Are You Clear on Cancer? A Simple visit to the GP Could Save Your Life…

Cancer is one of the biggest killers in the world, afflicting more than one in three people during their lifetime. Each year a staggering 14.1 million cancer cases are diagnosed around the world, and this is predicted to rise to 24 million by 2035.

However, plenty of evidence exists to show that a patient’s treatment options and chance of recovery is far greater if the cancer is spotted at an early stage. For instance, a person’s chance of surviving from bowel cancer for an additional five years is 90% higher if the cancer is diagnosed early enough, but this rate drops to just 6% at the most advanced stage, and death is likely. A similar pattern holds true for numerous other types of cancer too.

This is where the Department of Health’s Be Clear on Cancer campaign is vital as the initiative looks to increase the UK public’s awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer, in addition to urging people with symptoms to see their doctor at the earliest possible chance to boost the chance of catching cancer early to make a full recovery.

Be Clear on Cancer has been formulated to primarily target the over-50s from lower socio-economic groups, as it is believed this demographic typically delay in seeing the doctor about persistent symptoms. The campaign has focused on a number of things so far, including:  bowel cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, blood in the urine (a key symptom of bladder and kidney cancer), oesophago-gastric and ovarian cancers. There is also a breast cancer campaign aimed specifically at women over the age of 70 and a cancer symptoms campaign called ‘Know 4 sure’.

As highlighted previously, it is imperative to get yourself checked out for diagnosis at the earliest chance, to boost your survival chance. Therefore, it is important to see your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any inexplicable changes to your body. Cancer symptoms can vary depending on where the body they appear, and symptoms that may be similar to cancer usually turn out to be something less serious.  However, if you notice anything unusual, it is still vital to make an appointment to see your doctor.

Most doctors and other health experts generally agree on a number of crucial symptoms to be aware of with regards to cancer. These include:

. A change in your regular bowel habits (i.e. diarrhoea or constipation for no obvious reason, or blood in your stools).
. A cough lasting more than three weeks.
. A mouth or tongue ulcer lasting more than three weeks.
. Blood in your urine.
. Breathlessness.
. Changes in the shape, size or colour of a mole.
. Coughing up blood.
. Inexplicable weight loss or heavy night sweats.
. Regular problems with swallowing and indigestion.
. The appearance of a lump or swelling on your body.


Many people are still unsure why they have developed cancer, and the answer is there are a multitude of factors that can increase your risk. Age is the main risk and unfortunately something we cannot control. Age is a risk factor as cell’s that become cancerous usually take many years to develop.

Moreover, there has to be a number of genetic mutations within a cell for it to become cancerous. Some people are born with one mutation already and although it is not a certainty the person will get cancer, they are statistically more likely to at some point during their lifetime.

Other cancer risks we can control however. For example, smoking is the single biggest cause of lung cancer, responsible for over 8 out of 10 cases (86%) as well as being linked to some cases of lung cancer in non-smokers, due to second-hand smoking (passive smoking). A long-term heavy alcohol intake and prolonged exposure to sunlight are also risks for cancer.

Though evidence is open to debate, it is thought that a diet high in processed meats and red meat can, with insufficient fruit and vegetables, heighten your risk of cancers such as bowel, breast and prostate cancer.

Obesity is yet another high risk, being linked to cancers of the breast, colon and rectum, endometrium (the lining of the uterus), gallbladder, kidney, oesophagus, pancreas, thyroid and maybe even other types of cancer.

Therefore, Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy urge you to be aware of the common symptoms of cancer and do not hesitate to see a GP if you spot any signs of cancer. You are not wasting anyone’s time and you will be able to stop worrying if it is nothing serious. If your doctor believes you might have cancer you will be referred to a specialist, usually within two weeks. Further tests will then be carried out – such as an X-ray or biopsy – and suitable treatment options will be discussed with you.

The Bill’s Ben Richards on ignoring the symptoms of his bowel cancer

British stage and television actor Ben Richards has spoken of his shock at being diagnosed with bowel cancer at just 39 years of age despite no family history of the disease and him having a healthy diet.

Bowel cancer is more common in the over-65s with 72% of diagnoses occurring in this age group. Obesity, alcohol, smoking and a diet high in red or processed meats are also other risk factors for developing what is the now the third most common type of cancer in the UK.

Ben, now 41, appeared in the ITV drama Footballers’ Wives back in 2004, playing the role of Bruno Milligan. He has since appeared in other television shows such as Holby City and The Bill, however has now returned to theatre work which he had been involved in prior to finding fame on TV.

Young and slender Ben has never struggled with his weight and the diagnosis stunned him after he chose to ignore the symptoms he was experiencing, stating he was a ‘typical man’ and was reluctant to speak to his doctor about ‘that part’ of his body. The actor had noticed his bowel movements had altered and there was a small amount of blood in his stools. Ben assumed it was internal piles and the change in bowel movements was because he had just finished travelling around India. Never for a moment did he consider he was suffering from anything as potentially-deadly as bowel cancer.

Ben, who has recently become ambassador for Bowel Cancer UK, says: “I was just a total bloke about the situation.  Like most men I didn’t want to even think about going to a doctor and it wasn’t until my then wife Helen nagged me that I eventually saw my GP.”

In January 2012, Ben finally decided to seek help and visited his GP, who subsequently urged Ben to immediately see a specialist upon hearing his symptoms.

By luck, Ben was able to schedule an appointment to see a private doctor on the very same day and was then booked in for a colonoscopy. This is where a thin, flexible tube with a camera attached (a colonoscope) is used to investigate the entire bowel.

Just one week later, Ben underwent his tests at the Harpenden Spire Private Hospital. Scans revealed a 6cm tumour in his bowel and he was given the news straight away that he had cancer.

He says: “I couldn’t quite compute what the doctor had told me. It was terrifying and cancer had always been something that happened to other people, not me. I had no family history of the disease either, so it never occurred to me that symptoms I had mistaken for IBS and piles could be something so serious. Surgeons were forced to remove almost half my bowel which was incredibly painful. The whole combination of treatments was a shock to the system and to be honest I felt awful.”

His recovery involved gruelling six-week cycles of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. After experiencing a few small complications along the way, Ben has fully recovered and currently in his fourth month of remission.

Although he describes feeling ‘better than ever’, he has learned valuable lessons and is now more careful in regards to his health. “I have always eaten healthily but now I’m extra careful. I don’t eat red meat and wheat and I’ve given up beer entirely – much as I miss it – because I just don’t want to take the risk of the cancer returning.”

As Ben highlighted, bowel cancer can be difficult to determine, with symptoms similar to less life-threatening conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. If you experience unusual symptoms for longer than a few weeks, it is recommended you seek medical attention as soon as possible. Ben made a full recovery with a relatively earlier diagnosis, but persistent ignoring of symptoms can prove fatal.

Symptoms include: Blood in your faeces, the appearance of mucus in the faeces, inexplicable weight loss, persistent abdominal pain lasting longer than two weeks, severe constipation or diarrhoea lasting longer than two weeks and tiredness as a result of becoming anaemic from microscopic bleeding from the bowel.

If you have any of these symptoms, Medical Specialists Pharmacy advises that you see your GP immediately. In addition to the colonoscopy mentioned earlier, another test your GP may refer you to, is the ‘faecal occult bloods’ (FOBs) test. Here, many samples of your faeces are scanned for any possible microscopic amounts of blood lost from a tumour. If a diagnosis is made, a ‘Dukes’ staging’ is given to the cancer to determine how it is likely to progress or conclude which is the best course of treatment to go for the patient.

Male bowel cancer rates have soared by almost 30% in 35 years

A study conducted by Cancer Research UK suggests that male bowel cancer rates have soared by over a quarter in the past 35 years, with just a 6% increase for women in the same period according to the charity.

New figures have emerged as we begin bowel cancer awareness month, and have coincided with the launch of a new campaign by the Bobby Moore Fund called ‘Make Bobby Proud’. The Fund is a partnership with Cancer Research UK that first began back in 1993 by Stephanie Moore MBE, the widow of the 1966 World Cup winning England captain Bobby Moore, and has raised an incredible £18.8 million since its inception.

The England legend tragically passed away in 1993 after a hard fought battle against the disease. Not only helping to raise funds for advanced research into bowel cancer, the Fund also looks to raise awareness of a disease that claims the lives of 44 people in the UK each day.

The new research shows that cases of bowel cancer in men have risen from 45 per 100,000 in 1975-77 to 58 per 100,000 in 2008-10 – representing an increase of 29%.

However, during the same time frame for women, there was a lower incidence of the disease with 35 per 100,000 increasing to 37 per 100,000.

Biggest increases of bowel cancer were seen in people aged in their 60s and 70s, with approximately 23,000 new cases being diagnosed each year.

There is some positive news however; it appears that bowel cancer survival rates are improving with evidence suggesting that half of all patients living for at least a decade after their diagnosis.

Professor Matthew Seymour, from the University of Leeds, who is director of the National Cancer Research Network, said: “We know the risk of bowel cancer increases as we get older and, since we’re all living longer, it’s no surprise to see that the number of people getting the disease is rising. But when we look at these figures and take people’s age into account, we still see that the risk of bowel cancer has gone up in men in the last 35 years. It’s important to find out what’s behind the rise and what we can do about it. The good news is that, thanks to research, we have seen huge improvements in bowel cancer survival over the last 40 years. It’s this research that’s led to better drugs to treat the disease, improved surgical techniques, the use of more radiotherapy and the introduction of bowel screening to spot the disease earlier, when it is most effectively treated.”

Mrs Moore added: “It’s good to see that despite the rise in incidence, bowel cancer survival is improving. However, it’s vital we continue to fund research to fight this disease as these new statistics show. Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK, after lung cancer. Finding a way to beat bowel cancer has been my goal for the past two decades and my hope is that by increasing awareness and helping to fund Cancer Research UK’s vital research, many more lives can be saved from this terrible disease in the future.”

Bowel cancer is also sometimes referred to as rectal, colorectal or colon cancer, depending on where the cancer begins. It is the third most common type of cancer within England and in 2009 alone, it was reported there were 41,142 new cases of bowel cancer. Of these new cases, 18,431 were diagnosed in women and 22,711 cases were diagnosed in men. It is uncommon for those under the age of 40 to develop the cancer, with around 85% of new cases being diagnosed in people over the age of 65.

Factors that increase the risk of bowel cancer include: having an inactive lifestyle, smoking, heavy alcohol intake (over 4 units a day) and obesity. In addition, others at risk are those with a high intake of processed foods, red meat, low-fibre foods and high-fat foods.

The cancer can be sometimes difficult to ascertain and the symptoms are sometimes similar to other less life-threatening conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. However, if you experience symptoms for longer than a few weeks, it is recommended you seek medical attention as soon as possible. Symptoms include: Blood in your faeces, the appearance of mucus in the faeces, inexplicable weight loss, persistent abdominal pain lasting longer than two weeks, severe constipation or diarrhoea lasting longer than two weeks and tiredness as a result of becoming anaemic from microscopic bleeding from the bowel.

If you have any of these symptoms, Medical Specialists Pharmacy advise that you visit your GP immediately. Your GP may want to check for bowel cancer by conducting a rectal examination to check for any abnormal changes at the lower end of the bowel. Another test your GP may want to refer you to is one called ‘faecal occult bloods’ (FOBs). Here, many samples of your faeces are scanned for any possible microscopic amounts of blood lost from a tumour. If a diagnosis is made, a ‘Dukes’ staging’ is given to the cancer to determine how it is likely to progress or conclude which is the best course of treatment to go for the patient.

Scientific breakthrough in determining early cancer risk

A ground-breaking study could pave the way for the introduction of a quick and simple £5 saliva test to determine a patient’s risk of developing breast or prostate cancer, and it could be available within just five years.

The saliva test would find those who are genetically susceptible to the cancers and lead to thousands of lives saved each year with high-risk patients being monitored and even undergo treatment early enough to stop a cancerous tumour from even beginning to develop.

The research into early cancer prevention was conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London and funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the Wellcome Trust.

Researchers studied the DNA extracted from approximately 200,000 people; of which half were suffering from cancer and half were healthy. The massive project spanned four years of thorough genetic analysis by 1,000 scientists and they described their findings as the ‘single biggest leap forward’ in relation to the genetic causes of prostate cancer.

Each person is born with three billion pieces of code comprised of chemical letters: A, C, T and G; known as the ‘genome’ and is passed to us from our parents. A single nucleotide polymorphism is a single letter variation in DNA between people and we can have millions of these variations. Because cancer patients were compared with healthy individuals, scientists were able to see the genetic spelling mistakes that were prominent in the cancer group.

They discovered more than 80 genetic markers which are linked to the risk of somebody developing cancers. There were 49 for breast cancer, 23 for prostate cancer and 11 for ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, scientists were unable to ascertain around 60% of the genetic risk factors for the cancer types they focused, however their findings can still help increase knowledge of the inherited causes of the condition.

Interestingly, for the prostate cancer patients, 18 of the 23 variants were attributed to the most aggressive forms of the disease.

The next step for scientists is to create simple blood or saliva tests that can accurately obtain the future risk breast and prostate cancers. These samples would probably have to be sent off for a lab analysis but the hope is to have results available immediately at the doctors’ surgery.

New medicine for difficult-to-treat cancers could also be produced in addition to a new ovarian cancer test. It is thought that even bowel and lung cancers risks may be found with similar methods.
Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “It can help us identify exactly what is driving different types of cancer, which could enable us to develop new therapeutic approaches.”
He added: “By understanding why some people seem to be at greater risk of developing cancer we can look towards an era where we can take steps to reduce their chances of getting cancer or pick up the disease at its earliest stages. The principle is broad and the potential gains are huge.”

Professor Ros Eeles, from the Institute of Cancer Research, also commented: “These results are the single biggest leap forward in finding the genetic causes of prostate cancer yet made. The work could have a big impact on the number of people dying from the disease, which is still far too high.”

One in two men will develop cancer by 2027

As the number of men developing cancer is on the rise, UK health experts believe that by the year 2027 men will have a one in two chance of developing the disease.

The increase will change from the current 44 in 100 chance, to a 50 in 100 chance and is mostly because of the fact that people are generally living longer according to Cancer Research UK who teamed with Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine at Queen Mary, University of London to offer forecasts for the future.

Projections were formulated after studying previous information available about cancer incidence and mortality rates, in addition to projected population data for the UK.

In 2010 it was calculated that 324,000 people were diagnosed with cancer in the UK and this is expected to hit 416,000 by 2027. For men, the total is expected to reach over 221,000, up from 164,000 back in 2010.

The projections estimated that more than 194,000 women will be diagnosed with cancer in 2027, compared with 160,000 in 2010. Therefore, the predictions seem to be a similar pattern for women compared to men, with a lifetime risk which will increase from 40 to 44 out of 100 according to the researchers.

Cancer Research UK’s chief executive Harpal Kumar says that ‘it’s only through research that we will be able to beat cancer’, further adding: “We need to do more work to understand what drives cancer and how we can prevent it, as well as developing new treatments to reduce the number of people who will die from it.”

As mentioned previously, age is predicted to be the biggest risk factor for the disease and it is thought that the biggest increases in new cases will be seen in cancers of the bowel and prostate, as well as melanoma – the most dangerous type of skin cancer and most often brought on because of ultraviolet light (radiation) from the sun or excessive sunbed use.

Dr Kumar says the figures offer an outlook into the future and what challenges health authorities may face. One such challenge is developing an efficient and effective method of screening men for prostate cancer.

Not every cancer within the prostate gland is aggressive or potentially life-threatening and some can live with this all their lives and experience no health problems. Unfortunately though, doctors do not have a reliable testing procedure in their possession that can identify ‘safe’ tumours that are ok to leave alone.

Alan White, chairman of the Men’s Health Forum and professor of men’s health at Leeds Metropolitan University, argues that another problem will be persuading men to attend screenings for prostate cancer should an effective test ever be developed. Prof White says that even though men have a higher chance of developing bowel cancer than women, a lot less men than women actually bother to go for screening for this cancer.

Prof White says: “It’s desperately important that men take up any opportunity to go for cancer screening that they can. Some men are fatalistic about cancer and screening. But screening does make a difference. If cancers are spotted earlier they are easier to treat. We also know that men who discuss screening with their doctor or their partner are more likely to take up the offer.”

Scientists claim red wine may help to prevent bowel cancer

Two glasses of red wine per day may help to prevent the growth of cancerous tumours in the bowel according to researchers at Leicester University, whose findings will be presented by Professor Karen Brown to over 100 experts from around the world at a conference taking place at the university today.

The key to this cancer-prevention is held in a compound contained within the skin of grapes called ‘resveratrol’; which is also found in various other sources such as peanuts and berries. Resveratrol has garnered much attention over the years for its apparent anti-aging and disease-combating benefits and but this study represents the first genuine scientific evidence that resveratrol helps to prevents cancer.

Past research has indicated that the compound can also reduce the risk of heart disease by stopping the oxidation of LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol, making it a lot harder for platelets to stick together and form the clots that may result in a heart attack. If that wasn’t enough, resveratrol is known prevent insulin resistance. This process occurs after insulin levels are sufficiently high over a sustained period of time to cause the body’s own sensitivity to the hormone to be reduced. Insulin resistance is a precursor to diabetes and can be caused by obesity, stress, pregnancy and because of the ‘metabolic syndrome’.

The researchers at Leicester University administered a daily dose of 5mg (the equivalent of two glasses of red wine) to mice, and to their amazement they discovered it halved the growth of bowel tumours.

Professor Brown, from the university’s cancer biomarkers and prevention group, commented on the study findings and said: “What has been amazing for us is to find that, in laboratory mice, a low dose of resveratrol, the equivalent of a big glass of red wine, was more effective than a larger dose in preventing tumours developing. However, we have also found it is most effective with a high-fat diet, and not a standard diet. We now need to do more work on how the chemical actually works in the body and how it works in human cells. It might be that it works differently in different people.”

John Mathers, Professor of Human Nutrition at Newcastle University, who was not part of the study, offered his views on the findings, saying: “There has been a lot of research carried out on resveratrol which has been tested using a variety of model organisms from yeast to mice. It has worked in some models but not in others. It is very difficult to translate model systems to humans which require a large amount of subjects to be convincing and it is very expensive. Resveratrol has a molecular and protective mechanism which helps cells to deal with damaged protein, such as ageing and cancer. It would be very nice to see this latest evidence, anything that can reduce cancer risk using a dietary molecule is potentially interesting.”

The next challenge for the researchers will be to conduct further laboratory tests in addition to a year-long clinical trial monitoring the effects of resveratrol being taken by patients most at risk of developing cancer.

Some clinical trials have shown that the compound is able to get to the prostate and bowel tissue, however further tests are required to determine what, if any, reaction occurs on patients and if it there are any interactions with other medications. In the trials, scientists will also decide appropriate doses of resveratrol when given in a tablet form.

Bowel cancer may also be known as rectal, colorectal or colon cancer, depending on where the cancer starts. In England it is the third most common type of cancer and in 2009 alone, it was reported there were 41,142 new cases of bowel cancer. Of these new cases, 18,431 cases were diagnosed in women and 22,711 cases were diagnosed in men. It is uncommon for those under the age of 40 to develop the cancer, with around 85% of new cases being diagnosed in people over the age of 65.

Factors that increase the risk of bowel cancer include: having an inactive lifestyle, smoking, heavy alcohol intake (over 4 units a day) and obesity. In addition, others at risk are those with a high intake of processed foods, red meat, low-fibre foods and high-fat foods.

Symptoms can be difficult to spot as they may be similar to less life-threatening conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. However, if you experience them for longer than a few weeks, it is recommended you seek medical attention as soon as possible. Symptoms include: Blood in your faeces, the appearance of mucus in the faeces, inexplicable weight loss, persistent abdominal pain lasting longer than two weeks, severe constipation or diarrhoea lasting longer than two weeks and tiredness as a result of becoming anaemic from microscopic bleeding from the bowel.

If you have any of these symptoms and they are causing you concern, Medical Specialists Pharmacy advise that you visit your GP immediately. Your GP may want to check for bowel cancer by conducting a rectal examination to check for any abnormal changes at the lower end of the bowel. Another test your GP may want to refer you to is one called ‘faecal occult bloods’ (FOBs). Here, many samples of your faeces are scanned for any possible microscopic amounts of blood lost from a tumour. If a diagnosis is made, a ‘Dukes’ staging’ is given to the cancer to determine how it is likely to progress or conclude which is the best course of treatment to go for the patient.

If you are suffering with other stomach and bowel problems such as the previously mentioned irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or heartburn and indigestion, or acid reflux, why not visit the ‘stomach and bowel’ area of the Medical Specialists website. We have a huge range of products for these conditions, including the revolutionary new Symprove drink, as featured in the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, as well as HELLO! magazine. Symprove is helping millions in the fight against IBS and the delicious 500ml mango and passion fruit flavoured version is available from the Medical Specialists chemist shop for the low price of £19.93.

Cancer fatalities should drop as fewer people smoke

Just one week ago, Medical Specialists realise we may have painted a fairly gloomy picture of what life could be like in eighteen years’ time, when we reported how some were predicting obesity levels to soar by 2030 in both the UK and U.S.

However, maybe we should turn that frown upside down after all! With the ‘Stoptober’ campaign set to get underway next Monday, Cancer Research UK have released a whole set of estimations for the same year (2030), and they predict that the rates of many different types of cancer are set to decrease by this point. The positive statistics are also for the charities’ ‘Stand Up To Cancer’, a fundraising partnership between Cancer Research UK and Channel 4. The campaign’s finale will be live TV entertainment show to be broadcast on Friday October 19.

They say that more efficient diagnosis for cancers and treatment will result in a reduction in cancer death rates by up to 17% by 2030. Smoking is the cause of many cancers such as throat, lung, mouth, etc., and this harmful lifestyle choice was obviously the basis of their research. A main reason for the predicted 17% drop is because there are now less people smoking than previous years, which could be down to certain adverts depicting images of blackened lungs after the damaging long-term effects of smoking.

In 2010 it was calculated that for every 100,000 of the general population in the UK, 170 people died from cancer. By 2030 this figure is estimated to have dropped by then to 142 for every 100,000. Breast cancer death rates are predicted to decrease by 28%, bowel cancer should drop by 23% and prostate cancer by 16%. However the largest decrease appears to be ovarian cancer, which is forecast to nosedive by an impressive 42.6%.

Interestingly, some cancers could increase by mortality rates. Liver cancer appears to look to be the worst, with death rates expected to rise by 39%. That means there is an incidence increase from 4.2 to 5.9 per 100,000 people. Next is oral cancer, which may rise by 22%.  This is an incidence rise from 2.9 to 3.5 per 100,000 people.

Professor Peter Sasieni, Cancer Research UK epidemiologist at Queen Mary, University of London, spoke on the forecasts for 2030 and said, “Our latest estimations show that for many cancers, adjusting for age, death rates are set to fall dramatically in the coming decades. And what’s really encouraging is that the biggest cancer killers, lung, breast, bowel, and prostate, are part of this falling trend. Because old age is the biggest risk factor for cancer and more people are living longer, they have a greater chance of developing and, unfortunately, dying from the disease. But overall the proportion, or rate, of those who die from cancer is falling.”

Adding to Professor Sasieni’s comments was Dr Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, who said, “These new figures are encouraging and highlight the huge progress we’re making. Research across many areas is having real impact. But we know there’s still so much more to do if we are to reach a day when no one dies prematurely from cancer. We continue to rely on the publics’ generosity to drive progress. This helps us turn discoveries made in our science labs into new treatments and to carry out clinical trials to find the best ways to treat patients. There are more exciting opportunities now to make a step-change than at any other time in history and we must grasp these.”