No definitive evidence to support leukaemia cluster claims

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SIR – The article entitled “No leukaemia cluster... that’s just not true!” by Corrina Thomson in last week’s John O’Groat Journal leaves the reader with the distinct impression radioactive discharges and pollution from Dounreay may have contributed to the reported childhood leukaemia cluster in the surrounding area.

While a few may subscribe to this notion, a massive body of scientific evidence suggests otherwise. Indeed, there is a strong probability the observed leukaemia cluster has no relationship, whatsoever, to any operational activity conducted at the facility.
Ms Thomson begins the article by noting the 14th report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) in which it is concluded no evidence exists of an increased risk of leukaemia in under-fives living around UK nuclear plants in the 35-year period between 1969 and 2004.

To read the full article click HERE.

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Leukaemia victim sues Shell over benzene exposure

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ROXANA — Scott Monroe was a 19-year-old naval scholarship student of nuclear engineering when he came down with a potentially lethal blood cancer that he and his lawyers claim is the result of a benzene leak from the refinery near his home.

Now, the disease, the refinery and the leak are the subject of a lawsuit Monroe filed last week in Madison County Circuit Court, naming Shell Oil Co. and BP Products North America as defendants.

To read the full article click HERE

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And now for bit of a laugh :-)

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Oh yes!. Another helping of those epic "Fail" video's that we all love so much. Well, you've gotta have a laugh ain't ya?

Enjoy :-)

Lol....

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A video that needs more views on YouTube!......

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Great Video. I just wish that these sort of presentations got to a wider audience. It's amazing how a rock band can get 100'000 hits in a day on YouTube for singing a song...but a video such as this only gets 37'000 hits in 4 years for trying to save lives...go figure! :-(.

My website: http://www.scirocco2morocco.blogspot.com/

My name is AndY,I am 45 and I have had Leukaemia for 5 years now.....some don't get that long so I try to do what I can to help find a cure.....One day we will :-)

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Annual Blood test today...and all is well :-)

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Today was the day I popped along to the clinic at Kings Mill Hospital to see Mr Tim Moorbey (My consultant) who, after checking on my blood results, doing a weight check and a physical examination, informed me that my CLL is currently behaving itself (yeaahhh!). August 15th 2011 marks 5 years since my diagnosis.

Just wanted to share that bit of good news with you :-)

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Leukaemia discovery could lead to complete remission

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British researchers found a way to destroy stem cells that sustain the potentially fatal blood cancer, in an early study on mice.

The team from King’s College London, funded by Cancer Research UK, learned that suppressing two particular proteins stops the leukaemia stem cells growing.

This could pave the way for better treatment that may enable patients to be in "complete remission". Prof Peter Johnson, the leading charity’s chief clinician, said: “This study builds on previous Cancer Research UK-funded work trying to pinpoint the molecules responsible for driving the development of MLL-related leukaemia stem cells. “Cancer stem cells appear to be more resistant to radiotherapy and chemotherapy than the other leukaemia cells, so understanding how they originate – and how we can kill them – will be a major step in being able to help even more people survive leukaemia in future.”

As many as 28,500 people are diagnosed with leukaemia in Britain every year and about 70 per cent of children and 10 per cent of adults have a type that involves mutations of the MLL gene. Only half of these children survive for two years after receiving standard treatment

To read this story in full click HERE to visit the Telegraph website.

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Mum supports leukaemia charity after losing her son

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WATCHING her baby son die of leukaemia at just 20 months old was a heart-breaking experience a mother hopes to help save others from going through.

Losing baby Conor in 2006 was devastating for Caroline Smith. Now, she is planning a tandem skydive to raise money for a charity which funds research into the causes, prevention and treatment of childhood cancer.

The skydive is two days after what would have been Conor’s seventh birthday.

To read the full story about Carolines challenge click HERE to visit the Grantham Journal page.

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Link identified between chlorine and leukaemia

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Research scientists have discovered a positive link between chlorine in the atmosphere and childhood leukaemia.

In the study published by the International Journal of Environment and Health, Maria do Carmo Freitas of the Technological and Nuclear Institute, in Portugal, and statistician Maria Martinho of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations Headquarters, in the US, found that higher levels of chlorine-containing chemicals in the air can be linked to greater instances of the cancer.Scientists studied atmospheric pollution levels of 22 chemical elements, including chlorine, arsenic, nickel, lead and mercury from the paper-related industry, forest fires, pesticides manufacturing, heavy chemical industry and fossil fuel power stations in Portugal and overlaid those statistics with incidences of childhood leukaemia in the same regions."The significant association found of course does not imply causality," Ms Freitas explained."More research will be needed to confirm causality and if so the underlying mechanisms."

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Wonderland Classic Car Show Southwell May 28th-29th 2011

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Here are just a few pictures that we took on our recent outing to the annual Wonderland Car Show at Southwell Race Course over the weekend of the late May bank holiday.

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May 21st 2011.The end of the world as we know it?

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What the feck is she smiling for? This could ruin my birthday!

I bl**dy hope not!. It's my Birthday on Sunday and an event like the Apocalypse would really ruin it for me.

Anyway, as the barman said in that classic book The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy when he is told by Ford Prefect that the end of the world is about to happen in slightly under 10 minutes....."Oh well, last orders then I suppose".

See you all tomorrow :-)

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Australian comedy legend and Journalist Clive James (71) has CLL Leukaemia.

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I was sorry to hear that Clive James has recently become a member of the CLL Club. It has been reported (widely and repetitively!) by the press that Clive has had the illness for some 15 months now and is currently battling a chest infection/complication related to his Leukaemia.

I have always been a great fan of Clive's and find his dead pan comedy deliveries highly amusing :-).

I hope that Clive is feeling a lot better soon, and that he continues to amuse his fans for many more years to come.

P.S. If you fancy posting a "guest blog" on this Leukaemia Issues site, please drop me a line and I would be very happy to share your thoughts with my readers.

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Leukaemia and your Driving Licence.

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Did you know (I didn't!) that some Leukaemia Patients who hold professional driving licences are required to tell the DVLA about their illness?

Take a look here for more info.....

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Clive James (71) has CLL Leukaemia.

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I was sorry to hear that Clive James has recently become a member of the CLL Club. It is reported (widely and repetitively!) that Clive was diagnosed 15 or so months ago and is currently undergoing treatment for various complications to his illness.

I wish Clive well in his treatment, and would like to invite him, when he is feeling a little better of course, to perhaps contribute to this blog by way of a "guest post". I am sure that many readers would benefit from the input of a real literary genius as apposed to the random rantings and opinions of some bloke in Sleaford :-).

The offer is open Clive. In the meantime I hope you are feeling better soon.

A bit of time off from the blog.

As you will have noticed if you are a regular S2M reader, I have not been doing much blogging recently.

This is due to several reasons, amongst which is my decision to spend more quality time with my family and to try and put some of the not so good aspects of my life into order.

I hope that you will bear with me at this time, and that you will pay an occasional visit to the site just in case I find sudden inspiration and get my finger to the keyboard once more.

Take care. Andy

UK 2011 Census Sparks DNA database alert

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A few days after millions of UK households carefully completed the 2011 Census questionnaire claims are now being made by several UK groups that the details that we filled in on the form where not the only information that the government now holds about us. It appears that the final piece of data collected was in fact gathered when the member of the household who sealed the envelope licked the seal!.

According to claims made by Dr Loof Day of the UK liberty group LIRPA, the government has been secretly gathering DNA information from the minute amount of skin cells that are deposited on the envelope gum seal when an individual licks it.

Sounds like science fiction, but when you think it through it would seem to be a brilliant way to covertly gather the DNA samples of millions of Britons without anyone ever being aware of such details being acquired.

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