Stem-cell breast repair

I recently wrote about a reconstruction technique which is being trialled by British surgeons, who are harvesting stem-cell-enriched fat from women’s bodies to plug the dip often left by breast cancer operations. The… Read More

Supporting women with breast cancer conference

A day-long free national conference entitled ‘Supporting women with breast cancer’ will take place this coming Saturday, 25th April in Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin 1, for women who have had a breast cancer diagnosis… Read More

First online cancer survivorship tool

OncoLife, the first online cancer survivorship care plan tool developed by physicians and nurses from Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center has resulted in high user satisfaction rates according to research which was presented at the American… Read More

Specialist units reduce sugery stays

THE SETTING up of specialised breast cancer units will result in shorter stays in hospital for many patients who need to undergo a mastectomy, according to new research published yesterday. The study at… Read More

Interview with youngest British girl to undergo preventative mastectomy

Today’s Daily Mail newspaper carries a story on 19-year-old Hannah Fitzpatrick,  who has become the youngest woman in Britain to have a double preventative mastectomy. Genetic screening had revealed that she carried the faulty BRCA… Read More

Cancer and mindfulness

I will be attending the Compassion and Presence: Spiritual Care for the Living and Dying conference in Killarney at the end of the month. I took part in a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course at the… Read More

Breast cancer survey of women with high-density breasts

Breast cancer is more frequent but mortality is reduced in women with high- than low-density breasts, a Danish study shows. Breast density affects the sensitivity of mammography; however, to date the effect of… Read More

Breast reconstruction options

For many cancer patients undergoing mastectomies, reconstructive breast surgery can seem like a first step to reclaiming their bodies. An article which appeared last December in the New York Times states that “Even as… Read More

Ireland’s first psycho-oncology degree

Good news for those  of us hoping to see an improvement in the holistic care of cancer patients in Ireland. DCU’s School of Nursing have launched Ireland’s first degree in psycho-oncology, Graduate Diploma/MSc in Psycho-oncology.… Read More

Highlighting Cancer

Cancer surgery is tricky because you don’t want to miss any cancer, but you also don’t want to cut healthy tissue. Now doctors are testing a new technique that uses a safe chemical… Read More