HEALTH BULLETIN

Cancer society targets 500 women for Pap smear screening

The Jamaica Cancer Society, in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, will screen 500 of Jamaica's most needy and vulnerable women for cervical cancer during the next two months.

The women are being selected from the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education, the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities, the Jamaica Council for Senior Citizens and the National Family Planning Board.

This programme is in keeping with the Cancer Society's mission to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in Jamaica, and is made possible through a grant received from the Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

service to women

"We are grateful for this opportunity to serve these women, through acts of screening and public-health education," said Yulit Gordon, executive director, Jamaica Cancer Society.

"Far too many of our Jamaican women are dying in their most productive years from cervical cancer, which is one of the most preventable cancers. We are hoping for a positive outcome in identifying any abnormal cells early so that effective treatment can take place and lives saved."

Research has shown that medically underserved women have higher cervical cancer-mortality rates. The Jamaica Cancer Society screened more than 7,000 women islandwide in 2013 and is hoping to significantly increase this number in 2014.

NCB Insurance hosts national Men's Health Week

As the National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB) continues its focus on developing the financial as well as physical wellness of Jamaicans, NCB Insurance Company Limited (NCBIC) will place emphasis on men's health by embarking on a drive to raise national awareness about prostate cancer, which is identified as the most common cause of cancer deaths among Jamaican men.

In a bid to improve the odds of the country's menfolk of surviving this disease, NCBIC has partnered with the Jamaica Urological Society to stage the NCBIC ProCare Men's Health Week, January 27-February 1, during which new research and other resources will be shared with the public on how to prevent and survive the physical and financial impact of prostate cancer.

cancer prevention

"We at NCB want to arm Jamaican men and, by extension, their families, with the knowledge they need about prevention, testing and treatment of this disease so that they can make the best financial and health decisions possible. Our overall goal is to help reduce the death rates from prostate cancer in Jamaica, and offer resources which can help improve the quality of life of our citizens," commented NCBIC regional manager, Antonio Spence.

Highlights of the NCBIC Men's Health Week will include a working visit by world renowned urologist, Professor Arthur Burnett from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute in Maryland, United States.

Professor Burnett will join consultant urologist, University Hospital of the West Indies, and lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Dr Belinda Morrison, for an island-wide NCB branch tour starting in New Kingston on Monday, January 27.

The week's activities will culminate in a Men's Health Forum in Kingston on Saturday, February 1, which will be open to some members of the public.

New diabetes drug approved by FDA

A new pill to treat adults with type 2 diabetes has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Farxiga (dapaglifozin) tablets were approved to improve patients' blood sugar control, in combination with diet and exercise. The approval is based on findings from 16 clinical trials that included more than 9,400 people with type 2 diabetes.

An increased number of bladder cancers were diagnosed among patients who took the drug, so it is not recommended for patients with bladder cancer, the FDA said. The most common side effects among patients who took Farxiga were genital-fungal infections and urinary-tract infections.

more testing

The FDA ordered six post-approval studies for the drug. The studies will examine things such as cardiovascular and bladder cancer risk, liver problems, and pregnancy outcomes among patients taking the drug. Two studies will assess the use of the drug in children.

Farxiga is marketed by Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.

Simple blood test could predict heart attack

A simple blood test could be effective in predicting a heart attack based on a test that was developed by scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in California, United States.

The test, reported earlier this month in the journal, Physical Biology, identifies endothelial cells in the bloodstream. These cells circulate when arteries rapture due to a buildup of plaque and can be found after heart attacks occur. Peter Kuhn, a researcher at Scripps and co-author of the study, said that the test requires a mere one millilitre of blood to complete. Flourescent markers are used to label the cells, which are examined and analysed by a computer.

comparing samples

The procedure is known as a High-Definition Circulating Endothelial Cell (HD-CEC). In developing it, researchers took blood samples from 79 patients who experienced a heart attack, and compared them to samples of 25 healthy people who had not suffered from a heart attack, and seven patients currently undergoing treatment for vascular disease who were at high risk for a heart attack.

Researchers said the test can help identify endothelial cells better than a commercially available test, CellSearch, which has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. The test counts tumour cells in the blood of cancer patients.