Koenraad Kuiper
Poems are sneaky but each poem is sneaky in its own way. We could say the same about melanomas. And so, sneakily, just like that, a little volcano on the left arm turns wrist watch into risk watch…
‘Doctors in Denial’: an account of two cancers, one physical and the other moral’
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Dr Tree Cocks
Doctors in Denial by Ron Jones is a meticulously researched and perceptive account of the “unfortunate experiment” entailing non-treatment of cervical carcinoma in situ that occasioned The Cartwright Inquiry. It is an account of two cancers really, one physical and the other moral.
Jones has gathered together an enormous amount of detailed information from the 1920s to the present day. Because his research has tapped many sources and because he is interested in human dynamics, the chronology sometimes takes a complex route. I found it a multifaceted detective story, to uncover the why and how of the tragedy.
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A career in medical oncology (ii)
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David Perez
After 40 years in oncology practice has my experience lived up to initial expectations? My answer is a big YES! On the scientific front the explosion in the understanding of genomics and the defective genes that initiate cancer growth has led to new therapies which target the defective genes and generally have fewer toxic effects than chemotherapy. These so-called targeted therapies are likely to have their main impact on suppressing cancer growth rather than eradicating the disease but prolonged suppression of cancer can be very beneficial and can be compared to the prolonged suppression of the HIV virus in AIDS. Patients with advanced cancer that will ultimately prove fatal are now living several years longer than previously due to better cancer controlling therapies. The rapid progress in the understanding of cancer genetics will ensure there will be a proliferation of new cancer interventions over the next 20 years. Other advances include the identification of defective genes that cause familial cancer which then allows preventive action including screening to be undertaken. Another recent cancer prevention strategy is the use of vaccines against viruses that can cause cancer such as cervical and liver cancers.
A career in medical oncology
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David Perez
On the surface medical oncology does not seem an attractive career choice. Medical oncology refers to the treatment of cancer by drugs, including chemotherapy. This carries the connotation of patients suffering miserable side effects of treatment and ultimately treatment does not prevent death from the disease. During my training at the University of Auckland Medical School I had no particular awareness of oncology as a career choice as students were not placed on an oncology attachment. Following graduation I spent a year working in a provincial hospital, Taranaki Base Hospital in New Plymouth, then I returned to Auckland Hospital where I was assigned to work for six months on the oncology ward. Oncology wasn’t a popular attachment and I wasn’t overly happy about the prospect. Paradoxically working in oncology proved to be a positive experience and I learnt a lot that had not been highlighted in medical school. This reflected the medical school curriculum of the 1970s which taught a great deal about disease and treatment but not so much about the experience of illness and the impact on the whole person. This unplanned experience in oncology stimulated sufficient interest to consider oncology as a career choice.
Tai Chi and breast cancer: a research project
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Dr Lizhou Liu
Dr Lizhou Liu is a recipient of the 2017 New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation’s Belinda Scott Clinical Fellowship. Her research will look at the effects of incorporating Tai Chi into the active treatment programme for women with breast cancer.
Many people think of Tai Chi as the exercise with the slow, funny movements. In fact, Tai Chi is a weight-bearing mind-body activity that incorporates physical movement, mindful meditation, and controlled breathing. It is a moderate intensity aerobic exercise (equivalent to walking), and uses slow, deliberate movements coordinated with deep, regulated breathing and imagery to strengthen and relax the body and mind.
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Cancer and all the other shit
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Mary McCallum and Lauren Wepa
Talking about cancer is tough and will test you. However talking is one of the small things that helps us feel normal—whatever that is.”
Lauren Wepa was 20 when she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Cancer and all the other shit is the book she wrote to help people who don’t have cancer keep talking to people who do.
Mary McCallum interviews Lauren Wepa:
Cancer and all the other shit is a bitter, angry-sounding title. Is it a bitter, angry book?
I guess for some people it may come across like that but if you relate it back to the primary target audience (young people with cancer), that’s just how we describe a really dumb, unfortunate and not fun situation. And cancer can cause quite a bit of frustration, especially when there is a breakdown in communication between the patient and his or her family and friends. The aim of the title was not to scare people off but make them chuckle on the inside and make them want to read more. I’ve had a lot of positive feedback about that title, because that’s what cancer is, shit. [Read more…] about Cancer and all the other shit