Christmas Cocktails: a recipe for disaster?

It is my opinion that women with breast cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. should avoid using HRTAbbreviation for hormone replacement therapy, the administration of female hormones in cases where they are not sufficiently produced by the body. (except vaginal oestrogenA hormone involved in female sexual development, produced by the ovaries. creams) for at least two years after diagnosisThe process of determining which condition a patient may have.. The development of new drugs to reduce the risk of bone loss or osteoporosisA condition resulting in brittle bones due to loss of bony tissue. (such as bisphosphonatesA family of drugs that prevent the break down of bone by cells called osteoclasts. and raloxifene) and treat hot flushes (such as venlafaxine and gabapentin) should minimise the need for these women to use HRT.

Despite often having very successful treatment of a primary cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body., unfortunately many patients will go on to develop secondary cancerA tumour or abnormal swelling that results from the spread of another malignant (uncontrolled) tumour to a distant part of the body. in other sites around the body such as the bones, lungs and liverA large abdominal organ that has many important roles including the production of bile and clotting factors, detoxification, and the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.. The most dangerous time for development of secondary disease is the first two years after diagnosisThe process of determining which condition a patient may have., although sometimes the disease will have already spread by the time that the cancer is diagnosed. The development of secondary disease is a feature of the aggressiveness and ability of the primary cancer to spread beyond its original site and this does not reflect any failure on behalf of surgical treatment or subsequent chemotherapyThe use of chemical substances to treat disease, particularly cancer. or radiotherapyThe treatment of disease using radiation. treatments.

Most cases of nipple discharge are due to normal, benignNot dangerous, usually applied to a tumour that is not malignant. conditions and are usually hormoneA substance produced by a gland in one part of the body and carried by the blood to the organs or tissues where it has an effect.-related. Approximately one third of all women can produce a nipple discharge by gently massaging their breasts. This 'innocent' nipple discharge usually comes from multiple ducts in both breasts in pre-menopausalRelating to the menopause, the time of a woman’s life when her ovaries stop releasing an egg (ovum) on a monthly cycle. women. Blood-stained discharge from a single duct in one breast can be sinister in nature and may represent an underlying carcinomaA malignant tumour (cancer) that is formed from the epithelium, the tissue that covers the open surfaces of organs..

Nobody has the right to diagnose you – but I can help you, if you want, to diagnose yourself.

If you are having problems – any problems – as a result of drinking alcohol, then you might be interested in seeing how you can help yourself to turn them around.

For many women with breast cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. the standard treatment includes surgery together with radiotherapyThe treatment of disease using radiation., to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back. A new approach, TARGIT, involves radiationEnergy in the form of waves or particles, including radio waves, X-rays and gamma rays. given with a spherical device that is placed where the lump was, thus targeting the tissues that surrounded the tumourAn abnormal swelling., the ‘tumour bed’.

Oral cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. is currently a major global health issue. In developing countries oral cavity cancer is estimated to be the third most common malignancy after cancer of the cervixAny neck-like structure; most commonly refers to the neck of the uterus. and stomachthe organ or the body where food is stored and broken down. In the UK from 1995 to 2004 the number of newly diagnosed oral cancers showed an age standardised increase of 23%, and in 2005 it accounted for 2% of all cancers in the UK, which equates to 8 per 100,000 of the population.

To be told you have breast cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. is always a huge shock. Before we consider some of the treatments available I want to make the important point of how much the treatment of breast cancer has improved over the years. In the 1970s only 50% of people with breast cancer survived for 5 years. In the best units that figure is now around 90%. Similarly the 10 year survival rate was only 40% in the 70s and it is now 80%, with a twenty year survival rate of nearly 70%. The fundamental fact is that most people will no longer die from their breast cancer; and the treatments continue to improve.

Bowel cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. can spread (metastasise) to various other organs, most commonly to the liverA large abdominal organ that has many important roles including the production of bile and clotting factors, detoxification, and the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.. Liver metastasesSecondary tumours’ that result from the spread of a malignant tumour to other parts of the body. occur in more than half of patients with bowelA common name for the large and/or small intestines. cancer and can often be treated surgically, or in combination with other treatment modalities. This article describes how this can be accomplished safely, and highlights the importance of multidisciplinaryRelating to a group of healthcare professionals with different areas of specialisation. management for patients.

The risk of developing breast cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. increases with age; an average European woman aged 25 years has a 1 in 15000 chance of developing breast cancer; for a 40-year old woman the risk is 1 in 200, for a 50-year-old woman the chance is 1 in 50, and at the age of 80 years the chance is 1 in 11.

The number of cases of breast cancer is five times higher in Western countries than in Far Eastern countries such as Japan and China. However, Japanese women who move to the USA increase their risk of developing breast cancer, which shows that the environment also plays an important role.