Download Click to the July 2014 Newsletter.

JULY NEWSLETTER 2014
WPPG SUBSCRIPTIONS
Please note that subscriptions for the current financial year were due on the 1 st April. Those who
would like to become a NEW member of the Wheathampstead Patient Participation Group can
complete an application form, available on the WPPG Noticeboard in the Wheathampstead
Surgery. Once completed this form, together with the £5 membership fee, can be ‘posted’ in the
RED box adjacent to the Noticeboard. Existing members, wishing to renew membership, can
place £5 in a sealed envelope (with name clearly printed on the outside) and post in the RED
box.
PILATES
Due to its popularity we have now started a Waiting List for our Wheathampstead classes. Our
Pilates instructor, Slim Tlili, teaches three groups on Tuesday afternoons from 2-3pm, 3-4pm and
4-5pm. All equipment is provided. The non-profit-making charge per one hour session is £6.
The administration work is undertaken by members of the WPPG committee who give freely of
their time. Slim has now opened, Pilates Reformer Equipment classes in WGC at a cost of £15
per hour. He has classes every day of the week at varying times, including Saturdays and
Sundays.
NHS HEALTH CHECKS Sylvia Foster, Practice Manager
The Village Surgery is currently offering NHS Health Checks to our patients between the ages of
40-74. These are designed to identify risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease
and so are on offer to those who have not already been identified with such a risk. If you would
like to take up this offer please contact the surgery to make an appointment.
EXTENDED HOURS
We are currently discussing opening the surgery for extended hours on possibly two days per
week. The extra opening times would be 7-8am and 6.30-8.30pm. We would be grateful to
hear your views regarding this proposal – please email [email protected] with your thoughts.
FLU VACCINATIONS
We will not be sending letters to the over 65s this year – so please put a note in your diary to
contact the surgery in the middle of September regarding the flu vaccination appointment.
BOWEL CANCER
Dr Debbie Gilham
The risk of developing bowel cancer in a lifetime is 1 in 20 or less. It is the third most common
cancer in the UK with more than 16,000 dying from this per year. Those of you between the
ages of 60 and 69, or older in some areas, will have been sent a bowel cancer screening pack,
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which tests for blood which is not visible. The over-70s can apply for a bowel screening kit,
with full instructions, to be sent to them by telephoning 0800 707 60 60. It consists of smearing
a sample of stool on a special card which is then posted off. If positive, a colonoscopy is offered
to look for cancer in the bowel or for polyps which can be a precursor of cancer. Of those tested
2% will come back positive and of these 40% will have a polyp and 10% a cancer. Caught early
the chance of survival is 90%. Screening reduces the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16%.
Of course, screening is not 100%, so if you have one or more of the following symptoms,
persisting for four to six weeks, please see your GP: persistent change in bowel habit to looser,
bleeding from the back passage or in the stool, abdominal pain, a lump in the abdomen,
unexplained tiredness or weight loss.
Those at increased risk of bowel cancer are those aged over 60 in whom 80% of bowel cancers
occur, those with inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, those with a
diet rich in meat and low in fruit and veg, fibre and folate. Additional risk factors are obesity,
lack of exercise, smoking and drinking alcohol.
There is a genetic cause for bowel cancer in 1 in 10 cases, so if you have several relatives
diagnosed with bowel cancer, especially if this has occurred in different generations of your
family or at a particularly young age, see your GP. For example, one first degree relative
diagnosed before the age of 45 or two first degree relatives diagnosed at any age, a first degree
relative being a parent, sibling or child. This is significant if those affected come from the same
side of the family.
We are notified when a patient has had the screening or not and in due course we will be writing
to those who have not taken up the offer of screening to encourage them to go as we believe it is
so worthwhile.
DOCTOR I FEEL FINE BUT I WANT TO HAVE A TEST
FOR PROSTATE CANCER Dr Preetesh Modi (Ref: Cancer Research UK)
Prostate cancer is a serious condition. The PSA test can give an early indication of prostate
cancer; however, cancer experts disagree on how useful the PSA test is for screening (testing for
a disease in a healthy person). As a result there is no national screening programme for prostate
cancer in the UK.
What is the prostate?
The prostate gland lies just below the bladder in men. It provides fluid to help produce healthy
sperm. The prostate surrounds the tube (called the urethra) that carries urine from the bladder
out through the penis. Problems with the prostate gland can affect urination and sexual function.
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Each year in the UK about 35,000
men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 10,000 die from the disease. It is less common in
men below the age of 50 years, and the average age at diagnosis is 70 to 74 years. The risk is
greater for men who have a family history of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer can grow slowly or
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very quickly. Slow-growing cancers are more common and may not cause any symptoms or
shorten life.
What is a PSA test?
The PSA test is a blood test that measures the level of PSA (prostate specific antigen) in the
blood. PSA is made by the prostate gland and can be measured in the bloodstream. A raised
PSA level may mean you have prostate cancer. However, non-cancerous conditions can cause a
raised PSA level, for example, enlargement of the prostate, prostatitis and urinary infection.
About 2 out of 3 men with a raised PSA level will not have a prostate cancer. The PSA test can
also miss cancer which means a normal result does not exclude the disease.
What happens after a PSA test?
If the PSA level is slightly raised, you are unlikely to have cancer and no immediate further
action is needed, although you may have further tests to confirm the result.
If the PSA level is slightly raised, you probably do not have cancer, but you might need further
PSA tests to check for a rising PSA level. If your PSA level is definitely raised, your GP will
arrange for you to see a specialist.
How is the prostate gland examined?
Your GP can examine the prostate gland with a gloved finger through the back passage. This is
not usually a painful examination. He or she will be checking for the size of the prostate gland,
whether it is smooth or hard and whether there are any abnormal lumps within it. Your doctor
will consider any family history of prostate cancer, your ethnic background and any previous
PSA test results.
What further tests would be carried out?
If the PSA level is raised, a prostate biopsy may be needed to check for cancer. This means
taking samples from the prostate through the back passage. This can be an uncomfortable and
painful experience although local anaesthetics are used. Sometimes the biopsy may lead to
complications such as infection or blood in the semen or urine. About 2 out of 3 men who have a
prostate biopsy will not have prostate cancer. However, biopsies can miss some cancers so one
may not know for sure that there is no cancer even after a clear result.
What must I think about before I have a PSA test?
Remember the PSA level is not a 100% reliable test for prostate cancer so the following benefits
and limitations of the test must be considered.
The benefits:
It may reassure you if the test result is normal.
It may give you an indication of cancer before symptoms develop.
It may find cancer at an early stage when treatments could be of benefit.
The limitations:
It can miss cancer and provide false reassurance.
It may lead to unnecessary worry and further tests such as a prostate biopsy when there is no
cancer.
It cannot tell the difference between slow-growing and fast-growing cancer.
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It may cause worry by finding slow-growing cancers that may never cause any symptoms, need
treatment or shorten life.
What do I do if I still wish to have the test?
The decision to test the PSA level should be made after an appropriate discussion with your GP
to ensure you fully understand the above and that your GP is able to reliably interpret your test
result in the context of your individual circumstances. The PSA level should not be considered a
test for prostate cancer, this is a common misconception.
PORTION SIZE
Pat Walker, Dietician
We read in the media a great deal about portions. We need 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a
day. But what is a portion?
Carbohydrate – bread, cereals, rice and potatoes
1 egg size potato
3 Tablespoons bran type cereal
2 Tbspns cooked rice of pasta
1 small pitta bread
2 Tbspns uncooked oats.
EAT 5-6-7 portions/day.
Fruit and Vegetables
2 Tbspns cooked vegetables 1 medium piece of fruit – banana, apple, orange or pear
2 plums
6 strawberries
2-3 Tbspns peas, beans or lentils
EAT 5 portions/day
Meat fish chicken
2-3 ozs cooked poultry or vegetarian alternative
4-5 ozs white fish
2 eggs
2 Tbspns peanut butter
EAT 2-3 portions/day
Milk and Diary foods
1/3rd pint semi-skimmed milk
1 small pot yoghurt/fromage frais
1 oz matchbox size piece of hard cheese 2 Tbspns cottage cheese
EAT 3 portions/day
Fatty and Sugary Foods
2 Tbspns spread, butter or salad dressing ½ bag crisps
2 Tbspns sugar/jam/honey
1 scoop ice cream
Try and cut down on sugary foods
EAT zero 0-4 portions/day
All these individual items above constitute a portion, but this is only a selection of foods.
The portions are for an “average person” bearing in mind a small woman would eat less
than a manual labourer. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DOWNSIZING!
REMINDER: WPPG ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – 26 June at the Memorial Hall
at 7.30pm. HEALTH TALK: Dr Richard Keen’s subject will be an UPDATE ON
OSTEOPOROSIS AND ARTHRITIS. Reserve your seat: 01582 832305
Andy Capy, Editor, would welcome suggestions for future Health Talk topics (Tel 01582
832305) Email: [email protected]