| If you or a loved one is suddenly faced with | | | | "How You Can Help", which allows any one |
| a diagnoses of cancer and you're not quite | | | | interested to get involved. |
| sure what it all means or what it entails, | | | | |
| you're bound to feel a great deal of fear and | | | | Marie Curie Cancer Care was established in |
| confusion. There will probably be uncertainty | | | | 1948, which makes it one of the oldest and |
| thrown in as well just to mix it all up a | | | | one of the largest organisations in the UK. |
| bit. Your doctor will probably have explained | | | | There are more than 2700 nurses, doctors and |
| things to you but it is more than likely that | | | | other healthcare professionals caring for |
| you were not taking it in. So what are you | | | | 25,000 cancer patients, free of charge. This |
| options now? Well there are many | | | | means that they need to raise more than 100 |
| organisations out there that offer services | | | | million pounds annually to maintain their |
| to the community, or the world at large, | | | | services. These services include running 10 |
| regarding the dissemination of cancer | | | | hospices across the UK, 2 centres for |
| information; they also provide support and | | | | palliative care research and the Marie Curie |
| care. It may feel like it, but these | | | | Research Institute, which looks into the |
| organisations are here to prove that cancer | | | | causes and treatment of cancer. They are |
| is not the end of the world; it is merely a | | | | strong proponents for patients to be able to |
| new beginning. | | | | make the decision to be able to die at home |
| | | | rather than in a hospital bed. Statistics |
| Cancer Backup is an organisation that gives | | | | reveal that 70% of people would rather die at |
| patients and families up to date information, | | | | home. Instead more than 50% of cancer |
| practical advice and support. They aim to | | | | patients are still dying in hospital beds. |
| reduce the fear and uncertainty that | | | | 70% of all their income, that means 70% of |
| surrounds patients and their families on | | | | 100 million pounds, comes from individual |
| first hearing that they have cancer. It was | | | | donations; the rest comes from the NHS. |
| started in 1985 and originally started out as | | | | |
| a national cancer information service. It | | | | On an international level there is the |
| soon developed into so much more. It was | | | | International Agency for Research on Cancer, |
| started by Dr Vicky Clements-Jones after she | | | | which forms part of the WHO. It was formed in |
| went through her own cancer experience and | | | | 1965. The major goal of the IARC is to |
| realised that there was a need for a service | | | | identify the causes of cancer in order to |
| such as she began to provide. The website | | | | adopt preventative measures. The emphasis of |
| includes information on symptoms and side | | | | their research is on epidemiology, |
| effects, eating well, relationships and | | | | environmental carcinogenesis and research |
| communication, if someone else has cancer, | | | | training. They do not focus on treatment at |
| advanced cancer, practical issues, | | | | all. Their research ideas are based on the |
| organisations, UK patient information guide. | | | | notions that 1) 80% of all cancers are linked |
| There are articles for the site, treatment | | | | to environmental factors and that makes them |
| guidelines and information on controversial | | | | preventable 2) epidemiology plays a major |
| and difficult topics written especially for | | | | role in cancer prevention and in the |
| doctors. Nurses who work for the organisation | | | | evaluation of prevention measures 3) |
| provide information and support via email, | | | | geographical variations in cancer reflect |
| telephone and letter to more than 50,000 | | | | differences in environment and international |
| patients and their families annually. The | | | | research is ideally placed to study this |
| site offers loads more including a section on | | | | relationship between man and his habitat. |