Cancer charity discuss Erectile Dysfunction risk after prostate cancer

The UK-based charity Macmillan Cancer Support have spoken on an already long-established subject and one which Medical Specialists Pharmacy have already covered several times – the relationship between prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction (ED).

Prostate cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system and if left untreated it can kill – claiming roughly 10,000 lives every year in the UK alone.

ED (male impotence) is a common condition whereby a man struggled to achieve or maintain an erection satisfactory for sex and is believed to affect around four in 10 males over the age of 40.

Unfortunately, it is a typical inadvertent side effect not from the cancer itself, but from the resulting treatment methods for prostate cancer such as surgical removal of the entire prostate gland, radiotherapy (external via an external-beam or radioactive seed implants) and hormone therapy.

According to Macmillan, there are around 160,000 men in the UK who are currently being treated for prostate cancer that also suffer from ED, and many patients state as they underwent their cancer treatment it became difficult or even impossible to maintain their erection. In fact, Macmillan Cancer Support officials claim that two out of every three prostate cancer patients complain that their treatment has left them unable to get an erection. Rising cancer rates mean that by the year 2030, the number of cases of ED from such treatment could potentially double.

Professor Jane Maher, chief medical officer of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “These figures highlight a major issue facing prostate cancer patients after treatment. The sheer volume of men affected shows the need for careful discussions before treatment. Many can be helped through early intervention and better support for men living with or beyond prostate cancer. Macmillan has worked closely with the NHS to develop a number of services to support cancer survivors after treatment. Some are already in place, but it is vital these services are implemented across the UK so men are not left isolated with this issue.”

To help these particular men, Macmillan now want a framework in place for the creation of a psychological support network in addition to specialised nurses –  trained to assist in issues related to ED. The charity also stress that there should be a higher number of physiotherapists being offered to patients.

Coincidentally, it was only a few months ago when a study emerged that suggested the ED medication Viagra could help sexual function for prostate cancer patients, with a daily dose of 50mg sildenafil citrate (Viagra’s active ingredient) being found to have ‘improved overall sexual function, including improved erectile function’ according to its lead author Dr Michael Zelefsky, vice chair for clinical research programs in the department of radiation oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s Cancer Center.

Dr. Daria Bonanno, a consulting clinical psychologist funded by Macmillan, commented on possible reasons why so many men who suffer with impotence problems still refuse to reach out for help, saying: “For many men with prostate cancer there is a certain stigma attached to talking about erectile dysfunction. Many may feel a sense of loss of masculinity and sadness around the inability to sustain an erection and will be reluctant to seek support. This can often cause them to emotionally isolate themselves from their partners and could make the issues worse.”

Hair removal could increase risk of skin infections

Waxing, shaving and other methods of hair removal around the pubic area could result in ‘micro-trauma’ and be linked to the rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) seen in recent years, according to the findings of a new French study.

The researchers who carried out the study focused their attentions to 30 patients who had visited a private skin clinic in Nice, France, between January 2011 and March 2012. All were determined to be suffering from a poxvirus called molluscum contagiosum – a common and highly contagious viral infection of the skin that causes red, itchy spots on the skin.

It can be transmitted from contact of the skin or through contact of a contaminated object such as a flannel or towel. ‘At risk’ groups include young children, those with many sexual partners and people who have a diminished immune system because of HIV or AIDS.

‘Contact of the skin’ is usually through sex and the researchers realised that the number of STIs increases almost annually, with conditions such as chlamydia, herpes and gonorrhoea are rife – partly because of a careless failure to use condoms.

From the 30 patients who had molluscum contagiosum during the fourteen month time period, 24 were men, with an average age of 29.5 for the whole group.

There were other connected skin problems in ten instances which included warts, ingrown hairs and folliculitis – an inflammation in one or more hair follicles, cysts and scars.

Interestingly, in all cases except just two, the patients had undergone pubic hair removal. There were 20 instances of shaving, five were clipped and three waxed. In addition, the warts had managed to spread to the abdomen region in four cases and to the thighs in one case.

Writing in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, they warned: “Hair removal (especially shaving) could favour its acquisition, propagation and transmission by micro-traumatisms.”

They also added that it was ‘unclear’ for the exact reasons behind a surge in preference for pubic hair removal but suggested it could be ‘linked to internet-based pornography’.

The authors continued: “Another reason cited is an increased sexual sensation. There may also be psychological reasons, as an unconscious desire to simulate an infantile look or a desire to distance ourselves from our animal nature.”

30-stone woman demands taxpayer-funded gastric op

A woman who weighs 30-stone and ironically married to a qualified fitness instructor, has demanded gastric surgery on the NHS after claiming she is too big to work and cannot lose the weight.

Wendy Phillips, a 46-year old mother-of-three from Barnstaple, Devon, is currently a size 36 and says her large frame has induced back problems that have forced her to quit her job at a care home.

Her 5ft 2in height and 30-stone weight means that Wendy’s Body Mass Index (BMI) is an incredible 76.8. A BMI reading of between 30 and 40 is deemed obese and anything over 40 is described as ‘very obese’ – posing life-threatening health risks such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and many more. A ‘healthy’ BMI range is between 18 and 25, which further highlights the seriousness of the situation.

She complains she cannot shed the weight by herself and says she needs a £15,000 gastric op – which will ultimately come out of taxpayer’s pockets. This is on top of the £30,000 that she has already claimed over the previous five years from sickness benefits.

Wendy reached her current weight after leading a poor diet for 20 years that primarily comprised of junk food. The NHS unfortunately has rejected her pleas for a weight loss operation and understandably wants concrete evidence she will change her lifestyle indefinitely.

Wendy’s husband Sean is now a nurse, but still goes to the gym three times a week and even completed a marathon last year. It seems his guidance has not had any effect.

She says: “Sean’s advised me about nutrition and exercise, but I don’t have as much willpower as him. I’m sensitive about my weight so he doesn’t push me”, adding it is ‘unfair’ she has been denied a gastric op because she hasn’t proved she is willing to alter her lifestyle. She added: “I know I’ve been stupid – now I’m too fat to work. I was greedy and ate too many sausage rolls. But it’s too late for me to help myself now. I try to diet, but exercise is painful. I worked and paid my taxes for 20 years, so I didn’t expect the NHS to shut the door in my face. If they don’t help me, I’ll die. Taxpayers see fat people as a burden, but alcoholics get help. I’m being treated unfairly.”

Before falling pregnant at the age of 21 to a different partner, Wendy was already a size 16 and subsequently gained six stone through her pregnancy – reaching a size 24 and weighing 19-stone.

She comments: “I’d eat a cheese sandwich for brunch with a packet of crisps, and have a steak and kidney pie with mash for dinner. I’d snack on a large wedge of cheese. I thought it was OK because I was eating for two.”

Reminiscing on meeting her current husband Sean, she says: “He was so fit – 6ft 4 and 16-stone – and worked out every day, but he told me he’d weighed 25-stone before losing 9-stone. He didn’t judge me – he just liked me for me.”

Incredibly though, Wendy has only ever attempted to stick to a diet once – for her wedding. Proving that weight loss can be achieved with the correct lifestyle, Wendy lost three stone to be able to fit into her wedding dress.  Old habits were resumed though and Wendy’s battle with her weight continued.

She says: “I lost 3st by cutting down on carbs and going for walks but despite dropping to 22st and my back pain improving, I was 28st again within a year. Sean was disappointed, but accepted I didn’t have the willpower. People would look at me disapprovingly in the street, but Sean told me to ignore them. I’m ashamed I haven’t been able to work and I’ve claimed so much in benefits. I wish I could stick to diets, but some people just don’t have self- control – it’s not our fault.”

Even though Wendy seems certain that weight loss surgery is the only option, GP Dr. Sarah Jarvis says: “If Wendy stuck to a healthy diet she could lose weight – surgery isn’t her only option. Patients who are unable to lose weight prior to gastric surgery will be less successful afterwards anyway.” In addition, there are numerous potential dangers of gastric surgery that Wendy should consider first.

Incoherent text messages could signify a stroke

U.S. Doctors claim that asking patients to type out a simple text message may prove vital in helping to diagnose a stroke, which can sometimes be difficult to do.

Even if possible stroke victims are not showing typical signs of actually having a stroke – such as speech impairment – if the person has difficulty constructing a  basic text message or types incoherently with jargon, this may still help to raise the alarm.

The claims were made after researchers at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, U.S., reported the case of a 40-year-old man who they believe to be having a stroke and showed clear signs of ‘dystextia’ – incoherent text messaging.

This particular patient was assessed for the common symptoms of a stroke. These include:

. Facial ‘drooping’ on one side.
. Being physically unable to smile or the mouth and an eye may have drooped.
. Weakness in one or both arms – usually the person is unable to lift the affected arm(s).
. Speech may be slurred, or there may be a complete inability to talk at all.

Hospital staff saw no problems at a routine bedside test and the man was still fully able to speak, write and read. His comprehension and other factors were also found to be at a normal level.

Despite this, the man was unable to correctly text a full sentence when requested, in addition to not be able to understand the mistakes he had made in his text messages.  Doctors asked the man to type the message: ‘The doctor needs a new Blackberry’ and instead, he texted: ‘The Doctor nddds a new bb’, and believed he had typed it out correctly when asked.

The patient featured in the Henry Ford report had demonstrated similar problems prior to even going to the hospital. His wife commented that texts she received were ‘disjointed, non-fluent, and incomprehensible.’

They had said: ‘Oh baby your;’ followed by: ‘I am happy.’ After two minutes he again text his wife, this time saying: ‘I am out of it, just woke up, can’t make sense, I can’t even type, call if ur awake, love you.’

Therefore, after the text message testing, it quickly became apparently his problems were having difficulty registering language in text format. The doctors also found that he only had slight facial asymmetry and no other visible neurological problems.

However, the doctors were successfully able to diagnose the man as having suffered an acute ischemic stroke. An ischemic stroke occurs after the blood supply to the brain has been decreased or cuts off due to a number of reasons such as embolism, thrombosis, systemic hypoperfusion and venous thrombosis. The victim can be left paralysed, with speech problems and sometimes the stroke can be more fatal.

In the future, requiring patients to undergo text message testing could be a key role in diagnosing a stroke. Dr Omran Kaskar, a neurologist at Henry Ford Hospital and lead author of the research, comments: “Text messaging is a common form of communication with more than 75 billion texts sent each month. Besides the time-honoured tests we use to determine aphasia in diagnosing stroke, checking for dystextia may well become a vital tool in making such a determination. Because text messages are always time-stamped when they’re sent, they may also help establish when the stroke symptoms were at least present or even when they began.”

Active children may have better memory during adulthood

Parents who attempt to persuade their children to switch off the games console and play outside may not find it effective explaining that this could help to keep their brains functioning better when they are elderly. Cognitive decline, dementia or memory loss are not phrases likely to register with children, but keeping them active at a young age and maintaining exercise throughout adulthood can have a major impact on brain function in later life, according to scientists at King’s College, London.

All adults will experience some degree of mental degradation as they get older, but the scientists at London claim that regular exercise started early and continued through life could help to protect our brains, and not just our waistlines and heart. They say that going to the gym, jogging, playing sport, or even walking the dog can have benefits for years to come. In fact, their study results suggest that there is improved brain function at the age of 50 following exercise done on a less frequent basis.

Over 9,000 individuals aged 11 were assessed for the 40-year study, which was comprised of information obtained from interviews with the participants at the ages of 11, 16, 33, 42, 46, and 50 in order to ascertain their level of exercise, if any. They also had to undergo memory, attention and learning tests to see if there was any correlation between exercise and cognitive decline. The study has been published in the journal Psychological Medicine and is one of the first extended investigations of the impact of exercise on the brain.

Brain function was established after results were entered into a ‘cognitive index’. For the memory task, the subjects had to memorise ten unrelated words before immediate and delayed recall was tested. ‘Executive function’ was determined by them having to list as many animals as they could within one minute.

Researchers discovered that the people exercised every week both during child and adulthood actually scored higher on tests of attention, learning memory and reasoning at the age of 50 compared to those who had merely exercised just two or three times each month, or less.
Current guidelines recommend adults aged 19-64 to engage in 150 minutes’ of exercise each week at the very least and the King’s College study suggests that even a little exercise may still help to increase brain function.

Dr. Alex Dregan, lecturer in translational epidemiology and public health, who led the project, says: “As exercise represents a key component of lifestyle changes to prevent cognitive decline, heart disease, diabetes and cancer…interventions to promote lifelong exercise have the potential to reduce the personal and social burden associated with these conditions in later years. It’s widely acknowledged that a healthy body equals a healthy mind. However, not everyone is willing or able to take part in the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity a week. For these people any level of physical activity may benefit their mental wellbeing in the long-term. Setting lower exercise targets at the beginning and gradually increasing their frequency and intensity could be a more 
effective method for improving levels of exercise in the wider population.”

Adding to Dr. Dregan’s conclusion was Dr. Ian Campbell, a GP and founder of the National Obesity Forum. He commented: “Although ideally a child gets to love exercise and feel the benefits from very young, taking up regular exercise at any age is beneficial to the brain. Yes, 30 minutes five times a week is the ideal, but any regular activity will improve mental function, and reduce the risk of further mental decline. There’s already a lot of evidence that exercise reduces anxiety and depression levels, as well as improving perceptions of the quality of life. People who feel more positive suffer fewer illnesses, less 
stiffness in their joints and a whole host of other benefits. And once you start to feel this mood enhancement the more you feel like doing it.”

Millions of smokers urged to quit for No Smoking Day

An event that ‘unofficially’ first began thirty years ago is still going strong today as national No Smoking Day is upon us, with an estimated 750,000 smokers using the day as a springboard to a much healthier, tobacco-free future.  No Smoking Day is being supported by the UK charity WeQuit and the British Heart Foundation.

‘Don’t Smoke Day’, as it was first referred to back in 1983 by media, was the brainchild of a retired hospital administrator named Tom Hurst who penned a letter to the Minister for Health, requesting such a day. Hurst was fully aware of the potentially-fatal effects of smoking and believed it was necessary for parliament to implement a day that raised awareness of the issue.

Unfortunately for Hurst, the reply he received back was less than encouraging; “The Minister feels he is unable to support campaigns which might mislead the public into assuming that a causal relationship between tobacco smoking and cancer had been definitely proved.”

Of course, the Minister’s replied has been shown to be nonsense in the subsequent thirty years and it seems that more studies emerge on a daily basis that clearly demonstrate  how dangerous smoking is, being linked to many terminal cancers in addition to other serious health conditions such as multi-generational asthma, sudden cardiac death, osteoporosis and many more.

Realising that many smokers are still ignorant to the damage they are doing to their bodies and turning a blind eye to it, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have taken advantage of the yearly format to alternate the theme of the day, instead focusing on where else cigarettes can impact smokers – their pockets.

Therefore, those who want to quit smoking are being encouraged to ‘Swap Fags for Swag’. The BHF have even listed the staggering amount of money that can be saved over the duration of a year by giving up, in addition to other more appealing things that the cash can be spent on.
They say the financial gains of stopping smoking are:

1 day (£7): Two movie rentals or a new lipstick.
1 week (£49): A family cinema trip or a meal for two.
1 month (£210): A shopping spree or premiership football tickets.
3 months (£630): A new laptop or the latest flat screen TV.
6 months (£1,260): A leather suite or a home cinema.
1 year (£2,555): A new kitchen or a holiday of a lifetime.

A main reason why the British Heart Foundation are involved in No Smoking Day is because smoking doubles a person’s risk of heart attack and a report they have recently conducted has found that an incredible 82% of smokers have at some point attempted to kick the habit and not succeeded.
In total, 2010 smokers were surveyed and over one in ten commented they were ‘desperate’ to stop smoking. Moreover, 40% had tried to quit between four and 21 times.

Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director for the BHF, said: “Every year more than 100,000 smokers die because of their addiction. This addiction can be incredibly hard to break and we hear time and again of smokers who are absolutely desperate to quit, they just don’t know where to start. The report reveals that a quarter of smokers are more motivated to give up for financial reasons rather than to benefit their health. The downward trend in smoking rates has plateaued in recent years, proving we need to renew our efforts to help our ‘final fifth’ quit. Often these are long-term smokers, or people surrounded by family, friends and colleagues who smoke. They’re harder to reach, and they’ll probably find it hard to quit. That’s why we all need to reinvigorate our efforts to help smokers and UK governments are part of the mix. We need investment in local stop smoking services and measures such as standardised packaging to help protect our children from the fatal addiction so many people are currently battling with.”

Medical Specialists Pharmacy is able to help you quit smoking with the aid of the smoking cessation medication Champix, meaning you will both protect your health and save huge amounts of money in the future as the government continually raise tobacco prices.

Champix mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on the treatment. The medication equates to just £75.00 per pack – inexpensive in comparison to the approximate £2,555 you can save by quitting smoking!

Healthier people should receive priority healthcare, says think-tank

A think-tank organisation yesterday spoke of their belief that patients who adhere to a healthy lifestyle that is low in dietary fat and engage in regularly exercise should be placed at the top of NHS waiting lists for operations.

Perhaps controversially, the think-tank Demos have stated that people should have the ability to prove they are living a healthy life via supermarket receipts and gym membership forms and therefore have access to priority NHS treatment. Their ideas could also involve moving up professional patients higher up the queue when booking a GP appointment for a non-emergency issue.

In their somewhat contestable report that was published yesterday, a wide range of recommendations are given that seem to urge the British public in to taking responsibility for their own health and wellbeing – instead of purely punishing the ‘lazy’ people consistently who consumed a poor diet. The report was constructed after liaising with experts, policy makers and politicians.

Another recommendation from Demos is that those patients who receive benefits should be rewarded with more money if they are exercising and eating a balanced diet with more fruit and vegetables. Demos want supermarkets to provide feedback on shopping baskets, making shoppers aware of the benefits of fruit and vegetables as well as the dangers of alcohol and saturated fats.

The think-tank argue that the current system needs addressing as patients who leading an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle are at a much higher chance of requiring the already dwindling resources and funds available to the NHS.

In addition, Demos are trying to coax ministers into exploring the schemes offered by many insurance companies whereby there are incentives to those customers with healthier lifestyles such as reduced rates on gym memberships.  Demos comment: “There is scope for the NHS to provide its non-emergency services in a way that takes account of responsible behaviour.”

The report’s author, Max Wind-Cowie, said: “Obesity, type two diabetes, smoking and the overconsumption of alcohol are things which cost the NHS, which is a pooled resource we all share, huge amounts of money, as well as actually making people’s lives unhappy and reducing their living standards. So we’re arguing that people who take the option of sharing their Tesco club card information, their gym information, with their doctor – it’s up to them whether they want to share it or not – and then allow their doctor to monitor that, we would empower doctors to reward people in a variety of ways.”

As with many disputable ideas put forth by think-tanks such as Demos, there are oppositions to the suggestions who believe there are better methods of tackling such issues, in this case the spiralling obesity crisis in the UK. Katherine Murphy, the chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “Proactive investment in prevention, public campaigns and health literacy can deliver change more constructively than punitive sanctions.”

Although it could be a nice prospect the thought of being rewarded simply for leading a healthy life, not many people will probably enjoy the idea of their private shopping habits being transmitted to the government.

The responsibility of the public to ensure their health is properly maintained is a topic bound to cause divisions. However, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing a disease or health problem such as quitting smoking, engaging in regular exercise and eating a balanced diet.