Archive for the ‘Travelling with Medical Conditions’ Category

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Skin Cancer Treatment

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

According to this article, skin cancers can now be treated at home - thanks to a piece of kit that seems pretty simple but is actually very clever. The basic equipment is just a sticking plaster that emits light.

So how does it work? The device, called the Ambulight, is an established alternative to surgery for many forms of skin cancer that uses laser combined with a light-sensitive drug to destroy cancer cells. This avoids the scarring associated with surgical removal of the tumour and the need for a hospital stay.

The Ambulight consists of a pod that houses medical-grade red LED lights. The light source is attached to a controller the size of a mobile phone. Photosensitising cream is rubbed on to the skin, and the pod is attached to the skin with a plaster. Once the cream is absorbed into the skin, the pod automatically turns on. Three hours later the light switches off and the device can be disposed of. Patients can move freely during treatment. The machine costs just £100,  about half the price of the average hospital outpatient appointment.

This new sticking plaster treatment is used to treat non-melanoma-type skin cancers, which affect around 15% of the UK population. These cancers do not commonly spread, but they are still considered malignant.

Ambulight developer James Ferguson, Professor of dermatology at Dundee University, hopes the treatment will eventually be offered at GP surgeries.

Muriel Lowe, 59 underwent the treatment after being diagnosed with skin cancer. Muriel had two treatments, then after three months she returned for tests and was told the cancer had gone.

The Ambulight plaster has just received a European licence and is now being rolled out to NHS hospitals nationwide. I think this seems like an extremely clever new treatment and will be interested to hear more about as it gets rolled out in the UK.

If you have skin cancer and are  planning a holiday, you can find out more about travelling with cancer here.

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Posted in Travelling with Cancer | 1 Comment »

Sunshine Vitamin to help fight Cancer

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

Marie Cruikshank, 62, was told she had advanced lung cancer and would have just a few months left to live. But a high-dose supplement of Vitamin D (the “sunshine vitamin”) has helped her fight the disease, according to this article. sunny holidays and travel insurance

Her GP prescribed the vitamin after discovering that Mrs Cruikshank had a very low blood level of vitamin D. Scientific evidence suggests that cancer patients may be in a better position to fight the cancer if their vitamin D level is in the optimal range.

Marie was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006. She was referred to the Western General Hospital where she was put on chemotherapy which shrunk the tumour. Her GP then started her on vitamin D, adjusting the dose according to the result of blood tests. Currently she takes 1.5mg per week.

 Scientists said large-scale studies were now needed to see if the increased survival rate identified could be a direct response to the vitamin D.

Professor Angus Dalgleish, of St George’s Hospital, Tooting, southwest London, is convinced that vitamin D helped save Mrs Cruikshank’s life. He said: “A patient with lung cancer in Scotland would be lucky to live four months never mind four years. In Athens a lung cancer patient might live four years. A sunny climate seems to prolong life.”

This is a really good positive news story, especially when you think of the simplicity of a simple vitamin supplement compared to other cancer treatments. What is more, we already know that holidays can be a good thing for people to relax and recuperate after cancer, but this story could be another reason for cancer patients to enjoy a lovely holiday in the sun. You can find out more information on travelling with cancer here, or you can find specialist cancer travel insurance here.

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Posted in Travelling with Cancer, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

World Cancer Day

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

The 4th of February is World Cancer Day. The aim for this year is to highlight how we can prevent  and fight cancer. So I wanted to write this blog to give some hope for people affected by cancer.

This article I read is all about a woman’s fight against pancreatic cancer. A year ago, Amanda, then aged 39, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer through an ultrasound. 

The disease, which claimed the life of actor Patrick Swayze last year and has also now affected Aretha Franklin, is thought to be on the rise, with the number of cases up by two per cent between 2005 and 2007.

Smoking accounts for 20% of cases, but some scientists believe our consumption of fizzy, sweet, soft drinks and rising ­obesity levels are partly behind the increased incidence.  High levels of sugar mean the body has to produce more ­insulin — the theory is this ­contributes to pancreas cancer cell growth.

The only cure is surgery but this is not always possible because tumours in the pancreas often spread, or wrap themselves around main arteries and the treatment is complicated, requiring a certain level of fitness. So only 10% of patients can have any hope of surgery, but Amanda was luckily in that 10%.

Amanda had the tail and body of her pancreas removed, in an 8 hour operation. Because the blood supply is closely connected to the spleen, that was removed, too, as a precaution.  Without a spleen, Amanda now needs innoculations, regular flu jabs and daily penicillin for the immediate future and possibly life. She also has to take a mixture of digestive enzymes ­normally released by the pancreas, to digest food and is at risk for diabetes in the future. She also needed six months of ­chemotherapy to blast any ­cancerous cells left behind.

So what are the signs to watch for:

  • Indigestion and abdominal pain. If you feel you have indigestion, get treated for indigestion. And if the treatment doesn’t work after a few days, or the symptoms worsen, go back to your GP
  • Other signs include jaundice, persistent back pain, nausea, stomach ulcer-like pain, intermittent diarrhoea, unexplained weight loss, yellowing of the whites of the eyes, and unexplained blood clots
  • Another sign is sudden onset of adult diabetes

But Amanda always fought back against the cancer. Two weeks after chemotherapy finished, Amanda entered the 5k Race for Life run and ran the entire distance.

Amanda has now been declared disease free. Doctors only ever give an official all-clear five years after diagnosis, but there is no physical sign of cancer.

Therefore, I wanted to include this story because it is such a good news blog, about one woman’s fight against cancer, and so I thought it was very appropriate for World Cancer Day. At AllClear we believe that everyone deserves the right to travel, and see the world. If you have cancer, or know someone who does, you may be interested in reading our other blogs about travelling with cancer.

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Posted in Travelling with Cancer | No Comments »

Cooling brains of stroke patients

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
travelling after stroke

Cooling a patient's brain after stroke can aid recovery

 

Want to increase a stroke patient’s chance of recovery? Put their brain on ice according to this article. Reducing body temperature involves lowering a person’s body temperature a couple of degrees to 35C, using ice cold intravenous drips and cooling pads.

The belief is that this creates a state of ‘artificial hibernation’ that slows the body and blood supply, which gives doctors more time to deal with burst or blocked blood vessels. The scientists estimate this treatment might improve the outcome of stroke for more than 40,000 Europeans every year.

A surgeon in Napoleon’s army first discovered the phenomenon, describing how wounded soldiers put close to the camp fire died, while those left in the snow survived. Then in 2002, two studies published in the New England Journal Of Medicine established the importance of body cooling after heart attacks. Researchers found patients whose bodies were cooled had improved survival rates, and that their brains functioned better in the months following the heart attack. The American Heart Association recommended reducing body temperatures in the comatose survivors of cardiac arrest. I remember seeing a documentary about someone who had got trapped in ice for around 24 hours, but survived, that talked about this idea of body cooling as the reason for her survival too.

Ok so the idea of therapeutic hypothermia (reduction in core body temperature) as a medical treatment is not new, but a bigger trial is now required. This has been proposed and researchers are hopeful that 1,500 people in 80 hospitals from 21 countries will take part in the proposed study.

I hope this article was of interest to you. It is counter intituitive to me to think that cooling down the body can actually be a good thing, but that is what makes this research so enthralling.

Look out for more blog posts coming soon about stroke, particularly travelling after a stroke.

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Posted in Travelling with stroke | 3 Comments »

It’s all yellow…

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

We have talked about pancreatic cancer a few times in this blog, but I just wanted you to share  a story with you. TV presenter Nigel Farrell had been shooting for a BBC documentary series called Island Parish, and were heading home for a break when his cameraman pointed out that his eyes had turned yellow, according to this article. By the next morning, his skin had turned completely yellow.

His GP diagnosed jaundice which is often caused by gallstones, but can be caused by a tumour.  One of the common causes of jaundice is blockage of the bile duct, which normally carries bile from the liver to the gut. The liver extracts potential toxins from the blood, modifies them and passes them into the bile so they can reach the gut and be excreted from the body.If they cannot escape, the toxins ‘leak’ back into the bloodstream, and one  -bilirubin  -  produces a yellow colouration in the body. A scan showed that the cause of Nigel’s jaundice was a tumour.

Early symptoms of pancreatic cancer often disguise themselves behind less alarming problems such as weight loss or diabetes, and are notoriously hard to identify. However, the fact that the tumour had blocked the bile duct made it more easily identifiable. Of every 100 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, only 10 can be operated on, but Nigel was in the lucky 10%. Of this 10%, they are only able to remove the tumour in 4% of cases.

During the operation, as well as the tumour, part of his pancreas, gall bladder, bile ducts, bowel and stomach, were removed in an attempt to prevent any potential spread of the tumour. Following his operation, he had a six-month course of chemotherapy at another North London hospital, the Royal Free, designed to attack any remaining post-operative cancer cells. He was on a trial regime; chemo pills every day for three weeks, along with a once-a-week, half-hour chemo drip, then nothing for the fourth week, to allow the body to recover.

Before Christmas, he had a CT scan, and this, along with the results of blood tests, showed that the chemo appeared to have done its job and there was now no evidence of cancer, so that is great news.

If you have cancer, or would like to find out more, check out our other blogs in the Travelling with cancer category.

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Posted in Travelling with Cancer | 1 Comment »

A telegram from the Queen

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
elderly or medical travel insurance comparison

More and more people could have longer to enjoy their retirement, according to official statistics

Do you know anyone who has received a telegram from the Queen because they reached 100? I do know one…

But according to the latest figures, you are likely to know a lot more because one in six will live to be 100. This means 10m people alive today will get a royal telegram, with many even surviving until 110.

Improved living conditions and medical technology are driving the dramatic changes. Modern treatments such as statins, which lower blood cholesterol, and blood pressure drugs are helping to prevent fatal conditions and increase lifespan. Better education and greater awareness of diet have helped many stay healthier. And the decline of jobs requiring heavy and risky manual work has also played a part.

The Department for Work and Pensions figures show that 17% of the population will see their 100th birthday, equal to about 10.6million people.Of these, around three million are currently under 16. Around 5.5million are between 16 and 50, and around 1.3million are between 51 and 65.  There are also about 875,000 who have already celebrated their 65th birthday and can expect to live for at least another 35 years. 

Last year there were just 11,600 people aged 100 or above, a figure which itself was more than four times that recorded 30 years before. Even over the past two years the ranks of centenarians have increased by nearly 25%. By 2066, there will be around 7,700 ‘super-centenarians’ – those who have reached at least 110.

Now this obviously raises a lot of issues in terms of supporting old people, and providing for such a long retirement….But I want to talk about another issue that this raises – that of travel insurance for the elderly, especially if they have medical conditions.

With this long retirement (a third of our lives or more) you are likely to want to go on holidays, and you are more likely to want to have the time to go away. So difficulty in finding travel insurance shouldn’t be an obstacle to that. However, unfortunately, a lot of elderly people, or those with medical conditions, often find it difficult to get the comprehensive travel insurance that they need. If you are looking for travel insurance, make sure you use a specialist provider, so you can get the insurance you need and travel with complete peace of mind. And remember AllClear Options is the first comparison site for medical travel insurance, so you can get a range of quotes here, and make sure you get the travel insurance that suits you.

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Posted in Travelling with Medical Conditions | 2 Comments »

Soya Beans, the latest cancer fighting food

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
soya beans to fight cancer

We often hear of cancer fighting foods, but have you heard about the latest?

Ok well we all know of the story of Jack and the beanstalk and his magic beans – but could these beans now be a reality? We are not talking about financial treasure but something even more important – your health.

Soya beans could boost the battle against prostate and breast cancer, according to this article. The potential health benefits of the bean have been highlighted in two ­separate studies.

Researchers from Northwestern University, ­Chicago, found that one pill a day of genistein, a natural ­isoflavone chemical in soya, seemed to slow or stop the spread of prostate cancer.

Although it was tested on a small group of only 38 men, scientists say the results could lead to the first non-toxic treatment that prevents cancer cell movement.

In a second study, of almost 1,300 women, researchers from the University at Buffalo, New York, showed isoflavones from soya can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. Those with the highest isoflavone intake had a 30 per cent lower risk of an invasive breast tumour and a 60 per cent lower risk of a low-grade tumour. The study evaluated 683 women with breast cancer and compared them with 611 healthy women.

Ok well it seems like these studies are in the early stages, so I don’t think there is too much that we can draw from them yet, but it could be promising for the future.

If you want more information about cancer, particularly about travelling with cancer, check this out

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First ‘bionic’ eyes that let blind see

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

travelling with a disabilityKing’s College Hospital in London is to carry out the first operation to insert a permanent “bionic” eye which has already restored sight to blind patients, according to this article.

The team will start testing on the ‘bionic’ eye in March. This follows a successful trial in Germany where three patients were able to see again just days after being fitted with the implant. In the German trial, the chip was taken out after three months but the UK patients will have it implanted for life as scientists have developed a new coating which is safer for permanent use. The device is packed with 1,500 light sensors designed to replace those in the retina lost to the most common form of eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa. The inherited condition gradually destroys the light sensitive retina at the back of the eye, causing blindness.

About six patients will be chosen for the King’s trial by the start of February. It will then take experts a month to tailor the implant for each individual patient. Another six patients will be recruited for a trial at the Oxford Eye Hospital.

Bionic eyes have been piloted before. But this battery-powered implant is the first that doesn’t require cumbersome accessories such as a camera mounted on dark glasses. The implant is tiny –  only three millimetres square. It is fitted with sensors which trigger an electronic pulse that stimulates nerves leading to the brain enabling patients to see a rough black and white image.

The German company, Retina Implant AG, which is behind the implant hopes it will become widely available within five years. Miikka Terho was one of the first patients treated with the implant in the German trial. Completely blind before, he was able to tell the time from a clock face, read his name and correct spelling errors.

So what does this amazing new treatment mean for people? Well, according to one of the surgeons, this artificial vision could greatly enhance the quality of life for people with retinitis pigmentosa. Doctors hope it could also be used to treat blindness caused by age-related macular degeneration. This is the most common cause of blindness in the elderly and affects about 500,000 people in Britain.

At AllClear, we are pretty impressed by this treatment because although it sounds like it could be something out of a science fiction film, it really can help people who are blind change their life entirely. This is important to us because we believe that everyone deserves to travel, and experience other parts of the world, and this new ‘bionic eye’ could really help people do just that. You can read more about travelling with a disability here, or check out AllClear to get travel insurance that covers medical conditions….

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Posted in Travelling with a disability | 1 Comment »

Want more choice at Christmas?

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

Christmas is a time of choice – choosing presents for people, choosing who to spend the day with, choosing  the colour scheme for the tree. There is a lot of choice….

Quite appropriate then, that at this time of the year, we have launched the UK’s first ever medical travel insurance comparison site – so you can have a lot more choice when buying your specialist travel insurance too.

The site, called AllClear Options, provides multiple quotes for medical travel insurance, from a range of specialist insurers, including AllClear Travel, so you can choose the cover that best suits you. It is really easy to make a medical travel insurance comparison  - users only have to go through the medical screening process once, and then can compare quotes from a number of medical travel insurance providers. AllClear Options works with AllClear Travel Insurance, Freedom Travel Insurance and Avanti Travel Insurance. We will be able to quickly and reliably add more specialist insurers into our panel in the future, using our AllClear aggregator technology, so giving you even more choice!

AllClear Options site, Medical travel insurance comparison

So why did we come up with AllClear Options? Well, we believe that everyone deserves the right to travel, and so wanted to make it easier for people with medical conditions to get the specialist travel insurance they want, at the price they want. We did some research and found that people have more and more different priorities for their medical travel insurance.  So we developed AllClear Options to make it easier for you to compare medical travel insurance, without needing to visit a number of different websites. We give you a lot more choice in your medical travel insurance, saving you a lot of time and effort, and leaving you to  travel with complete peace of mind.

So Christmas is a time of chocolate, cheese, cheer and charades, but also of choice, and now there is more choice in medical travel insurance, with AllClear Options. Do give AllClear Options a try and let us know what you think of it…..And Merry Christmas!

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Posted in Travelling with Medical Conditions | No Comments »

Simple surgery offers hope to millions with high blood pressure

Monday, December 20th, 2010

According to this article, millions of people with untreatable high blood pressure were given hope yesterday by the development of a surgical procedure that can dramatically cut the risk from the condition.

High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for premature death worldwide, affecting one in three adults. It increases the incidence of strokes and heart attacks and affects 16 million people in the UK.

Most people can reduce their blood pressure by drinking less alcohol, eating less salt and taking more exercise, or with drugs prescribed by doctors. But 10 to 20% are unable to control hypertension with available medicines. The new treatment offers an alternative way of cutting blood pressure without the use of drugs. Though millions could be treated with the new procedure, the NHS would probably limit its application for economic reasons.

The minimally invasive procedure is similar to angioplasty for heart disease but involves deactivating nerves in the kidney which play a key role in regulating blood pressure. A catheter is inserted into a vein in the thigh and threaded through to the kidney. Then a burst of radio-frequency energy is used to disable the nerves.

A trial of the technique run in 24 hospitals worldwide, including in the UK, found the technique cut blood pressure levels by a sufficient margin to halve the risk of dying from heart attack or stroke.

The 100 patients in the study, half of whom underwent the procedure, had average readings of about 178/97mm Hg at the start of the study, which were well above the threshold for high blood pressure – 140/90mm Hg. Six months after treatment, 84 per cent of those who underwent the procedure had significant reductions in blood pressure.  Patients in the UK were treated at Barts and the London NHS Trust starting last December.

At AllClear, we know a lot about high blood pressure (or hypertension) because it is one of the main conditions that we cover for people going on holiday. Obviously, a big part of dealing with high blood pressure is making those relevant lifestyle changes, but as this article points out, sometimes the medication and lifestyle changes are not enough. So it is good to hear about these new surgical techniques that could help people with high blood pressure…

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Posted in Travelling with Hypertension | 1 Comment »

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