Cross-border cancer scheme backed

Cross-border cancer scheme backed

Cancer patients from County Donegal who need radiotherapy are to be given their treatment in Belfast.

Health minister Shaun Woodward said spare capacity at the new cancer centre at the City Hospital will be used.

Mr Woodward said the arrangement would not have any impact on radiotherapy services to people in Northern Ireland.

"We are saying that if we have spare physical capacity and are prepared to pay, it only makes common sense," he said.

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Prostate cancer news 'by phone'

One in five men diagnosed with prostate cancer are told the news in an insensitive way - some by phone or letter, a survey has found.

The Prostate Cancer Charity asked over 1,140 men about their experiences.

Just under a quarter of those who were alone when they heard their diagnosis wished someone had been with them.

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Cancer postcode lottery worsens in region

Cancer postcode lottery worsens in region

Mike Waites Health Correspondent CANCER patients in Yorkshire are facing a worsening postcode lottery for life-saving treatments amid evidence many hospitals are struggling to meet new waiting time targets for vital care.

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Bragg cancer mother song on sale

Bragg cancer mother song on sale

Song lyrics written by a single mother living with cancer, with music performed and composed by Billy Bragg has gone on sale in the UK.

Maxine Edgington performed and wrote We Laughed, to celebrate her close relationship with daughter Jessica, 16.

Bragg put her lyrics to music as part of a workshop at the hospice in Dorset where she is being treated.

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Lung cancer signs awareness call

Lung cancer signs awareness call

Campaigners are aiming to raise awareness of the early signs of lung cancer

They say 80% of people are diagnosed too late to have potentially life-saving operations.

Macmillan Cancer Relief and The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation say more lives could be saved if the disease was detected sooner.

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Cancer patient wins suit against former employer

A Westminster man who said his bosses at a car dealership slashed his pay and emotionally abused him as he underwent chemotherapy for skin cancer was awarded $2.75 million Friday by a federal jury. William Mower, 58, was "emotional and relieved" by the verdict, said his lawyer, Kathleen Chaney.

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Early signs of ovarian cancer found

Symptoms associated with ovarian cancer, especially abdominal bloating and pain, often start several months prior to diagnosis, a study shows, suggesting that with appropriate testing the diagnosis can be made earlier than it is currently. Ovarian cancer is much more curable when detected early.

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Gene Drug Gives Man Second Chance at Survival

Harvey Harris settled into the bed at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, ready to endure yet another round of tests to check the aggressive cancer growing in his chest. He wasn't feeling optimistic. By most counts, Harris should have been dead by now.

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This week in the medical journals

This week in the medical journals

The numbers don't lie

Cancer was big news in the major medical journals this week, and the biggest news was about mammography screening and whether it is responsible for saving lives of women with breast cancer.

In fact, the screening test was confirmed as an important contributor to the recent decrease in breast cancer mortality.

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Study confirms value of mammograms Sharp drop in deaths from breast cancer attributed to tests

Study confirms value of mammograms Sharp drop in deaths from breast cancer attributed to tests

Addressing a major unknown in the long-standing debate over mammograms, a new study finds that the screening test contributed to a pronounced drop in the death rate from breast cancer.

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Bladder cancer urine check hope

Bladder cancer urine check hope

A simple test which measures the level of the enzyme telomerase in urine could be used effectively to detect bladder cancer, a study suggests.

The Italian researchers say their test proved to be around 90% accurate.

In the Journal of the American Medical Association, they say their test should be used more widely on smokers and others prone to developing the disease.

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common form of the disease in UK men, and the tenth most common in women.

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