RR856 - The burden of occupational cancer in Great Britain - Leukaemia

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A new study into the connection between occupations and the link with various forms of Leukaemia has been published by the HSE.

HSE About HSE HSE's work Science, engineering and research Resources Research report series Research reports 801-900 RR856 - The burden of occupational cancer in Great Britain - Leukaemia RR856 - The burden of occupational cancer in Great Britain - Leukaemia


The aim of this project was to produce an updated estimate of the current burden of cancer for Great Britain resulting from occupational exposure to carcinogenic agents or exposure circumstances. The primary measure of the burden of cancer was the attributable fraction (AF) being the proportion of cases that would not have occurred in the absence of exposure; and the AF was used to estimate the number of attributable deaths and registrations. The study involved obtaining data on the risk of the cancer due to the exposure of interest, taking into account confounding factors and overlapping exposures, as well as the proportion of the target population exposed over the relevant exposure period. Only carcinogenic agents, or exposure circumstances, classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as definite (Group 1) or probable (Group 2A) human carcinogens were considered. Here, we present estimates for leukaemia that have been derived using incidence data for calendar year 2004, and mortality data for calendar year 2005.



The estimated total (male and female) AF, deaths and registrations for leukaemia related to overall occupational exposure is 0.74% (95% Confidence Interval (CI)= 0-3.86), which equates to 23 (95%CI= 5-120) attributable deaths and 38 (95%CI= 8-198) attributable registrations.



This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.



Full report [1]

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Could your child's milk tooth save them from leukaemia ?

Is your child about to lose their milk tooth? Instead of throwing it away, you can now opt to use it to harvest stem cells in a dental stem cell bank for future use in the face of serious ailments. Now that's a tooth fairy story coming to life!.

Dental stem cell banking is fast gaining popularity as a more viable option over umbilical cord blood banking.Stem cell therapy involves a kind of intervention strategy in which healthy, new cells are introduced into a damaged tissue to treat a disease or an injury.

"The umbilical cord is a good source for blood-related cells, or hemaotopoietic cells, which can be used for blood-related diseases, like leukaemia (blood cancer). Having said that, blood-related disorders constitute only four percent of all diseases," Shailesh Gadre, founder and managing director of the company Stemade Biotech, said.

Read more: Your Child's Milk Tooth Can Save Her From Leukaemia http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/dental-care-articles/your-childs-milk-tooth-can-save-her-leukaemia-980286.html#ixzz1yBEUvYA6

Annual Blood Test Today...

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Yes its that time again when i have my annual blood test and a chat with Tim my consultant.
Apart from feeling a little more tired than usual i cant say as i feel any worse ( or better!) than normal.
Anyway  fingers crossed that my demon is still dormant!. :-).

Before you buy a Skoda read this.

My 2006 (56) Skoda Roomster 1.9 tdi (5 and a half years old with 49000 miles) has just been to the garage that supplied it new in October 2006 due to having warning lights on the dash and i have been told i have to possibly pay £1100 for a new engine wiring loom which has failed due to water ingress!.
Correct me if i am being a little naive but except for me having driven the car into a river/lake or having been involved in some sort of flooding disaster....should  a car really suffer such an expensive failure at such a young age?

Skoda....Simply don't give a shit!

"Would you recommend Skoda to a friend?".....No....because i would like to keep them!

Parents of RAF man Nigel who died of Leukaemia hit by £30'000 tax bill

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As a 46 year old an Ex RAF Rigger currently living with Leukaemia (which i suspect may have possibly been triggered by exposure to dangerous materials during my service), this story, please excuse the pun, "makes my blood boil"!

THE family of an RAF man who died after contracting leukaemia while serving in the Gulf War are calling for changes to legislation which forced them to hand over more than £30,000 in taxes after his death.

Delyn MP David Hanson raised the case of Sgt Nigel Thomas (L tech AD), who served with the RAF from 1980 to 2004, in a House of Commons debate on Tuesday.

Sgt Thomas, whose parents, Mr and Mrs Davies, live in Mold, was exposed to radiation after an accident while he was serving in Cyprus during the Gulf War in the early 1990s.

Nigel, who was awarded the Gulf Medal for his service during the war, was diagnosed with myeloid leukaemia in 1992 and, after suffering from the illness for 18 years, died in 2010 aged 46.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Hanson said funeral costs had been met by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency but when the family had applied for exemption of inheritance tax, which is usually granted to members of the forces who have died due to injuries or diseases contracted during active service, they were refused.

He said: “As a result of that decision, that letter meant the family were liable for an inheritance tax bill of £33,011. This includes, incidentally, £9.22 interest for late payment.

“The sticking point seems to be that the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency has determined that ‘his condition was not sustained by service of a war-like nature’.”

Mr Hanson added: “It is beyond dispute that Mr Thomas died of a condition contracted while serving his country at the time of the Gulf War. I would ask the minister to look at this legislation once again, so that other families do not fall foul of this legislation.

“We should be doing everything we can to support families who have lost a loved one as a result of their active service, protecting our shores.”

Armed Forces Minister Andrew Robathan said he would look again at both the case of Sgt Thomas and the relevant law, and pledged to ‘go the extra mile’ for the family.

He accepted Sgt Thomas was operating in a role in support of Gulf War operations, but said: “From his service record, however, it is evident that during that time he did not undertake deployed service in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Iraq, or come into direct contact with Iraqi forces.

“As such, my officials were unable to recommend that his estate be considered for exemption from inheritance tax, as the criteria defined under section 154 of the Act had not been met.”

may I take this opportunity to pass on my condolences to Nigel's parents.

Bloody tax office. Money grabbers with no damn soul!. Inheritance tax is an insult to anyone not just Nigel's parents. You work your backside off during your life time whilst other "parasites" spend their entire working lives living off of handouts...then you get a final bill for your efforts......it's a disgrace to hard working people!

What causes Leukaemia?

Here is a link to an article about possible causes of Leukaemia.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142595.php?sv=d

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Prognosis For Patients With CLL May Be Predicted By New Biomarker'

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Researchers at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine have shown that G protein-coupled receptor expression may predict the prognosis of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Their findings may identify new ways to treat such patients. The UCSD researchers, led by Paul A. Insel, M.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine, present their findings at Experimental Biology 2012.

A clinical problem for many diseases, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) the most common form of leukemia in adults, is the lack of tests or biomarkers that can predict its prognosis. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 16,060 new cases of CLL and nearly 4,580 deaths from CLL will occur in 2012. CLL is characterized by an increased accumulation of certain types of malignant while blood cells in the blood stream and is classified as two types: aggressive, which requires immediate treatment; or indolent, which is slow growing and does not require treatment.

Certain tests exist to help predict which type of CLL a patient may have, but the availability and usefulness of such tests are limited. Using white blood cells obtained from patients with indolent or aggressive CLL as well as from healthy individuals, the researchers identified a number of specific G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are uniquely expressed in patients with two different forms of the disease.

GPCRs are a large family of protein receptors that sense molecules outside of cells and alter pathways and responses within cells. "The expression of particular GPCRs is disease stage-specific, and thus this profile, or perhaps individual GPCRs, are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CLL," said Insel. "GPCRs are attractive targets since they are expressed on the cell surface and vary in their expression in different tissues."

The researchers found that the expression of one GPCR, the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide receptor 1 (VIPR1), increased more than 700-fold in aggressive CLL compared to its expression in patients with indolent CLL. In addition, treating the leukemic cells with VIP, which activates VIPR1, induced their death.

"We find that the expression of specific GPCRs appears to a play a role in prognosis of CLL," said Dr. Insel. "Thus, such GPCRs may also provide new ways to treat the disease, since they reflect part of its underlying biology and pathology. We are undertaking other studies to determine if particular patterns of GPCR expression and perhaps that of uniquely expressed GPCRs characterize other cancers and other diseases."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/244539.php

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CT scans on children could increase risk of Cancer.

CT scans 'can raise cancer risk'

Girl " self diagnosed" Leukaemia.

A teenage girl who thought she was just lazy has overcome leukaemia after recognising her lethargic symptoms in a character in a Cameron Diaz film.

Alex Cooper, 17, was stunned after she noticed she was suffering the same symptoms as a character dying from cancer while watching the film 'My Sister's Keeper'.

The film is about a young girl who is brought into the world to be a genetic match for her older sister, who suffers from acute promyelocytic leukaemia.

Alex had been suffering fatigue, numerous headaches, her stomach had swollen and she noticed bruises appearing all over her body.

She had originally put her symptoms down to being a "lazy teenager" and didn't tell anyone because she was worried about "making a fuss".

But thanks to the information in the film the academically-gifted teenager, who is aiming to study at Cambridge, finally realised she needed to see a specialist.

Alex, of Bredgar, Kent, went to see her GP in October 2010 and was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) three days later and immediately began a gruelling course of chemotherapy.

Medics have now told Alex she is in remission after two years of taking powerful chemotherapy drug Dasatinib - and her condition is now manageable.

But amazingly, Alex yesterday admitted she may never have caught the cancer in time if she hadn't sat down to watch the movie.

Alex said: "It was one of those surreal moments in life.

"I was watching the film and all of a sudden I realised I had the same symptoms.

"It was terrifying at first but I started to rationalise it and thought - I can't really be suffering from cancer.

"But I eventually went to my doctor and he sent for blood test straight away.

"When I was first told about the cancer I was in shock I thought it was the end.

"I just thought I am going to lose all my hair and just keep getting more and more ill.

"I suppose if it wasn't for the film I may not have got my diagnosis in time.

"When you watch something on screen it makes everything much more real.

"I guess I am just really lucky to have watched it.

"However, I can't bring myself to see it again it is too upsetting - I have hidden it under my bed."

Alex sat down to watch the film to enjoy a "girly evening" on her own.

Three weeks later she went to see her GP who instantly spotted the warning signs and sent her for blood tests.

Medics found she had a white blood cell count of 490,000 while the average is just 4,000 and immediately diagnosed her with Leukaemia.

But she was told her chances of survival were much higher, thanks to spotting it early.

Left untreated her health would have rapidly deteriorated and she could have died in less than a year.

Only 600 people a year are diagnosed with CML and it is extremely rare in teenagers and children - particularly in girls.

It causes an unusual amount of a white blood cell call granulocyte to form in the blood and over time the cells collect in the spleen causing it to enlarge.

They then form in the bone marrow reducing the number of normal white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets that are made.

Alex, who lives with her dad Ben, 41, a carpenter, step mum Em, 39, a freelance photographer and younger brother Toby, six, is currently in her first year of A-levels studying English, Maths, Art and Psychology.

She plans to go onto University and continue in her loving relationship with boyfriend Zac Evans, 18, who she has been dating for a year and a half.

Alex added: "I just try to get on with my life -there is no point on dwelling on the cancer or wallowing in pity.

"I can now go out with my friends and do the things a normal teenager does.

"My boyfriend is great, we don't really talk about it but I know if I ever needed to he would be there for me.

"I just hope to live a normal life and look forward to the future."

Alex has joined forces with pal Nancy Devine, 14, who also suffers from cancer and the pair are fundraising for the Royal Marsden Hospital,

Sarah Jacobs Leukaemia Scam

"Dear Beloved,Greetings; I am Mrs. Sarah Jacobs a widow, suffering from long time cancer of the blood (Leukaemia) According to my doctor my condition is critical and I might not survive it. Presently I was admitted here in the Hospital were I am taken treatment, Meanwhile I inherited from my late husband the sum of ($2.8 Million Dollars) my late Husband desire when he was alive is to use the fund for the Work of God, and right now I am in a very critical condition and might not survive it, I also did not have any child that will inherit the fund, and that is why I have come in contact with you.Please if in your heart you genuinely and faithfully desire-to use this fund for the propagation of God work in any form whether for charity, ministry evangelical work, building a Clinic, Church or Mosque, schools, orphanage home and drilling of water for local community, helping widows and les-privileges, then contact me back as my health condition could not allow me to do it myself.I am taking this decision because I did not have any child that will inherit the fund in case anything happen to me during my up-coming operation as being prescribed by my Doctor, so it is an open door for you to assist me accomplish this to the glory of God, I shall look forward to hear from you with sincerity and of good faith.Yours faithfully,Mrs. Sarah J.W. Jacobs."

There is a special extra nasty dark place set aside in Hell for the people who post this sick cynical filth.

Anyway, this email is a scam. Only email the sender if you know what you are doing, if you do start baiting the scam remember to use Gmail to mask your IP address.