Category: Prevention

Preventing Ovarian Cancer: Living With Consequences

Key Takeaways:
  • Lynch syndrome can necessitate early oophorectomy, leading to abrupt surgical menopause and significant health impacts due to sudden estrogen loss.
  • Estrogen plays a crucial role in protecting bones, joints, brain, heart, and emotional well-being, with its absence exacerbating conditions like osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease.
  • The narrative calls for broader menopause discussions, including the experiences of women undergoing early surgical menopause, and emphasizes the need for more research and nuanced care.
  • The author stresses the importance of managing chronic conditions and mental health post-surgery, advocating for better support and understanding for women facing similar challenges.

https://www.curetoday.com/view/preventing-ovarian-cancer-living-with-consequences?fbclid=IwY2xjawLxciJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETB6S0xyT01CVGNNS3pubzNoAR55anv9w480ijD0-9z9uyhoKUcimZWF2FOXBw3KaopIo4QZXQ7C83om8K4goQ_aem_ApoJirQV0HbAzrqG8nUxYA

Cancer Revolution: Science, Innovation and Hope – Aug 15th to Sept 5th (Free Event)

Through seldom and never-before seen objects and stories, cutting edge treatment and research, reflection, film, photography, interactive exhibits and a breadth of personal stories – this exhibition presents the stories of people affected by cancer, together with those who study and treat it. Revealing how researchers, clinicians, policy makers and patients are fuelling progress in a powerful expression of shared hope.

Shaped through collaboration with people living with and impacted by cancer, the exhibition will take visitors on a journey of discovery with scientists, clinicians and people who have been affected by cancer in their own words. Explore everything known so far about what cancer is and what causes it, why scientists are focusing their research on understanding how and why cancer evolves, and what the future of cancer care looks like.

The exhibition reveals how cancer has been treated over the centuries, from high-risk surgeries to the discovery of the first chemotherapy drugs, and the important challenges that remain to be solved.

 National Electronic Health Record (EHR)

EHR will be a digital system that holds a person’s full health and social care information in one place. It will replace paper files and local IT systems by allowing staff to record, update and access all health information in one place.

Access to digital health records has been a long-sought objective in Irish healthcare for many years.

To date(March 25), the Health Service has rolled out a number of electronic health record (EHR) systems in different sites in recent years. These include the National Rehabilitation Hospital, the National Forensic Mental Health Service, St. James Hospital, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, roll-out across the bigger Maternity Hospitals extending EHR coverage to 70% of births nationally by the end of 2025. The National Children’s Hospital EHR deployment will be the most comprehensive EHR deployment in the state when the hospital is commissioned.

Ireland needs one digital health record for every citizen that can be access by health professionals across the service.

To achieve this, the HSE are following a three-step approach: delivering the HSE Health App, developing a National Shared Care Record (NSCR), and regional deployments of enterprise level Electronic Health Record systems that span acute and community healthcare.

HSE has completed the procurement for the National Shared Care Record (NSCR) programme and has now been mobilised, with the contract for building the NSCR technology platform awarded to EY, Better and Kainos.

The NSCR brings together healthcare information from various sources such as hospitals, GP practices, and Community care into a single place, making them available at the point of care and self-care in read only format. By having access to key healthcare information in one place means healthcare professionals will be able to make more informed, safer decisions and to focus more time on direct patient care while patients will be better informed and empowered to manage their own healthcare. 

A phased roll-out of the national shared care record is due to commence in Q4 2025 in the South-East region with University Hospital Waterford. The system will then extend to other regions from 2026 with additional information being added over time.

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2025-03-04/696/

A Beginner’s Guide to Lynch Syndrome

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/managing-lynch-syndrome

Look Back & Track

The latest campaign from Andrex® and Bowel Cancer UK reveals 1 in 4 Brits (24%) won’t look at their poo, despite it being a natural and free health tracker. This partnership aims to change this, encouraging people to be less embarrassed, more in tune with their toilet habits and know what’s normal for them.  

The main symptoms to watch out for when tracking your poo are: bleeding from your bottom or blood in your poo, a change in your pooing habits (you might be going more or less often, or have diarrhoea or constipation that might come and go), losing weight but you’re not sure why or feeling very tired all the time but you’re not sure why, or a pain or lump in your tummy.

Having these symptoms doesn’t always mean you have bowel cancer, but it’s still important to find out what’s causing them. Even if you have just one of these, ask your GP for a simple test you can do at home. 

https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/news-and-blogs/news/look-back-and-track/

Bowel Cancer in Ireland: Event

PATIENTS, BOWELS, BASICS, AND BREAKTHROUGHS

SEPTEMBER 11TH 2025: 3PM-6PM SEPTEMBER 12TH 2025: 10AM-6PM

Oncologist explains the subtle signs of ‘silent killer’ ovarian cancer

Each year in Ireland, over 600 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed and around 400 women die from this type of cancer annually.

There’s still a lot of misconceptions about ovarian cancer, such as women mistakenly believing cervical screening will prevent or detect it – it doesn’t. This is why it’s so important for women to be aware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, and to not ignore them.

Remember the most common symptoms: BEAT, which stands for:

  • Bloating that doesn’t go away
  • Eating and feeling fuller earlier
  • Abdominal or pelvic pain
  • Toilet – changes to your toilet habits that are new (passing urine or bowel issues)

Check out: http://www.ovacare.ie + http://www.thisisgo.ie

https://www.rsvplive.ie/life/health/oncologist-explains-subtle-signs-silent-35541253?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Lynch Syndrome UK (mob App)

A dedicated Lynch Syndrome app for carriers of LS co-developed by LS UK.

Carriers of this condition can often struggle to access timely information advice.

This digital aid can be helpful to participate directly to prevent complications and personalise their health and well-being plans.

“The Last Thing I Expected at This Age”

New Book by Digestive Cancers Europe.

It shares the personal stories of 15 young adults(including Pamela from Ireland) diagnosed with digestive cancer. Many of them faced misdiagnoses simply because of their age.

https://ebooks.digestivecancers.eu/books/nywv/#p=1