Understanding Cancer

Open University Course on Cancer

Avril — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:38:19 +0000

As I’m on maternity leve I thought I’d post up a link to the competition (!), if you are looking for a course on cancer then you can do one called “Understanding Cancer” through the Open University.

http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/course/sk123.htm

This is a Level 1 course so you need to have a reasonable level of English [...]

On Maternity Leave from August 2010

Avril — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:52:03 +0000

Avril - owner of Understanding Cancer Ltd

I will be on maternity leave from August 2010. As I maintain this blog and website myself there is no one to take over from me when I’m off. I do have a personal blog at http://understandingscience.co.uk which I will add to as and [...]

Huntly Relay This Weekend (3rd and 4th of July 2010)

Avril — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:43:55 +0000

The Huntly Relay for Life to raise funds for Cancer Research UK takes place this weekend. I’ll be talking along with a host of other folk from the North East, do come and join us if you can.

It’s being held in the Gordon Schools Playing Field, Huntly. (AB54 4SE). More details and maps [...]

Interesting things on the net

Avril — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:25:49 +0000

My apologies for the lack of posts, I am helping to organise a Relay for Life in Huntly and that is taking up most of my “free” time. If you are in the North East of Scotland, do come along to the Relay it’s on the 3rd-4th of July 2010 in the School Playing [...]

Anti-Angiogenesis – Stopping the blood supply to tumours. It sounds so easy…

Avril — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:24:27 +0000

There is a recent TED talk discussing how eating certain foods can prevent tumours from attracting a blood supply and growing. As with many things in science, the reality is not that simple, thousands of labs all over the world are working on treatments that aim to stop tumours attracting their own blood supply [...]

Does asparagus cure cancer? Nope.

Avril — Tue, 25 May 2010 19:19:20 +0000

My Dad forwarded me an email called “read the contents below and pass to your friends”. The gist of it was that aspargus can cure cancer. It gives three case studies of people with different types of cancer who were cured by eating asparagus and cites a study done in 1979 that I can’t [...]

Science Links May 2010

Avril — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:05:00 +0000

I’ve come across a few good science links lately, if you know of any more feel free to leave a comment below.

Naturally Obsessed – The Making of a Scientist.

This is a one hour documentary about how scientific research works. It follows 3 people in the lab of Dr Lawrence Shapiro in New [...]

Researchers in Residence 2010

Avril — Wed, 12 May 2010 18:24:46 +0000

Researchers in Residence is a scheme that matches up PhD research students posdocs and schools. The scientist usually spends a week with a school and can lead demonstrations, class discussions, talks about university life etc. I took part in the scheme when I was a student and throughly enjoyed it. They are looking for [...]

Breast Cancer in the News

Avril — Mon, 10 May 2010 20:32:56 +0000

There have been several interesting stories about new research into breast cancer. Firstly, a local one that I whole heartedly agree with, is a study at Aberdeen University to look at how Vitamin D levels might affect breast cancer. We get most of our vitamin D from the sun (and a bit from oily [...]

Online Cancer Textbooks & Statistics Information

Avril — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:27:41 +0000

So many things to blog about, so little time! I’ve found some good (free) resources for biology teaching. Firstly there is the “Cancer Biology – Open Educational Resource“. It is an online module produced in conjunction with the University of Bath, there is all sorts of good stuff there, online tutorials on apoptosis and [...]

Are you likely to have a scientist as an MP?

Avril — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:12:43 +0000

In the run up to the UK election, I thought it was worth posting this link from the Times, Are you likely to have a scientist as an MP? Short answer. No. Only one candidate standing in this years election is an active research scientist and perhaps not surpringly, they are in Cambridge. In [...]

Relay for Life – Huntly 2010 – Help Wanted

Avril — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:21:29 +0000

Relay for Life Huntly, is taking place on the 3rd-4th July 2010. The event raises money for Cancer Research UK and last year’s was great fun. We will have a large information marquee, with information on local cancer support charities. If you would like a stall at the event, please contact me, the more [...]

Fashion in Science

Avril — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:48:40 +0000

Fashions come and go in science as they do in any other industry. New experiments are “trendy” and “hot” and are soon replaced by the next big thing. If you don’t work in science, it’s easy to think that science should be rational and above such petty concerns, but the life science industry is [...]

Cancer Research – Highlights and Opportunities

Avril — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:50:29 +0000

I’d like to draw your attention to a video on YouTube about cancer research. It is produced by the American Association of Cancer Research and it is in part, an advert for the American Association of Cancer Research and (the US) National Cancer Institute. Most of the statistics relate to research in America, however, [...]

How do you explain fatigue to other people?

Avril — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:54:20 +0000

I have written about cancer fatigue before. Fatigue can affect people with any type of cancer and at any stage of treatment, having said that there is actually very little research and practical support available. Fatigue is tiredness that doesn’t go away with rest and it can be very hard to explain this to [...]

Kidney Cancer News and Resources

Avril — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:43:10 +0000

A few things have caught my interest this week, including this research on kidney cancer. A very early study has shown that two proteins in your urine (called aquaporin-1 and adipophilin) may act as markers of kidney cancer. This study only looked at 42 people with kidney cancer, so it will need to be [...]

60 Years of the NHS

Avril — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:25:54 +0000

There has been an interesting report published this week called “60 years of the NHS – Ordinary People Tell the Story” you will need Adobe Reader to open it. If you don’t want to read the whole report, there is a nice summary on the Wellcome Trust website (they part funded the study).

The [...]

Is there any point in eating fruit and veg?

Avril — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:52:00 +0000

This week, there have been many news reports saying “Five-a-day has little impact on cancer” and “Five fruit and veg a day won’t keep cancer away”. This is a result of new research, published by in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, you can read the study in all it’s glory here “Fruit [...]

Beautiful Minds – New TV Series BBC 4

Avril — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:07:25 +0000

The BBC are running a series of programs as part of their “World of Wonder“, focusing on science. There is a new, three part series starting on BBC4 tonight called “Beautiful Minds“. The (short) series focuses on three UK scientists and shows how their scientific discoveries changed how we think about science. The first [...]

Sponsors wanted for Aberdeen Race Night

Avril — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:15:04 +0000

UCAN, the local charity that supports people with urological cancers (kidney, bladder prostate and testicular) are looking for sponsors for a race night to be held in Aberdeen Northern Hotel on Friday the 16th of April 2010. The event is being organised by the Rotary Club of St Machar and they are looking for [...]

Breast Cancer and Exposure to Chemicals at Work

Avril — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:29:01 +0000

There have been several news reports about how exposure to certain chemicals at work, before you are 36, increases your chances of getting breast cancer when you are older. There is a video summary of this research at Insider Medicine, called “Work exposure to certain chemicals increases breast cancer risk“ You can also read [...]

The Human Genome – Still more to learn…

Avril — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:12:47 +0000

There is a nice feature in Wired magazine about “The Genome Revolution”, it is ten years since all the genes in a human were first mapped. The article is called “10 years on ‘the genome revolution is only just beginning‘”. There are a few quotes in the article that particularly struck me

The Human [...]

Prescription Charges fall to £3 on the 1st of April 2010

Avril — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:56:19 +0000

Prescription charges in Scotland will fall to £3 from tomorrow (the 1st of April 2010). If you live in Wales or Northern Ireland then prescriptions are already free. It is planned to phase out prescription charges in Scotland by 2011. If you live in England you still have to pay £7.20.

Not everyone in [...]

Cleanliness at ARI – Update March 2010

Avril — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:45:33 +0000

In November 2009 and January 2010 I wrote about the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate Report that criticised the standards of cleaning at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. A follow up inspection was carried out on the 17th of February 2010 and a report of their findings has been published today (the 29th March 2010). The follow up [...]

Apologies for the lack of posts…

Avril — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:56:05 +0000

I’m sorry for the lack of posts over the past few weeks. I’ve not been well and as this is a one man operation, there is no one to cover for me. Anyway, things are back to normal around here so, if you’ve any topics you’d like me to cover, please send me an [...]

Foresterhill – Cancer Talk 12th March 2010

Avril — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:50:17 +0000

I have some more details about events going on in and around Aberdeen for National Science and Engineering Week (12th to 21st March 2010). All are open to anyone (though you may have to register in advance for some events).

For a list of all the events in Aberdeen and a downloadable program, visit [...]

CRUK Survey 2010

Avril — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:59:08 +0000

Cancer Research UK carry out a survey every year to see how much people know about both cancer prevention and cancer screening and the work of the charity itself. I received a paper copy of the survey in the post this morning, but you can save a stamp and complete it online. You will [...]

National Science and Engineering Week 12th to 21st March 2010

Avril — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:52:07 +0000

I though I’d point out that National Science and Engineering Week starts, next week and runs from the 12th to the 21st of March 2010. You can find out more here. There are a couple of events in Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire, on the 13th of March there will be some events on at the new shopping [...]

Information is Beautiful – Are supplements worth it?

Avril — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:31:54 +0000

I found a fascinating website today called “Information is Beautiful“, in particular I was interested in the post “SnakeOil? Scientific Evidence for Health Food Supplements“. This post is based on HUGE amounts of data and is a lot to take in at first glance, it certainly doesn’t look like a conventional graph.

So what’s [...]

Ig Nobels are coming to Dundee (and Aberdeen, sort of…)

Avril — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:44:20 +0000

The Ig Nobel awards are given to research that makes you laugh and makes you think. It takes place at Dundee University on Saturday the 13th of March at 6pm. The event is open to the public and tickets are free (but you need to book in advance). You can book tickets online (under [...]