Hi all. Well I have been doing some reading around at the moment, and wanted to let you know about some of the latest developments in cancer treatments or prevention.

I have looked at a couple of articles. This one, in the Daily Mail, talks about a new laser machine, which costs £120,000 and fires the equivalent power of 70 microwave ovens to vaporise lung tumours the size of a postage stamp. It has already been a huge success for people with lung cancer, with operating times and hospital stays reduced and patients recovering sooner. Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world with around 1.3 million new people diagnosed with it annually.

The  laser was unveiled earlier this year at the Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea, Central London, after more than two years of research, training and preparation by George Ladas, the hospital’s leading thoracic surgeon.

Before the laser, the old operating method was long and slow, as Mr Ladas would cut away the tumour while, at the same time, sealing the surrounding tissue to prevent bleeding and infection. Mr Ladas often spent up to eight hours in theatre completing the process. The deeper the tumour the more complicated, delicate and time consuming the operation would be, leading to one 12-hour procedure where 38 tumours were removed from a single lung.

In comparison, the laser offers precision and concentration of power. The laser light beam is transmitted down a flexible glass cylinder covered in a plastic sheath.  At the tip of the cylinder, a pen-like device attaches which Mr Ladas holds in his hand enabling him to position the laser, with pinpoint accuracy, exactly where he wants it.

But the disappearing tumour is not the only benefit. The laser also seals the surrounding lung tissue together which means there is no bleeding, or leaking air.  And that means patients are under general anaesthetic for about half the time, on average two to three hours, and chest drains are removed much faster with patients discharged sooner. Mr Ladas has already completed 45 procedures with excellent results.

One of the early beneficiaries of the new technology was retired ceramic tiler Clifton Goldson, who suffered from bone cancer and subsequently developed secondary tumours in both lungs. He was referred to Mr Ladas for treatment, which has made a big difference to his life.

But then we go from expensive laser machines to……watercress. According to this article, eating watercress every day could help to prevent breast cancer, according to research at the University of Southampton. The research found that the compound phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), which gives the salad lead its peppery taste, is able to interfere with the function of a protein that is critical in the development of cancer.

The protein is called Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) and is at the heart of the process of introducing new blood vessels into a malignant tumour. The tumour needs these blood vessels to have enough oxygen and nutrients to grow, after it uses up its initial supply. PEITC, of which watercress is the richest natural source, was shown in laboratory tests to have the ability to block the funtion of HIF. I do need to point out at this point that the research was funded by the Watercress Alliance, but let’s hope that this research really does give hope to the 45,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

Well certainly some things to think about there – hope that blog wasn’t too long for you! Remember if you have a holiday planned, and want to find out more about travelling with cancer, or travel insurance for cancer patients, you can always check out all our other blogs.