New Zealand Cancer Control Council Stories from the Field

Smoke Free and Line Dancing

admin — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:46:04 +1200

When Barbara first rang Quitline she had been a smoker for 46 years. She was facing a double hip operation and feeling very low. Her surgeon had told her that to have both hips operated on she would need to quit smoking.

Reducing Risk in the Sun - the Ultraviolet Index

admin — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:16:24 +1200

We’re all familiar with it during the summer – on the TV weather, in the daily newspaper and at the outdoor swimming pool. It’s the colourful UV Index telling us today’s risk from the sun. The higher the level the arrow points to the greater the risk of skin damage.

Early Detection the Best Protection

Ben — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:47:32 +1200

Early detection is the best protection. That’s one of Valerie Pennick’s key messages as she speaks about breast health and breast cancer around the country.

Valerie is a qualified radiation therapist who has worked for 30 years in oncology in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States.

Now she’s helping women throughout New Zealand to be aware of any changes in their breasts and to know what to do if they notice something.

Improving Services for Māori

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:50:24 +1300

Closed doors’ … ‘wrong name’ … ‘wrong date, come back another day’ … ‘I couldn’t understand what they were saying’ ….

These are some of the responses researchers found when they asked Māori cancer survivors and sufferers, their carers and supporters what it was like going for cancer treatment and to other cancer-related services.

Understanding Cell Suicide

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:03:08 +1300

Understanding what turns on and turns off apoptosis, or cell suicide, promises to provide a new range of tools for fighting cancer.

Dr Mark Hampton is part of the Free Radical Research Group at the University of Otago, Christchurch.

Apoptosis should be switched on when something goes wrong in a cell, such as when it gets damaged or begins to grow out of control, Dr Hampton explains.

Spotting New Markers of Cancer

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:08:17 +1300

University of Otago researchers are delving into the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of cancer as a way of taking research from the laboratory bench to the clinical setting.