Sunday 30 August 2009

Army faces the enemy within (Australia)

BRENDAN NICHOLSON DEFENCE CORRESPONDENTAugust 31, 2009

SINCE 2002, the Australian Army has lost nearly twice as many of its men to cancer as have been killed fighting in Afghanistan.

Eleven have died in action and more than 20 have been killed by several types of cancer.

It's a sobering comparison from the Chief of Army, Ken Gillespie, who revealed yesterday that he had just emerged from a battle with prostate cancer.

''In Afghanistan we realise that there's an enemy there who can kill us,'' Lieutenant-General Gillespie told the Herald.

''We understand that as a risk. We plan, we investigate, we use intelligence, we develop equipment, tactics and techniques and we confront it by reducing the risk as much as possible.
''Well there's an enemy back here that's twice as effective against us and we tend not to bring out our skills from our military culture to that problem.

''That's the real challenge … to convince the men in the army that they've got to do something about preserving themselves against this threat.''

General Gillespie said he was feeling great after surgery and would stay on as chief of the army. ''I'm as fit now as I ever was.''

General Gillespie joined the army as a 15-year-old bricklayer. His leadership skills were quickly noted and he was sent for officer training.

His confrontation with the disease persuaded General Gillespie to help launch the national Blue September campaign to encourage men to face up to cancer as a serious risk that they could do something about.

As part of that campaign, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Melbourne's Forum Theatre will be bathed in blue light to draw attention to the fact that one in two Australian men will be diagnosed with cancer before they reach 85, more than 24,000 will die of cancer this year and Australian men are twice as likely as women to die from cancers that can be prevented.

General Gillespie said he had a blood test 18 months ago that showed no evidence of cancer in his body. He had a follow-up test done early this year which indicated that he might have cancer.
In February, he had a biopsy ''for peace of mind''. ''It came back to say I had a cancer.' He opted for surgical removal of the prostate.

''I get asked a lot, 'What were your symptoms?' and the answer is, 'Absolutely none'.''



Army faces the enemy within (Australia)

Friday 28 August 2009

Get Your PSA Checked

When his dad was diagnosed, John discovered that prostate cancer was a more serious risk than he ever imagined. In fact, 1 in 6 men in the US will be diagnosed with it in their lifetime. John also learned there's something you can do to help monitor your risk of prostate cancer. It's a simple blood test called a PSA. Updated American Urological Association guidelines suggest you start PSA screening at age 40. Ask your doctor about it.

Get Serious About Prostate Cancer.
Get Your PSA Checked.

Get Your PSA Checked

Thursday 27 August 2009

(USA) Prostate Cancer Diagnosed Earlier,Race Gap Narrows

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men with prostate cancer are being diagnosed at a younger age and earlier stage today than in years past, and the racial disparity in stage at diagnosis has decreased significantly, researchers report today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

"Traditionally, blacks are diagnosed with prostate cancer at a later stage compared with whites," and are more likely to die of the disease, study co-author Dr. Grace L. Lu-Yao of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in New Brunswick, told Reuters Health.

Lu-Yao and colleagues analyzed 2004-2005 data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program on more than 82,500 prostate cancer patients.

They compared this group with patients diagnosed in 1988-1989 and 1996-1997.
The average age at diagnosis decreased from about 72 years in 1988-1989 to about 67 years in 2004-2005 and the rate of particularly late-stage cases fell from about 53 to 8 per 100,000 among whites and from 91 to 13 per 100,000 among blacks."


"Lu-Yao credited prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for the earlier diagnoses. While that test is recommended by some medical groups, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force "concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening in men younger than age 75 years" and that men over the age of 75 should not be screened."

Prostate Cancer Diagnosed Earlier,Race Gap Narrows

(USA) Incidence and Prevalence of Prostate Cancer

US Pharm. 2009;34(8):10.


Among men, prostate cancer (PC) is the second most common type of cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death, according to the National Cancer Institute. Annually, PC is the diagnosis in one of every three men found to have cancer. PC affects 234,000 U.S. men each year, with death occurring in 27,000. The Prostate Cancer Foundation reported that one new case of PC occurs every 2.5 minutes and one death from it occurs every 19 minutes. One in six males (16%) born between 2004 and 2006 will be diagnosed with PC during his lifetime, with 8% developing it between 50 and 70 years of age.



Incidence and Prevalence of Prostate Cancer

John McEnroe, Cancer Advocate

Chris Wragge spoke with tennis legend John McEnroe about his new mission of raising awareness for prostate cancer.

John McEnroe, Cancer Advocate

Wednesday 26 August 2009

Andover man clocks up time on the plinth to call time on prostate cancer

An Andover man called time on prostate cancer as he stepped in to the limelight and braced the Trafalgar Square fourth plinth dressed as a giant blue clock, to raise awareness of the disease.



John Watts, 40, donned the Charity’s blue colours and wore the man-sized timepiece during his one hour of fame, to highlight the fact that one man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK.

Sadly, John lost his grandfather to prostate cancer in 1992 and has been determined to raise awareness of the disease ever since. Arthur Watts died aged 80 after living with prostate cancer for several years. Now John wants to make sure that other men know about the disease so that they can fight it early before ‘time catches up with them.’

John said: “I had a fantastic time up on the plinth and all of my family came down to London to cheer me on. It was my mothers birthday so I managed to throw a bouquet of flowers down to her. Before my grandfather was diagnosed with the disease, I’d never really heard of prostate cancer and I certainly didn’t know that it was the most common cancer in men in the UK. I decided to apply for a place on the plinth because it seemed like a fun idea at the time. I never actually expected to get a place on it but as soon as I did I knew I had to do something to honour him.”

Andover man clocks up time on the plinth to call time on prostate cancer

Sunday 23 August 2009

Norfolk & Waveney Prostate Cancer Support Group

Here is the link for the Norfolk & Waveney Prostate Cancer Support Group and the August edition of their newsletter:

August 2009 Newsletter

NIGP Annual Forum and Products Exposition

This event started yesterday and Mediwatch are attending.




"The National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. (NIGP) is a national, membership-based non-profit organization which develops, supports and promotes the public sector purchasing profession.

NIGP’s five-day annual forum is the power-base for procurement knowledge. It is the one professional development destination procurement professionals need to attend. The amount of knowledge gained at this event is immeasurable and empowers professionals to make a difference and demonstrate the value they bring to an organization and the public at large."


"Over 1,200 procurement professionals from the United States and Canada attend NIGP’s annual conference, which makes the NIGP Forum the largest educational event dedicated exclusively to public procurement professionals. The value gained by networking, interacting with colleagues and listening to subject matter experts is priceless. You learn best practices firsthand and discover how you can improve purchasing practices to get the most out of the taxpayer’s dollar."

NIGP Annual Forum and Products Exposition

Thursday 13 August 2009

Australia-Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month from PCFA on Vimeo.

New Mediwatch USA Distributor-Metro Medical

Mediwatch said that 2009 would see a greater involvement in the USA and we have seen this taking place through this year in many ways.

"United States represents the single largest market for urodynamics equipment and disposables in the world."

Urodynamics Equipment and Disposables Market to Reach $170 Million by 2015

Here is another example of MDW achieving their aims:



Metro Medical is a leading provider of brand name medical and surgical supplies and capital equipment to the United States federal Government and alternate-site institutions nationwide.

Metro Medical provides the highest quality products at reduced costs negotiated through federal contracts like the GSA/FSS and DAPA from world-renowned manufacturers and vendors. Metro Medical's Corporate Offices and primary Distribution Center are headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. As a family-owned and operated corporation since 1985, Metro Medical adds value through its leveraged contract vehicles and socioeconomic certifications for customers and manufacturer partners alike.

Metro Medical

Metro Medical-Vendors








I will of course add this company to the main page found within the month of April under Distributors for Mediwatch Products

Tuesday 11 August 2009

Prostate Cancer Mission 2009 Open Conversation: Opening Remarks and a Message

In 2009, the Prostate Cancer Mission held its second annual Open Conversation. This segment introduces the program and delivers a powerful message from a woman whose husband faced and lost his battle with prostate cancer.





Prostate Cancer Mission 2009 Open Conversation: Opening Remarks and a Message

PSA testing and patients at risk: the NCCN speaks

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has just issued revised guidance on early detection of prostate cancer. The revised guidelines take account of the results of the recent ERSPC and PLCO trials that assessed the benefit of PSA screening. The NCCN Guidelines contend that PSA testing does save lives when performed intelligently in men at high-risk of developing the disease.

In a detailed media release, NCCN has laid out an argument based on the concept that PSA testing is effective and needs to be more rigorously conducted in high-risk populations. The full text of the revised guidance is also available on the NCCN web site. (You do need to register to be able to read this document, but there is no cost involved.) To quote Mark Kawasaki, MD, the chairman of the guidelines committee, “We are most likely to produce further declines in prostate cancer mortality if we focus on younger men who are more likely to die of prostate cancer than other causes and the diagnosing of aggressive prostate cancer in all men.”

This is an opinion that correlates precisely with the position taken by America’s Prostate Cancer Organizations in a statement made earlier this year, when we stated that, “Despite recent data and media coverage about PSA testing and prostate cancer mortality, the early detection and appropriate treatment of clinically significant prostate cancer remains a critical priority, especially among men at high risk because of family history, ethnicity, or other factors that define such risk.”

The following quotations are taken directly from the NCCN’s media release:

“Some of the controversy with the recent trials assessing the benefits of PSA testing stems from people confusing early detection with screening…. It is imperative to distinguish the two terms from each other and understand that screening implies testing a random group of participants where as early detection targets a select group of patients whose need is greatest.”

“It is important to note that the NCCN Guidelines for Prostate Cancer Early Detection are for the purpose of detecting cancer early in high-risk men, not the screening of mass populations.”
“… the current NCCN Guidelines recommend that at age 40, high-risk men be offered a baseline PSA and DRE and if their PSA is 1.0 ng/mL or greater, that they receive annual follow-ups. If their PSA is less than 1.0, the NCCN Guidelines recommend that these men be screened again at age 45.”

“NCCN Guideline Panel Members acknowledge that there is no ‘right’ answer about PSA testing for everyone, but that each man needs to make an informed decision with his physician.”


The “New” Prostate Cancer InfoLink congratulates the NCCN Guideline Panel members for generating an important and helpful new guidance document for physicians and their patients that may assist everyone to be clearer about the continued importance of prostate cancer testing using the PSA test in men who have reason to be concerned about their risk for this disease.

PSA testing and patients at risk: the NCCN speaks"

Physician Trust, Early Screening Reduces Disparities For Prostate Cancer

ScienceDaily (Aug. 11, 2009) — Men who have a regular, ongoing relationship with a health care provider are more likely to receive prostate cancer screening and less likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, regardless of their race, according to a University of North Carolina study published in the current issue of the journal Cancer.

The study compared the experiences of black and white men over age 50 and newly diagnosed with prostate cancer in North Carolina and Louisiana. The goal was to find underlying reasons why African-American men have a higher incidence of prostate cancer and a higher rate of death from the disease than their white counterparts.

“We found that Caucasian (white) men tended to be seen regularly by the same physician, which appears to be associated with greater trust in their doctors and in physicians in general,” said study author William R. Carpenter, Ph.D., research assistant professor of health policy and management in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. “They were also more likely than their African-American counterparts to get regular prostate cancer screenings, and to get all their medical care at a physician’s office.”

The study enrolled 1,031 black and white men, age 50 and older, within weeks of their prostate cancer diagnosis. A study nurse conducted a structured survey and acquired biological specimens in a home visit and obtained other medical information from each patient’s medical records.

In this study, the stage of prostate cancer at diagnosis was similar between races, but the mean Gleason scores, an indication of the aggressiveness of the disease, were higher for blacks than for whites. Blacks were less likely than whites to report participation in prostate cancer screening prior to diagnosis. Men without a prior history of screening were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease and/or more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. However, when men of either race had established relationships with a health care provider, the differences in prostate cancer stage at diagnosis went away.

“This evidence leads us to think that encouraging African-Americans to establish an ongoing relationship with a regular care provider may encourage more appropriate use of prostate cancer screening, and thus reduce racial disparities in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment, which, by extension, may reduce disparities in prostate cancer deaths,” Carpenter said.
James Mohler, M.D., chair of the department of urology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., and principal investigator of the study, said, “The goal of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of the role of racial disparities in prostate cancer outcomes. These findings suggest that differences in screening result from inconsistent or poorer quality interaction between an African-American man and the American health care system. If the interaction is poor, the care giver may not ‘get around‘ to discussing or offering preventive health care, such as prostate cancer screening. Improving the interaction between all men, and especially African-American men, and their primary care givers should reduce prostate cancer deaths in all men and decrease the racial disparity in prostate deaths in African-American men.” Mohler is a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Carpenter added, “Factors in health care systems, including setting and continuity of care, may hinder the development of physician-patient relationships, and possibly preclude discussions beyond the immediate medical issue at hand, including discussions of preventive health and preferences in use of early detection. These factors and relationships can influence whether there are discussions beyond the immediate medical issue at hand, including discussions of preventive health and preferences in use of health care services such as prostate cancer screening.”

Other UNC authors include Paul Godley, M.D., Jeannette Bensen, Ph.D., Merle Mishel, Ph.D., and Timothy Finnegan, M.D. Other authors include the study’s co-principal investigator, Elizabeth Fontham, Ph.D., from the Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans.

The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Cancer Institute.

Physician Trust, Early Screening Reduces Disparities For Prostate Cancer

Sunday 2 August 2009

Urology in September (Updated-27th August)

Yes,I know it's the beginning of August but there is quite a lot happening during September regarding the world of Urology.

Mediwatch Plc Investor Day-Monday 7th September


PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS WEEK (PCAW)-September 20th-26th 2009

September Is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month USA-27th August



Australia

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month




September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and we are asking Australia to get involved and help create awareness and raise the much needed funds to help in the fight against prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australia with 20,000 men diagnosed and close to 3,300 deaths each year. By hosting a barbecue and asking guests to make a donation, Australians can make a significant impact in the fight against this disease. A barbecue is also an ideal opportunity to raise awareness about prostate cancer. Further information on how to host a BBQ and fundraise for PCFA will be posted to the website on August 12.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia


It is also worth pointing out that Mediwatch made the following statement within their recent Interim Results:

"Negotiating 1,000 patient trial for PSAwatch system in Australia - due to start September 2009"

Obviously time will tell if there is a link..........




Europe

Urology Week - organised on 14th and 15th September 2009


- Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Western world.
- Every year 346,000 new cases of prostate cancer are detected in Europe alone.
- More than 50% of men over 50 have urological complaints due to benign conditions.
- Epidemiologic data indicate that erectile dysfunction (ED) is a significant problem among men worldwide. As many as 42.8 million men are expected to suffer from ED in Europe alone in 2025.


"Urology Week - organised on 14 and 15 September 2009 - is a tool with which the European Association of Urology (EAU), the European knowledge centre of urology in Arnhem, wishes to stimulate people over 50 to visit their doctors when they suffer from such complaints..

The EAU has selected prostate conditions and erectile dysfunction to be the key themes of Urology Week. We seek to create more awareness of urological conditions and the work of the urologist among the European public, especially those over 50, since they are the ones who suffer from these conditions most. The organisation cooperates closely with Europa UOMO, a European advocacy movement for the fight against prostate cancer, and other specialist and patient organisations at a European level.

This Urology Week website offers the latest information about prostate conditions and erectile dysfunction. If you suffer from any of these, do not wait. Contact a specialist; visit your urologist."

Urology Week Website


A very informative and interesting interview with Professor Abrahamsson,the EAU Secretary General relating to 'Urology Week' and erectile dysfunction specific:

Professor Abrahamsson-Interview



USA

AUGS 30th Annual Scientific Meeting-Florida,September 24th- 26th,2009


It's worth noting firstly Mediwatch's Priority points for this event along with the companies they are associated with or in partnership with:

Bard,Inverness Medical Innovations Inc,Society of Urological Nurses and Associates & T-Doc


2009 Exhibitors

Exhibitor Priority Points




USA






ICS 2009 Scientific Programme Tuesday 29th to Saturday 3rd October 2009

It is a great honour to welcome you to the ICS Annual Meeting in San Francisco from September 29th to October 3rd, 2009. This will be the first time in 10 years that the meeting has been held in the USA, and it is most fitting that our society has chosen this vibrant, diverse and beautiful city to host this event.

Welcome to the ICS Website