletotalkaboutmyexperiences,Ireallyclosedmyselfinbeforethatandcouldn’t

discussitwithanyone.NowIreallywanttohelpcancer

survivorsandcurrentpatientsinanywayIcan,asIreallyknowhowhardacancerdiagnosisis,butmoreimportantlyIwanttoletthemknowthatthereislifeaftercancer.Indeedlifeformeisnowamuchmorepositive,

gina’s Story

Whateveryourage,sizeorshape,it’simportanttotakecareofyourbreasts.

Everyyeararound50,000peopleintheUKfindouttheyhavebreastcancer.It’sthemostcommoncancerdiagnosedinUKwomenandcanaffectwomenofallethnicities.But,worryingly,43%ofminorityethnicandblackwomensaytheyneverchecktheirbreasts.

Thereisnorightorwrongwayofcheckingyourbreastsandyoucanmakeitpartof

taking Care of your Breastsyournormalroutine.It’simportanttodecidewhatyouarecomfortablewithandwhatsuitsyoubestandthenlookatandfeelyourbreastsregularly.youcoulddothisinthebathorshower,whenyouusebodylotion,orwhenyougetdressed.What’simportantisgettingtoknowwhatisnormalforyou.youcanthenfeelconfidentaboutnoticinganyunusualchanges.Breastcancercanaffectwomenofallages,sowomenshouldchecktheirbreastsandreportanyunusualchangesthroughouttheirlife.

Mary Warrenerwasattendingathree-yearlybreastcheckinherlocalmobilebreastscreeningunitin2007.Sheattendedeverytimeshewasinvited.‘Icomefrom

afamilywhereifthingsareofferedtoyou,youtakethemup.Especiallyifit’sfree.SoIwentalongtobreastscreeningwheneverIgotmyinvitationletter.’Atthetimeshehadnosymptomsthatworriedher.‘MynipplesfeltabitstrangebutIdidn’tknowifthatwasjustoldage,soitdidn’tworryme’.

however,aweekafterherroutinebreastscreeningappointmentshewasaskedto

comebacktotheunit.MoretestsfollowedandMarywasdiagnosedwithbreastcancer.Shehaditintwoplacesinherrightbreast.Therecommendationfromherdoctorwasafullmastectomy.‘AtthetimeIwasinastateofshock,myabilitytotakeitin,tocomprehend,wasimpaired.’MarywasofferedthesurgeryveryquicklybutaskedherdoctorifshecouldstilltaketheplannedtriptoBrittanywithaCelticlanguagegroupfirst.Thedoctoragreed,aslongassheattendedtheclinicstraightawayonherreturn.‘OnthetripIdiscoveredthreeotherwomenhadalsodealtwithbreastcanceranditwasgreattotalktopeoplewho’dbeenthroughitanddiscussthingslikeprosthesis(artificialbreasts)’.

Backhomeeveryoneelsewasequallysupportive.MembersofanIrishgroupin

Personal Journeys

POINTCODE5

ThERE’S AN EASy WAy TO REMEMbER hOW TO STAy bREAST AWARE…

THE BREAST AWARENESS

you should know what is normal for you.

Know what changes to look for.

look and feel.

Tell your gP about any changes straight away.

go for breast screening when invited.

whetherit’slooserpoo,bloodinyourpoooranythingelsethatisunusualforyou,goandtellyourdoctorasitcouldsaveyourlife.”

The charity Beating Bowel Cancer says that almost 40,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year but if diagnosed early, over 90% of bowel cancer cases can be treated successfully.

Spotting skin cancer early saves livesKeepaneyeonyourskinandreportanychangesinthesize,shapeorcolourofamoleoranyotherchangetoamoleornormal

patchofskintoyourdoctorwithoutdelay.Weknowthatpeoplearemorelikely

tosurvivecancerifit’sfoundatanearlystage.

Who is most at risk? Anyonecandevelopskincancer,butsomepeoplearemoreatriskthanothers.Thesepeopletendtohaveoneormoreofthefollowing:•fairskinthatburnseasily•lotsofmolesorfreckles•ahistoryofsunburn•redorfairhair•light-colouredeyes•apersonalorfamilyhistoryofskincancer.

appreciative,compassionateandlovingaffair!

In2011IwascontactedbytheCEOofBowelCancerUK.Shesaidshewouldlikemetohelpherraiseawarenessofthisoftenoverlookeddisease.Iamnowoneoftheirvolunteers.IattendedanawarenesscoursewithBowelCancerUKandamlookingforwardtostartingvolunteeringathealthawarenesseventsontheirbehalf.

Istillhavetohavecolonoscopies(cameratests)everytwoyearsbutIamdeterminedtokeeppositiveandGodwillingIwilllivealongandproductivelife!

Mostchangesinyourbreastswon’tturnouttobebreastcancer,butifitisbreastcancer,thenthesoonerthisisdiagnosed,themoreeffectivethetreatmentmaybe.Around70%ofwomenwithbreastcancerfoundouttheyhaditbynoticingachangeintheirbreastsandtalkingtosomeoneaboutit,soitcanmakearealdifference.

ManypeoplesaytheyfinditdifficulttogototheirGP,butifyoudonoticeanychangesit’simportantyouvisityourdoctorandgetyourselfcheckedoutassoonaspossible.youcanalwaysasktoseeafemaleGPifyou’dfeelmorecomfortable.Ifyouareinvitedtoscreening,allscreeningstaffarewomentoo.

Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutbreasthealthorscreening,BreastCancerCare’sfree,confidentialhelplineistheretohelp–call0808 800 6000.Orifyou’dprefer,theBreastCancerCarewebsitehasloadsofinformation,visitwww.breastcancercare.org.uk

DaviniaGreen,BreasthealthPromotionManageratBreastCancerCaresays:“Ifyoufeelabitembarrassedorapprehensiveaboutcheckingyourbreasts,itmaybereassuringtoknowthatyoucanmakeitpartofyourdailyroutine,itneedn’tbeanythingtobescaredof.Ifyougettoknowwhat’snormalforyou,it’smucheasiertonoticeifsomethingisn’trightandthenit’simportanttotalktoyourdoctor.Don’tbescaredoftalkingtoyourGPordelaygoing,asearlierdiagnosismayleadtosimplertreatmentsoptions.”

© Dave Perris at Lucky Dog

What should I be looking out for?Gettoknowyourskinandlookoutforanychanges.WhencheckingyourskintheABCDrulecanhelpyouremembersomeofthemainwarningsigns,butremembernotallskincancershavethesefeatures.

For women of all ages checking your breasts is very important. But once you reach 50 (47 in some areas) you’ll be invited to breast screening and it’s also vitally important you attend those appointments. Here’s why.

If you’re sitting at home thinking ‘I should really go for a mammogram’ or if you’ve noticed an unusual change in your breast and haven’t gone to your GP yet, don’t put it off any longer. My experience has taught me that by biting the bullet, you’ll know one way or the other and an early diagnosis can make all the difference to effective treatment.”

Bernie Nolan, actress, singer and television personality

InformationprovidedbyBreastCancerCare

MEN AND CANCERMYTHS

Myths and realities about cancer in the Irish community

NhSNationalCancerActionTeamacceptsnoliabilityfortheviewsandopinionsoforganisationsorindividualsinthissupplement.NhSNationalCancerActionTeamacceptsnoliabilityfortheviewsandopinionsoforganisationsorindividualsinthissupplement.6 7

There is a lot of conflicting information about what causes cancer

Reality:Themediaoftenfocusondifferencesordisagreementsbetweenresearchersbecausegoodnewsdoesnothingforviewing/listeningstatisticsornewspapersales.Researchisalwaysincreasingorimprovingknowledgeandsometimeschallengingtheinformationthatexists.Althoughtherewillalwaysbesomedebate,thereispersistentandconsistentevidenceaboutthelinksbetween,smoking,alcohol,dietandobesityandarangeofcancers.

Cancer is a death sentence

Reality:Therehavebeengreatadvancesinthediagnosisandtreatmentofcancer-cancersurvivalratesintheUKhavedoubledinthelast40years.Ifcancer’sfoundatanearlystage,treatmentisoftensimplerandmorelikelytobesuccessful.Sospottingcancerearlycanmakearealdifference.Gettoknowyourbodyandreportanyunusualorpersistentchangestoyourdoctor.

(CancerResearchUK)

If I talk about my cancer people will avoid me.

Reality:Irishpeoplereferto“tumours,growth,theBigC”,ratherthanusingtheterm“cancer”.Muchmoreisknownaboutthecausesofcancernowandalthoughitmaybelinkedtothelifestyleoftheindividual,self-blamewon’thelp.howevercanceroccursit’sanastydiseaseandwealldeservethehelpandsupportoffamily,friendsandhealthcareprofessionals.

ThecultureofsecrecyaroundcancerintheIrishcommunityandamongolderpeopleinparticular,limitsinformationaboutsigns,symptoms,earlydetectionandtreatmentandthishasadetrimentalaffectonourhealth.

Doctors are always too busy to listen

Cancer runs in families

Reality: Sadlysomedoctorsareverybusyandthismaymakeyoufeelthattheydon’thavetimetolistenbuteverybodyhasareasonablerighttothedoctor’stimeandattention.Andifyoudon’tfeelyouaregettinganywherewithyourdoctor,asktoseeanotheratthepractice.Makingadiaryofsymptoms,anoteofanyrelevanthealthhistoryandalistofquestionscanhelpyoumakethebestuseofthelimitedappointmenttime.Don’tbefrightenedtoaskquestions.Bepoliteandfirmandasktoclarifyanythingyoudonotunderstand.Itmayhelptotakeafriendorrelativewithyouanditwillhelpyoulaterifyoutakesomebriefnotesduringtheconsultation.

Ifyoudon’tfeelthatyou’vegottothebottomoftheproblemit’sperfectlyOKtoaskforasecondopinion.

Reality:Onlyaverysmallproportion(estimatedtobelessthan10%)ofcancersarelinkedtoafamilyhistoryofthedisease.Thestrengthofyourfamilyhistorydependsonwhoinyourfamilyhashadcancerandhowoldtheywerewhentheywerediagnosed.Themorerelativeswhohavehadcancerandtheyoungertheywereatdiagnosis,thestrongeryourfamilyhistory.Ifyouareworriedaboutafamilyhistoryofcancer,youshouldvisityourGP.Iftheythinkyoumightbeathigherrisktheymayreferyoutoaclinicalgeneticscentre.

(CancerResearchUK)

Nothing can be done to prevent cancer

Reality: Somepeoplebelievethatthereisnothingtheycandotoavoidcancer.Butresearchhasshownthatmorethanfourintencancerscouldbepreventedbylifestylechangessuchasnotsmoking,keepingahealthybodyweight,cuttingbackonalcohol,eatingahealthybalanceddiet,keepingactiveandenjoyingthesunsafely.Livingahealthylifeisn’taguaranteeagainstcancer,butitstackstheoddsinourfavour.

(CancerResearchUK)

LookGood…FeelBetteristheonlyinternationalcharitycreatedtohelpwomencombattheoftendistressingvisiblesideeffectsoftheircancertreatment.LGFBwasformedin1994intheUKandissupportedbyover40leadingcompaniesandbrandsintheBeautyandFragranceIndustry.

Theprogrammeoffersfreeskincareand

make-upworkshopsinover60locationsthroughouttheUK.

Atthebeginningofeachworkshop,patientsaregivenagiftbagfilledwith17differentproductsdonatedbymajorcompanies.Demonstratingeachoneinturn,threevolunteerbeautyconsultantstakeeveryonethroughaspeciallydesigned12-stepskincareandmake-upregime–eyebrowsandlashesaredelicately‘drawn’back,darkcirclesare‘hidden’,complexionsarepamperedandsmoothed.Attheendofeachsessionoflearning,funandlaughterladiesleavefeelingrelaxed,fullofrenewedconfidenceintheirappearanceandhavingregainedadegreeofcontrolovertheirlives.

AlsoavailableistheLGFBConfidenceKit–anextensiveDVDandbookletwhichcoversskincareandmake-up,wigselectionandstyling,hairalternativesandnailcare.

Tofindoutmorevisit:www.lgfb.co.uk

look Good...Feel Better

health and Irish Men

Astudyofmen’shealthinIrelandshowsthatmenhavelesscontactwithhealthcareprofessionalsthanwomen,despitethefactthatinmostcasestheoutcomesforillnessispoorer.ThereisnoreasontothinkthatthisisanydifferentforIrishmenintheUK.Thequestioniswhy?

We’veallheardof‘man-flu’.Womencomplainingthatblokestaketotheirbedsfordayswithacoldwhilsttheysoldieron.Sowhyisitthenthatmenaremorereluctanttogotothedoctorwhentheyhaveserioushealthconcerns?

Theproblemmaybeourviewsofwhat’smacho.Menaresupposedtofixtheplumbing,notcomplaintothedoctorabouttheirs.

Thenthere’sfear.It’saman’sjobtocatchthespidersandcheckformonstersunderthebed.It’sdifficulttoadmityoudon’twanttoseeadoctor,becauseyou’reafraidtheremightbearealproblem,andthatyouwon’tbeabletofixit.

Alsoatthedoctorswehaveto‘getreal’.Manymenwouldrathertalkaboutfootballresultsthantheiremotions.Andinmost

‘The increasing focus on men’s health in recent years is an important and welcome development. While we hear much about the ‘problems’ with men’s health, we sometimes forget to look for more creative and opportunistic ways of engaging men in health matters and in supporting men to take increased responsibility for their own health. We should also consider that promoting and improving men’s health impacts not just on men’s lives, but has positive spin-offs on the lives of women and children and on the wider community.’

casesthat’sfine.Butwiththedoctoryouhavetobeabletowearyourheartonyoursleeveandthatcanbedifficult.Addintothismixafearthatthedoctormightnottakeusseriouslyandyou’vearecipefordenial.

AllthismeansthatoftenIrishmenareslowertoacknowledgethesignsofillness,andtakelongertoconsulttheirdoctor.ManymenonlygobecausetheirMum,girlfriend,wifepracticallymarchesthemthroughthesurgerydoor.

however,thiscancauserealproblems,asthedelayindiagnosisofillnesscanmaketreatmentmorecomplicatedandmoredifficulttotreatsuccessfully.

Somaybetodayisthedayyouneedtoredefinewhatis‘macho’andmanly.Ittakesrealgutstoadmityouhaveaproblem.Ittakesbraverytoconfrontitheadonanddealwithit.Askingforhelpisnotasignofweaknessbutasignofstrengthofcharacter.Catchingcancerearlyandbeatingit,nowthat’simpressive.

ToreadthereportinfullcheckoutMen’shealthInIrelandReport(2004)www.mhfi.org/fullreport.pdf

Declan Talks To UsGROWINGupinNorthLondonasachildwasawonderfulexperienceandIwasluckyenoughtodosoinathrivingIrishcommunity.SportplayedanimportantroleinmylifeandfromtheageoffourIcouldbefoundplayingGaelicfootballinGladstoneParkeverySaturday.SporthasbecomemyjobandIhavethoseearlyyearsinGladstoneParktothankforthat.AsIgrewup,Ibecameawareofhowimportantlifestyleis,fornotonlyfeelinggoodbutalsoforachievingmybestperformanceontherugbypitch.Likemostpeople,myfamilyhasbeenaffectedbycancer.Ilostmyaunttolungcancerandbothmygrandfathers.Inevergottheopportunitytomeetmyfather’sfatherbecausehehadpassedawayevenbeforeIwasborn.

MyfathersetmeagreatexampleasIwasgrowingup,havinggivenupcigaretteswhenIwasbornanddrinkingonlyinmoderation.ThiswassomethingItriedtocopy.AsateenagerItriedsmokingbutafterhavingafewcigarettesandfeelinglikeIwascoughingalungup,Iknewcigaretteswerenotforme.Ienjoyapintwiththeladsbuttrytojustkeepthattoafew.Eatinghealthilyisimportanttoo.Playershaveamassivecalorieintakebuttrytostayawayfromcakes,friedfoodandtoomuchredmeat.It’simportanttoeathealthilynotjustforourgeneralhealthbutalsoforpeakperformance.Iknowpeoplegoonaboutgettingyourfivefruitandvegportionsaday-

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with 37,000 new cases diagnosed every year in the UK. Symptoms and what to look out for Somemenwithprostatecancermayhavenosymptomsatall,butifyouhaveanyproblemswithyourwaterworks,itmightbeasignofaprostateproblem.Somesymptomscausedbyprostateproblemsinclude:

• Needingtourinatemoreoften,especiallyatnight

• Difficultystartingtopassurine• Strainingortakingalongtimetofinish

urinating• Aweakflowofurine• Afeelingthatyourbladderhasnotemptied

properly• Needingtorushtothetoilet–youmay

occasionallyleakurinebeforeyougetthere• DribblingurineProblemswithpassingurinearecommoninoldermenbutthisdoesnotmeanmenshouldignorethemorhavetoputupwiththem.Therearetreatmentsavailableforurinarysymptomsaswellasprostateproblemsandprostatecancer.

Testing for prostate cancerThereisnoscreeningprogrammeforprostatecancerbutthereisasimplebloodtest,calledthePSAtestthatcanhelpyourdoctorworkoutifyoumayhaveaprostateproblem.AraisedPSAlevelcanshowthattheremightbeaproblemwithyourprostate.ButaPSAtestalonecannotdiagnoseprostatecancerandthereareprosandconstothetest.Soifyouareconcernedaboutprostatecanceryoushouldtalktoyourdoctor.

Where can I find out more?CallTheProstateCancerCharity’shelplineon0800 074 8383toorderfreeleafletsaboutprostateproblemsorcancerortospeaktoaspecialistnurse.Alternativelyvisittheirwebsite:www.prostate-cancer.org.uk

butIreallynoticethedifferencewhenIdon’t!

Manypeoplehavethemisconceptionthatsportsmenareimmunetoillness.Duetoourheavyworkloadandtraining,wecangetsickastrainingaffectsourimmunesystems.TwiceIhavebeenstruckdownbyaurinarytractinfection.Itcanbebitscary,frompaininyourkidneystopeeingblood.Allsortsofthingsweregoingthroughmyheadthefirsttime,includingwhetherIhadcancer.Isoughthelpimmediatelyandwasluckyenoughtoseesomeverygooddoctorswhoranarangeoftests.Attheageof26IthoughtIwasalittleyoungtobegettingmyprostatecheckedbutknewthatIhadtodowhateverwasnecessary.Iwasluckyenoughtogettheall-clear.TheseexperiencesmakemeevenmoredeterminedtolookaftermybodyespeciallynowthatIhavekidsofmyown.

How the Federation of Irish Societies (FIS) has acted to address the worrying fact that Irish people have amongst the lowest level of success for cancer treatments in the UK.

FISrananumberofroad-showsacrossLondonandtheSouthEasttoimproveprostate,breastandbowelcancerscreeninguptake.JointlyfundedbytheIrishGovernmentandtheEthnicMinorityCancerAwarenessWeek,over200peopleatlunchclubs,communitycentresandsocialgroupsmettohearfromthecancercharitiesaboutthesignsandsymptomsofcancer:whattolookoutfor,howtogettestedandwheretogoforhelpandinformation.

break the silence

During Ethnic Minority Cancer Awareness Week last year, the Federation of Irish Societies held a number of workshops across England. As part of these workshops we asked people about their understanding of cancer. This helped us to determine common myths in the Irish community about cancer. Below we look at some of these myths and challenge them to make sure that everyone is better informed about the truth and reality of the disease.

All men over 50 are entitled to a free PSA test on the NHS provided they have made an informed choice following discussion with their GP about the pros and cons of having the test”

It’s my role as a journalist to tell people about what’s happening in the world. Whether it’s good or bad news, I get people talking about it. I want to do the same now about cancer. In the Irish community, particularly for Irish men, it can often be hard to talk about health worries. But we need to be able to talk about cancer, to understand it and take away the mystery. Then we’ll have a better chance of preventing it.” Fergal Keane, writer and broadcaster

Prostate cancer

MemberorganisationsacrossotherregionsinthecountrytookupthechallengeandrantheirowncancerawarenesssessionsinclubsandcentresintheMidlandsandNorth.JennieMcShannon,ChiefExecutiveatFISsaid“gettingthecommunitytofeelmoreconfidentabouttalkingaboutcancerandscreeningregularlyiscriticaltoreducingthenumberofIrishdeathsfromcancer.Theseroadshowswereachancetobreakthesilence”

Tofindoutmorevisit:www.irishinbritain.org

Declan Danaher. Back-row forward with London Irish

InformationprovidedbyTheProstateCancerCharity

Dr noel Richardson(pictured),BoardmemberofMen’shealthForum,Ireland.

Department of Health For more information visit: www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer-of-the-prostate

HELP AND CONTRIBUTORS

Where to find out moreAnthonyNolan03033030303 www.anthonynolan.org

BeatingBowelCancer08450719301 www.beatingbowelcancer.org

BowelCancerUK08008403540 www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk

BrainTumourUK 08454500386 www.braintumouruk.org.uk

BreastCancerCare08088006000www.breastcancercare.org.uk

BreakthroughBreastCancer08080100200www.breakthrough.org.uk

CancerResearchUK08088004040www.cancerresearchuk.org

CLICSargent(forchildrenwithcancer)03003300803www.clicsargent.org.uk

Jo’sCervicalCancerTrust08088028000www.jostrust.org.uk

LookGood...FeelBetterUK01372747500www.lgfb.co.uk

LymphomaAssociation08088085555www.lymphomas.org.uk

MacmillanCancerSupport08088080000www.macmillan.org.uk

Maggie’sCancerCaringCentres03001231801www.maggiescentres.org

MarieCurieCancerCare0800716146www.mariecurie.org.uk

MouthCancerFoundation01924950950www.mouthcancerfoundation.org

MyelomaUK08009803332www.myeloma.org.uk

NationalCancerActionTeamwww.ncat.nhs.ukwww.cancerinfo.nhs.uk

NetPatientFoundation08004346476www.netpatientfoundation.org

NhSCancerScreeningProgrammeswww.cancerscreening.nhs.uk

NhSChoiceswww.nhs.uk

NhSSmokefree08000224332www.nhs.uk/smokefree

OvarianCancerAction03004564700www.ovarian.org.uk

Ovacome–OvarianCancerSupport08453710554www.ovacome.org.uk

TheProstateCancerCharity08000748383www.prostate-cancer.org.uk

PancreaticCancerUK02031771686www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk

Paul’sCancerSupportCare02079243924www.paulscancersupportcentre.org.uk

RarerCancersFoundation08004346476www.rarercancers.org.uk

RoyCastleLungCancerFoundation08003587200www.roycastle.org

SarcomaUK02072508271www.sarcoma.org.uk

TeenageCancerTrust02076120370www.teenagecancertrust.org

The National Cancer Action Team and the Federation of Irish Societies have worked in partnership to provide this free supplementFormoreinformationabouttheFederationofIrishSocietiesvisittheirwebsitewww.irishinbritain.orgemailthemoninfo@irishinbritain.orgorcallthemon02078331226

Contributors

Cancer Screening Programmes

NhSNationalCancerActionTeamacceptsnoliabilityfortheviewsandopinionsoforganisationsorindividualsinthissupplement.

Editors PaulaLloydKnight,AssociateDirector,PatientExperience,NationalCancerActionTeam

SuziChung,EqualitiesProjectManager,NationalCancerActionTeam

WriterClaireElshaw,CommunicationCo-ordinator,NationalCancerActionTeam

Production Credits

Special thanks toMaryCharlwood,DeclanDanaher,JohnGiles,FergalKeane,BernieNolan,GinaPotter,StephenPotter,DrNoelRichardson,DrGabrielScally,MaryWarrenerandTerryWogan.

NhS Smokefree

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t you

r ins

tinct

s


PP

OR

T

FAIT

H HO

PE C

HAR

ITY


A chuisle!

LOVE

Faith, Hope, C


ion

, S

c

reen

ing,

Hea

lth is

Wea

lth, A


Awaren

ess

is b

est





ALWAYS CHECK IT OUT



Bless your l

itt

le Iri

sh h

eart

and

ever

y ot

her I

rish

part

.

Bíonn gach

tosn

ú la

g

Sláint

e ag

us tá

inte

Believ

e you

can

and

your

hal

fway

ther

e.

FAIT

H HOPE C

HARIT

Y

Craic

Agus

Ceol

Trust

yo

ur in

stin

cts

A chuisle!

Chan

ge yo

ur th

ough

ts

and yo

u ch

ange

your

wor

ld.

Faith



FAITH


A chuisle!


Have you or someone in your family been affected by cancer ?Have your say !

TOGETHER WE CAN IMPROvE CANCER SERvICES

Take part in the National Black and Minority Ethnic Cancer voice

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Production Partners CharlotteCurran,healthDevelopmentOfficer,FederationofIrishSocieties

DrMaryTilki,Chair,FederationofIrishSocieties

NCAT Production Co-ordinatorSuziChung

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Documents

Irish Health Supplement