Category: Prevention

Medical misogyny and “harrowing” experiences: what are doctors doing to improve outpatient gynaecological procedures?

This is a subject recently explored by a UK parliamentary inquiry.

Reporting its findings in December 2024, the Women and Equalities Committee found that doctors were too often dismissive of symptoms when women presented with reproductive health conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, or heavy menstrual bleeding. The report also singled out the “harrowing experiences” of women in outpatient settings undergoing hysteroscopies and coil fitting as “one of the most troubling aspects of our inquiry.”

The committee learnt that women weren’t always informed about the potential pain that such procedures can induce; nor were they always able to get sufficient pain relief or stop a procedure once it was under way—all practices that, the committee noted, went against medical best practice and guidelines.

https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1234

What to expect from the NHS Bowel Screening Programme for people with Lynch syndrome

If you live with Lynch syndrome, regular bowel screening is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer and catch problems early. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme has produced a clear, plain-English leaflet, Helping You Decide, to walk you through the offer and help you choose what’s right for you.

Why we offer colonoscopies to people with Lynch syndrome

For people with Lynch syndrome, regular screening by having a colonoscopy has been shown to reduce the chance of becoming seriously ill or dying from bowel cancer, as well as reducing the chance of bowel cancer developing in the first place.

This is because screening through a colonoscopy can detect bowel cancer when it is at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be effective. It can also help to find polyps. These are small growths on the lining of the bowel. Polyps are not cancers but may develop into cancers over time. Polyps can be easily removed, which reduces the risk of bowel cancer developing.

Your clinical genetics team will continue to help you manage your other Lynch syndrome needs and risks (such as gynae and skin checks).

https://www.lynch-syndrome-uk.org/post/nhs-bowel-screening-for-people-with-lynch-syndrome-what-to-expect-and-how-to-decide

After Being Declared Cancer-Free

Most people believe that once a person is declared to be cancer-free that all is over.

Long after the doctor has given you this wonderful news, you still think about your journey and wonder if the cancer will come back. But, you keep these thoughts in your mind and live with this sense of fear always lingering in the back of your mind wondering if you just might be one of the very few for whom the cancer will return.

Being realistic, just about every survivor will think about this on occasion. When it comes time for yearly testing, you pray and hope beyond hope that nothing new will be discovered. This is perfectly natural but if you find yourself having these thoughts frequently, it is time to do yourself a favor and seek professional help.

Breast Cancer: After Being Declared Cancer-Free

Making Listening a Core Competency in Healthcare

In practice, listening remains underdeveloped.

Systems reward efficiency, clinicians are pressed for time, and communication is often reduced to extracting the minimum information needed to move forward.

Listening may seem simple, but in practice it is fragile. Systems reward speed, clinicians are pressed for time, and patients quickly learn when their voice is secondary.

For patients, listening is never a “soft skill.” It is the difference between being treated as a case and being recognised as a person. It is the thread that connects trust, safety, and healing.

For patients, listening isn’t an extra. It is the care.

https://open.substack.com/pub/patientvoicecollective/p/making-listening-a-core-competency?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Gene-Specific Detection Rate of Adenomas and Advanced Adenomas in Lynch Syndrome

Colonoscopy is expected to reduce colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence in Lynch syndrome (LS) by detecting and removing adenomas. The existence of gene-specific differences in adenoma detection has been proposed yet remains insufficiently explored. This study aims to elucidate gene-specific adenoma detection rates and their association with post-colonoscopy CRC (PCCRC), which stands as an important issue in LS surveillance.

Conclusions

Carriers of MLH1/MSH2 pathogenic variants are at a higher risk of developing advanced adenomas(AAs) compared with those with MSH6/PMS2mutations, with MSH6 carriers exhibiting an intermediate risk profile. AAs are an independent risk factor for PCCRC. LS patients with AAs should be identified as high risk and undergo enhanced colonoscopy surveillance.

https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(25)00650-X/abstract

World GO Day Planned Activities in Ireland

Map of World GO Day activities

Medical misogyny and “harrowing” experiences: what are doctors doing to improve outpatient gynaecological procedures?

Intrauterine procedures for outpatients, such as hysteroscopy, have attracted negative media and parliamentary attention for being poorly tolerated by some women, causing pain and even trauma.

In this BMJ feature, Adele Waters reports on how doctors are tackling the problem.

https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1234

Occurrence of dMMR/MSI-H tumor during follow-up in Lynch syndrome patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors for metastatic digestive cancer

2015 and 2024: a retrospective analysis of a monocentric prospective cohort study

Highlights

Patients with LS treated with ICIs are at risk of metachronous dMMR/MSI-H cancers (8% of cohort).

The most frequent metachronous(occurring at different times) cancers observed were urothelial cancer and CRC.

Preneoplastic(state or lesion that occurs before the formation of a benign or malignant tumour) colorectal polyps developed in 39% of patients undergoing colonoscopies during follow-up.

Long-term surveillance is critical for LS patients post-ICI treatment.

https://www.esmoopen.com/article/S2059-7029(25)01428-0/fulltext

The Prospective Lynch Syndrome Database (PLSD)

Objective: Compiling existing information on carriers with pathogenic mismatch repair gene variants (path_MMR variants) associated with dominantly inherited cancer.

Aim: Describing associations between the path_MMR variants and cancer in any organ by age, gene and gender, and effects of interventions.

https://www.ehtg.org/plsd.php

Standing Up to Cancer with Lynch Syndrome

Key Takeaways
  • Lynch syndrome significantly increases cancer risk, necessitating vigilant health management through regular screenings and lifestyle choices.
  • Aspirin therapy may reduce colorectal cancer risk in Lynch syndrome patients, though no intervention guarantees complete protection.
  • Sharing experiences and translating medical research into actionable steps empowers others facing hereditary cancer risks.
  • Understanding cancer as a biological reality, not a personal failure, provides perspective and fosters acceptance and resolve.

https://www.curetoday.com/view/standing-up-to-cancer-with-lynch-syndrome