Eat well, keep well and reduce your risk of cancer

This leaflet highlights Northern Ireland's incidence of cancer as an important public health concern, and explains how eating more fruit, vegetables and other fibre rich foods can significantly reduce our risk of getting the disease.

Alcohol could increase your risk of breast cancer

This poster highlights the fact that alcohol increases the risk of developing breast cancer.

Eat well, keep well and reduce your risk of cancer

What we eat affects our health. With just a few small changes to what we eat every day, we can help to protect against major illnesses, including some cancers. These changes can also give our health an extra boost.

Breast screening: For women with a higher risk of breast cancer

This leaflet explains breast screening for women with a higher risk of breast cancer.

Regional Advisory Committee on Cancer - Report on Skin Cancer (September 2004) (PDF 201 KB)

Skin cancer is the diagnosis for about a quarter of all patients with cancer and because most of the work is done on an outpatient basis the true extent of the disease has largely gone unrecognised. Skin cancers are related to ultraviolet radiation exposure. Geographic latitude as well as attitude affects the amount of ultraviolet exposure and the risk of skin cancer, with people from Northern Ireland exposing themselves to higher levels of ultraviolet radiation when on holiday abroad and artificially from sunbeds. Ozone depletion is known to increase the risk of ultraviolet exposure and skin cancer. The majority of people living in Northern Ireland have pale skin and are at increased risk of developing skin cancer, as are some patients with an increased genetic risk for cancer. Some pre-existing skin lesions are known to increase the risk of developing skin cancer. Data collection on the incidence of non melanoma skin cancer in Northern Ireland was not available before the establishment of the Cancer Registry in 1993. There is however good data on the incidence of melanoma before that period. In 1974 there were 39 cases in melanoma in Northern Ireland, by 2000 this had risen by almost 500% to 185 cases. åÊ

Voluntary Organisations Represented on the Northern Ireland Cancer Forum (PDF 141 KB)

Mission statement: åÊ To save lives of those at risk of developing cancer and enhance the quality of life of those living with cancer in Northern Ireland. åÊ Services include: - Women’s early detection service åÊ – mammography, cervical screening and breast awareness (including a mobile clinic) åÊ - Awareness campaigns on breast, cervical, prostate and testicular cancer åÊ - Counselling and complementary therapy for cancer patients and their families åÊ - Health promotion in schools, workplaces and communities åÊ - Funding for cancer research and the Regional Cancer Genetics Servic åÊ

PHA urges parents to get 'at risk' children vaccinated against seasonal flu

The Public Health Agency is urging Northern Ireland parents to make sure children in 'at risk' groups get their flu vaccine early.The message has been issued to parents and carers of children as the PHA's seasonal flu vaccination programme gets underway for 2011/12.It is very important that children with any condition that puts them more at risk of the complications of flu get the vaccine.These 'at risk' conditions include:chronic lung conditions such as asthma;chest infections that have required hospital admission;chronic heart conditions;chronic liver disease;chronic kidney disease;diabetes;lowered immunity due to disease or treatment such as steroids or cancer therapy;chronic neurological conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis or a condition that affects the nervous system, such as cerebral palsy;hereditary and degenerative diseases of the central nervous system or muscles.Children who attend special schools for severe learning or physical disabilities are considered to be particularly at risk, as well as those with other complex health needs.The PHA has written to principals of local special schools, as well as parents of children at these schools, to raise awareness of the importance of getting vaccinated early.Dr Richard Smithson, PHA Flu Vaccination Lead, said: "For many people, flu is a short, unpleasant illness, but it does not usually cause any serious problems. However, for others, it can have very serious complications including, in rare cases, being fatal."We have been particularly reminded over the last two winters that children with chronic neurological problems and other complex health needs are very vulnerable to these complications. We have seen children become very seriously ill and, tragically, there have even been a few deaths in children who attend special schools."For this reason, we recommend that all children who attend special schools for severe learning disability, and special schools for physical disability, are offered the flu vaccine early in the autumn, before the flu viruses start circulating."The vaccine is now available from GP surgeries and the PHA recommends that parents check arrangements with their own GP's surgery so that their child can get the jab.The earlier you get vaccinated the better, as it takes the body about 10-14 days after the jab to develop antibodies. These will then protect you against the same or similar viruses if the body is exposed to them. The vaccine contains three strains of the flu virus, which are considered the most likely to be circulating this winter, including the H1N1 (swine flu) virus."Your child needs to get the flu jab every year - the protection it gives only lasts for one winter, so even if they got it last year, they still need to get it this year," added Dr Smithson."Also, if your child has been diagnosed with flu or swine flu in the past couple of years, they will still need the jab this year as there are different types of flu that the jab will protect against. Getting the flu jab is the best way to protect your child against flu and we would strongly recommend that you arrange for them to have it."Although the vaccine gives good protection, no vaccine gives total protection, so if your child develops flu-like symptoms (such as fever, cough, aches and pains, and sore throat) you should contact your GP for advice. If your child has any of these symptoms, they should be kept at home until they feel better."For more information on seasonal flu, go to www.fluawareni.info and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Smoking causes mouth cancer, PHA warns

Mouth cancer awareness week begins on the 13 - 20 November. With this in mind the Public Health Agency is urging everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms of mouth cancer and is encouraging all smokers thinking about stopping smoking to make the decision to stop today.In Northern Ireland 195 people were diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2009. The disease causes one death every five hours in the UK and yet it is one of the least well-known cancers. Smoking and excess alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing mouth cancer, which can occur in or on any part of the mouth, tongue, lips, neck and throat. In its very early stages, mouth cancer can be easy to ignore. Most people with mouth cancer have no early symptoms at all, but others may have:an ulcer in the mouth or on the lip that won't heal; constant pain or soreness; red or white patches in the mouth;a lump on the lip, tongue or in the neck; bad breath; unexplained bleeding in the mouth; numbness in the mouth; loose teeth.The earlier the disease is caught, the better. Survival rates rise to 90 per cent if the cancer is treated before it has spread. Gerry Bleakney, Head of Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement, PHA, said: "Certain lifestyle choices can increase an individual's risk of developing mouth cancer. Tobacco is considered to be the main cause of mouth cancer, with three in four cases being linked to smoking. Excess alcohol consumption is also a known factor, with those who both smoke and drink excessively being up 30 times more likely to be at risk. "Mouth cancer and the treatment required can be traumatic for the patient as this may affect functions such as speech, chewing and swallowing. The positive news is that stopping smoking is associated with a rapid reduction in the risk of oral cancers. Regular trips to the dentist are also a must because half of all mouth cancer cases are detected by dentists."I would encourage everyone who is thinking about quitting to log on to our Want 2 Stop website www.want2stop.info and order a 'Quit Kit' free of charge. Alternatively contact the Smokers' Helpline on 0808 812 8008. "Health Minister Edwin Poots said: "Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death in Northern Ireland.It is a major risk factor for oral cancer, as well as coronary heart disease, strokes and other diseases of the circulatory system. Approximately 2,300 people die each year in Northern Ireland from smoking related illnesses. Quitting smoking is the single most effective step people can take to improve their long term health."A key objective of the Department's new ten-year tobacco control strategy, due to be published next month,is to prevent people from starting to smoke. Funding provided by the Department for smoking cessation services has resulted in around 650 such services being made available in Northern Ireland in a range of settings, including pharmacies, GP surgeries and community centres. These services have helped almost 80,000 smokers to set a quit date between 2008/09 and 2010/11."The Minister added: "It is also important for people to look after their oral health by regularly attending the dentist for check-ups, as any problems can be picked up and treated at an early stage."

Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective

The goal of this Report is to review all the relevant research in order to generate a comprehensive series of recommendations on food, nutrition, and physical activity, designed to reduce the risk of cancer and suitable for all societies. This process is also the basis for a continuous review of the evidence.

General and Abdominal Adiposity and Risk of Death in Europe

Previous studies have relied predominantly on the body-mass index (BMI, the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) to assess the association of adiposity with the risk of death, but few have examined whether the distribution of body fat contributes to the prediction of death. This study examined the association of BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio with the risk of death among 359,387 participants from nine countries in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). A Cox regression analysis was used, with age as the time variable, and stratified the models according to study center and age at recruitment, with further adjustment for educational level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and height.

Cervical cancer: it's best to take the test (English and 11 translations)

Testing for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) as triage and test of cure was introduced into the Northern Ireland Cervical Screening Programme on Monday 28 January 2013. This policy change will significantly alter the screening pathway for women with a mild dyskaryosis or borderline smear result.