Girls could soon be vaccinated against cervical cancer

Seven out of 10 girls could soon be vaccinated against the disease that causes cervical cancer, a study out today reveals.

Those aged 12 to 13 will be offered HPV jabs in a £100million-a-year project from September.

And 70 per cent will come forward, a University of Manchester study in the British Medical Journal suggests.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "This is a tremendous opportunity."

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/M...ns_health.html

Heres a link, mens specific health problems

I think it would help greatly if we had some kind of idea who supports medical research for men's issues, so that we can support these institutes and push for funding for their projects. The National Cancer Institute (in the US):



Related Pages Cancer Advances In Focus Index

Yesterday

• In the mid 1970s, the annual death rate from prostate cancer in the Unites States was approximately 31 per 100,000 men, with African American men having a higher rate of approximately 55 per 100,000 men compared to white men with a rate of about 29 per 100,000 men.
• During the period 1974-1976, the 5-year overall survival rate for men diagnosed with prostate cancer was 69 percent. Among white men, the 5-year overall survival rate was 70 percent; among African American men, it was 61 percent. These survival rates may have been influenced by the method used to initially diagnose prostate cancer in the 1970s, i.e., digital rectal examination (DRE), which uses palpation to detect tumors. Tumors detected by DRE are often advanced.
• Early treatment options for prostate cancer included surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy (i.e., reducing male hormone levels either by removing the testicles or by administering estrogens, including diethylstilbestrol [DES]). Prostate cancers initially require male hormones, such as testosterone, to grow. Therefore, prostate tumors can often be treated by methods that lower blood levels of these hormones.
• In 1974, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) established the National Prostatic Cancer Project, an initiative that enabled collaborations among cancer researchers, epidemiologists, and pathologists to plan, coordinate, direct, and monitor the research being pursued in prostate cancer.

Today

• In 2007, an estimated 220,000 men will be newly diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States and about 28,000 men will die from the disease.
• The most recent report available on cancer mortality shows that, in 2004, the overall death rate from prostate cancer among American men was 25 per 100,000. Since 1994, this rate has decreased by four percent each year, and, in 2004, there were an estimated 2 million prostate cancer survivors in the United States.
• African American men have mortality rates that are more than twice the rates observed in other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. An ongoing NCI-supported study is investigating a variety of risk factors that may contribute to the higher incidence and mortality rates observed in African American men.
• In the late 1980s, the widespread adoption of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test represented a major improvement in the management of prostate cancer. This test measures the amount of PSA protein in the blood, which is often elevated in patients with prostate cancer. In 1986, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the PSA test to monitor patients with prostate cancer and, in 1994, additionally approved its use as a screening test for this disease.
• Due to the widespread implementation of PSA testing in the United States, approximately 90 percent of all prostate cancers are currently diagnosed at an early stage, and, consequently, men are surviving longer after diagnosis. However, the results of two ongoing clinical trials, the NCI-sponsored Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) screening trial and the European Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) will be needed to determine whether PSA screening actually saves lives.
• Advances in the treatment of prostate cancer have included new surgical approaches and improvements in radiotherapy. For example, in 1986, surgeons developed a technique that allowed the removal of the prostate while minimizing nerve damage, thereby decreasing adverse side affects. In addition, clinical researchers improved a long-established radiotherapy technique known as brachytherapy, which involves the implantation of a small amount of radioactive material (seeds) into the prostate. This radiation therapy method is an effective treatment for early-stage prostate cancer.
• Advances in hormonal therapy for prostate cancer have included the development of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, which inhibit the ability of the pituitary gland to stimulate the testes to make testosterone. In 1984, results of a clinical trial showed that the GnRH agonist, leuprolide, was equivalent to DES in reducing blood levels of testosterone but caused less cardiovascular toxicity. Other GnRH agonists used today include goserelin, triptorelin, and histrelin.
• Advances have also been made in chemotherapy for prostate cancer. In 2004, results from two large NCI-sponsored clinical trials showed that use of the drug docetaxel could prolong the survival of men who had advanced prostate cancer that no longer responded to hormonal therapy.
• Ongoing clinical trials supported by NCI over the past 25 years have investigated the effectiveness of natural and synthetic compounds in the prevention of prostate cancer. The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), which enrolled nearly 19,000 healthy men, found that finasteride, a drug approved for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate, reduced the risk of developing prostate cancer by 25 percent. This was the first study to demonstrate that a drug could be used to prevent prostate cancer. Another trial, the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT), is studying more than 35,000 men to determine whether daily supplements of selenium and vitamin E can reduce the incidence of prostate cancer in healthy men. Other prostate cancer prevention trials are currently evaluating the protective potential of multivitamins, vitamins C and D, soy, green tea, and lycopene, which is a natural compound found in tomatoes.
• NCI's commitment to basic research has led to recent discoveries that are shedding light on the molecular origins of prostate cancer. One study, reported in 2005, showed that specific genes were fused in 60 to 80 percent of the prostate tumors analyzed. This study represents the first observation of non-random gene rearrangements in prostate cancer. This genetic alteration may eventually be used as a biomarker to aid in the diagnosis and, possibly, treatment of this disease. Other studies have shown that genetic variations in a specific region of chromosome 8 can increase a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. These genetic variations account for approximately 25 percent of the prostate cancers that occur in white men. They are the first validated genetic variants that increase the risk of developing prostate cancer and may help scientists better understand the genetic causes of this disease.
• NCI is also supporting research that examines how proteins circulating in a patient's blood can be used to improve the diagnosis of prostate and other cancers. In 2005, NCI-supported scientists identified a group of specific proteins that are produced by a patient's immune system in response to prostate tumors. These proteins, a type of autoantibody, were able to detect the presence of prostate cancer cells in blood specimens with greater than 90 percent accuracy. When used in combination with PSA, these and other blood proteins may eventually be used to reduce the number of false-positive results obtained with PSA testing alone and, therefore, reduce the large number of unnecessary prostate biopsies that are performed each year due to false-positive PSA test results.

Tomorrow

• NCI is committed to supporting research into the biological and molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer. Programs such as the Institute's Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) and the Clinical Proteomic Technologies Initiative (CPTI) are supporting research to identify biomarkers - substances in blood and tissues - to aid not only in diagnosis but also in prognosis, which is critical in helping men decide whether to undergo immediate therapy (surgery or radiation) or to be observed by their physician (also known as watchful waiting or active surveillance). Furthermore, an NCI initiative is supporting a partnership of scientists who are studying the use of nanoparticles to improve our ability to image (visualize) prostate tumors. These new technologies could lead to more precise targeting of therapies.
• To support investigations into the molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer initiation and progression, NCI has established a collection of high-quality blood and tissue specimens from prostate cancer patients, called a biorepository, which can be used to evaluate genes and proteins as potential clinical biomarkers or targets for drug development.
• Advances are also being made in the development of new surgical techniques, such as robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery, which may help decrease the time needed to recover from surgery and shorten the length of hospitalization.
• Ongoing NCI-supported clinical trials are evaluating new treatments for prostate cancer. These include studies of molecularly-targeted agents, novel drug combinations, and vaccines designed to help a patient's own immune system fight this disease.

Quote from TERA

Today

"....will be needed to determine whether PSA screening actually saves lives."

IOW: Since the PSA test is practically worthless, and there is no effective treatment even if the PSA test were accurate, they have never been able to show that the PSA screening actually saves any lives.


I noticed that the authors cleverly configures their "today" statistics so they couldn't be compared to the "yesterday" statistics. Shame on them.

One big trouble with prostate cancer is that most prostate cancer sits there for years and years and does nothing. Many more men eventually die of something else with prostate cancer than die from prostate cancer. When they are able to figure out which prostate cancer might go into aggressive attack and which one will just sit there forever, then it might be useful to develop a test for the aggressive kind. The truth is that almost all older men have prostate cancer eventually, but most of them don't die of it.

The current PSA test is useless, and even an invasive tissue sample removal is not much better. Microsurgical autopsies have shown that an invasive tissue removal is very likely to sample the other part of the prostate and not find the cancer.

And worse, even if found there is NO TREATMENT that has been shown to extend life for the average patient. NONE. All treatments significantly reduce the QUALITY of life remaining for the patient, but NONE of them currently available have been shown to extend life for the average patient.


Meanwhile there is something like 2 to 8 times more money spent on research for female cancer even though there are already several effective treatments and fewer deaths.

Blessings

Bob

Instead of fucking around with research dollars or federal money used to pay for FEMALE ONLY health care issues, why do we (as a movement) never even talk about the fact that women are given Medicaid (free health care here in the US) alot more often than men.

Take my state (ND) for example. I had my GF call and check into it, she is currently on medicaid (though there is no reason for it except that she had a child 6 years ago). She is not on any type of disability.

Here is what she found out. Medicaid is not available to males 18-65 UNLESS they are on disability. We recently found out that I could get Medicaid IF she became pregnant AND we were living together.

Forget the research dollars and such, why not look at the big picture. Men often can't see a doctor for ANY REASON at the expense of the state but women often over something as simple as the common cold.

Quote from Garak

Instead of fucking around with research dollars or federal money used to pay for FEMALE ONLY health care issues, why do we (as a movement) never even talk about the fact that women are given Medicaid (free health care here in the US) alot more often than men.

Take my state (ND) for example. I had my GF call and check into it, she is currently on medicaid (though there is no reason for it except that she had a child 6 years ago). She is not on any type of disability.

Here is what she found out. Medicaid is not available to males 18-65 UNLESS they are on disability. We recently found out that I could get Medicaid IF she became pregnant AND we were living together.

Forget the research dollars and such, why not look at the big picture. Men often can't see a doctor for ANY REASON at the expense of the state but women often over something as simple as the common cold.

Yes...take a look at the following, and ask yourself, out of all these categories of people who are eligible for medical assistance, what's missing? (Rhetorical question, of course.)
An Overview of Washington
State Medical Program Eligibility

This guide offers an overview of eligibility requirements for medical programs. It does not include all requirements or consider all situations that may arise. Please contact a local Community Services Office (CSO) or Home and Community Services Office (HCS) for information pertaining to a specific situation. The Department of Social and Health Services is the sole entity authorized to make eligibility decisions for medical benefits. PDF Version of Medical Eligibility Overview - You can view this information in PDF format using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Note: If you don't have Acrobat Reader for reading PDF files, download it free from Adobe.
Have a question about eligibility? Check out our page on Frequently Asked Questions about Family Medical Programs

Eligibility Overview - Table of Contents

DEFINITIONS Family Programs
Women's Health
Children’s Programs
Refugees and Aliens
Aged, Blind, and Disabled

SSI-related Medical
Healthcare for Workers with Disabilities

Long Term Care
Medicare Savings Program

Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB)
Special Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB)
Qualified Individual
Qualified Disabled Working Individual (QDWI)

Medically Needy

Spenddown
Spenddown Example

General Assistance
Alcohol and Drug Treatment - ADATSA
Psychiatric Indigent (PII)
Medical Identification Card (MAID)
Covered Services - As of April 2007
Customer Toll-Free Numbers & Web Addresses

Now granted, men can be covered by some of the above programs, however, as a category in and of themselves, men seem to be the ONLY group (as a whole) that doesn't have a program of their own.

Men are the most likely to slip through the cracks.

Adults are the second biggest group to slip through the cracks. (Unless you are pregnant, or the head of household- a single head of household).

Children's medical programs are clearly the most liberal, widely-covered programs available, regardless of family income.

But if you are an adult without a disability, and are not pregnant, your chances of getting affordable medical or dental coverage is slim.

Because men cannot get pregnant, and so few are single heads of households, they are by far the largest group of any to go without medical assistance.

It is not right.

I have nothing against breast cancer research, fund raising, media attention etc. It is a good cause as many women and the few men do get it. Yes men do get breast cancer too although they only make up 1% of cases.

But it seems all the rage these days on the media and you do not really hear much if anything about and other diseases like Kidney disease, Diabetes , prostate cancer etc almost all is about Breast Cancer.

I get time shifting with shaw so i get Ontario TV stations among others and the "A Channel" from Ottawa is non stop about Breast Cancer or their 'Pink Army'.

Awareness is good but it would be nice if other diseases etc were given similar amount of media attention as well.

Quote from Wallet

I have nothing against breast cancer research, fund raising, media attention etc. It is a good cause as many women and the few men do get it. Yes men do get breast cancer too although they only make up 1% of cases.

But it seems all the rage these days on the media and you do not really hear much if anything about and other diseases like Kidney disease, Diabetes , prostate cancer etc almost all is about Breast Cancer.

I get time shifting with shaw so i get Ontario TV stations among others and the "A Channel" from Ottawa is non stop about Breast Cancer or their 'Pink Army'.

Awareness is good but it would be nice if other diseases etc were given similar amount of media attention as well.

Agreed! We hear a lot of media attention aimed at these things, but what about the more deadly forms of cancer or diseases that kill? Why not more funding for those? What about lung cancer, or like you said, diabetes, or heart disease or AIDS?