50 per cent increase of women attending GP’s with breast cancer symptoms

Recent reports in the press have suggested a 50 per cent increase in the number of women consulting their GP’s with breast cancer symptoms. breast-cancer-awareness-campaign-hailed-as-success.20546607 The ISD (Information Services Division) in Scotland have produced a report 2013-03-26-GP-Breast-Symptoms-Summary on GP consultations for the three months from September to November 2012. Whilst the actual figures are not accurate i.e. [...] Read more »

Euro Parliament wants action on EDCs to protect health

On 14 March 2013, the European Parliament voted to pass the Westlund report on the protection of public health from Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC’s), which are known to be one of the risk factors for breast cancer. The report is the strongest expression of Parliament’s position on EDCs in quite a while. While it is a non-legislative [...] Read more »

Research from NEJM concludes increased risk of heart disease from radiotherapy

14 March 2013 – A paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that “Exposure of the heart to ionizing radiation during radiotherapy for breast cancer increases the subsequent rate of ischemic heart disease. The increase is proportional to the mean dose to the heart, begins within a few years after exposure, and continues for at least [...] Read more »

Scotland on Sunday report on screening leaflet

http://www.scotsman.com/scotland-on-sunday/scotland/nhs-changes-advice-on-breast-cancer-amid-concerns-of-unnecessary-medical-treatment-1-2502019 . SBCC (now known as Challenge Breast Cancer Scotland) has once more entered into the debate about the need for women to make an informed choice about screening. The Invitation to Screening Leaflet is currently being reviewed and we have fed our comments into this review. The new leaflet is due to be published within [...] Read more »

SBCC comments on the “overselling of mammography”

An article published today (3 August) in the British Medical Journal accuses a leading breast cancer charity in the USA of  “overselling mammography” http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e5132. SBCC has commented in today’s Herald that here in Scotland, the NHS could be accused of the same thing. The screening leaflet, which was rewritten 18 months ago and is being revised [...] Read more »

SNP Conference

As part of our Campaign to reach out to politicians, we attended the SNP Spring Conference this weekend (10/11 March) at the SECC in Glasgow. We had a stall in the main hall where we spoke with quite of few delegates/councillors/MSP’s. Yesterday, we had a lunchtime Fringe event where we did a presentation entitled “A Greener Shade [...] Read more »

PIP Implants

NHS Scotland has updated the NHS Inform website to include information and advice on PIP Implants. The Scottish Government have no records of PIP implants being used by the NHS. However, if you have concerns, please check out the NHS Inform page at  http://www.nhsinform.co.uk/Press Read more »

Details of Breast Screening Review released

Details of the forthcoming Breast Cancer Screening Review, which is being conducted in England, can be found on CRUK’s site at http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/publicpolicy/ourpolicypositions/symptom_Awareness/cancer_screening/breast-screening-review/ The panel has been carefully chosen to avoid bias – but, interestingly, no women on the panel. Are there no female statisticians in the UK?    Read more »