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Action Prostate Cancer is launching its inaugural Prostate Cancer Awareness Week by revealing results of a national survey of 1,000 men (aged 50+ years) to further establish awareness and understanding of prostate cancer. One of the key findings from the survey was that overall, only 37% of respondents claim that their GP is taking action and opening discussions with them on the risk of developing prostate cancer and merits of screening and early detection of prostate cancer. More information on the Action Prostate Cancer website: http://www.cancer.ie/prostate

Well, I am interested in hearing your story. How old are you? Where do you live? What type of breast cancer do you have? Which treatments did you get? For me it is quite interesting to see how women in other countries are teated. So I hope we can help each other by using this forum. Okay, my name is Sabine. I live in Germany. When I got the diagnosis I was 35 years old. Triple hormon negative, G3 tumor, 1,6cm. I had to go through chemo first (4x EC, 4x Taxan - just have the German words, sorry), then surgery and then radiation treatment (36x). In Germany women are sent on a socalled Heilbehandlung. You go to a place for about 3 weeks where you do sports and get special lectures on the subject breast cancer and things like that. It is to recover from the treatments and to make you get back into social and work life. That's what I did. I finished all my treatments in June 2007. In Germany women with breast cancer go to health checks every 3 month after their treatments were finished. You get ultrasound checks and every 6 month mammography on the side where you had the tumor. Every 12 month the other side is checked as well. I am looking forward to hearing from other women with breast cancer. Sorry for my English...

HIFU stands for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound. Traditionally HIFU was used as a secondary (salvage) treatment following surgery or radiotherapy, but evidence now suggests that it can be of benefit to men with localised prostate cancer. Suitability for treatment depends on multiple variables including PSA (prostate specific antigen), prostate volume, biopsy results, the tumour grade and stage, the individual's general health and age, specialist advice and patient preference. Unfortunately HIFU treatment is not available in Ireland as yet, but some men have travelled to the UK for treatment. To date the outcomes of HIFU are promising but further research with long term follow-up is necessary. If you are interested in HIFU treatment, have a chat with your urologist and ask if it is an option for you. For further information on HIFU, please contact the freefone Prostate Cancer Information Service at 1800 380 380 Mon-Thurs, 9am-7pm, Fri 9am-5pm and speak with one of our nurses trained in cancer care.

Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer. Your lungs are covered by two layers called the pleura. These layers are separated and kept moist by a small amount of fluid. The pleura are very thin and the fluid allows them to slide over each other with ease. This allows your lungs to expand and contract as you breath in and out. Mesothelioma causes the pleura to become hard or thicken and can cause a build up of fluid. This makes it more difficult for your lungs to expand and contract as normal, making it difficult to breath. Asbestos exposure is the main cause of pleural mesothelioma. When asbestos is broken or damaged it releases fibres into the air that are then breathed into the lungs. These fibres are very tiny and can reach into the smallest areas of the lung where they remain, too tiny to cough or breath out. The body attempts to break the fibres down and remove them unsuccessfully. This results in swelling in the surrounding lung tissue. The tiny fibres can also infiltrate through the lung and into the pleura where they can remain and slowly develop into mesothelioma. Those most commonly affected by asbestos exposure include builders, plumbers, electricians, shipbuilders. Symptoms of mesothelioma often do not arise for some years after asbestos exposure. Most patients will go to the GP complaining of breathing problems, this usually comes on gradually. Chest pain can also occur on the side of the tumour. Other symptoms include cough, loss of appetite, swallowing difficulties, weight loss, tiredness, hoarseness and sweating. Cancer Information Services National Cancer Helpline Freefone 1800 200 700 (mon-thurs 9am-7pm, fri 9am-5pm)

The main symptom of testicular cancer is a swelling or a lump on one of your testicles. There are a number of causes for swelling of the testicles but a solid feeling lump is more likely to be cancer. To be certain you are advised to see your GP if you find any adnormalities in your testicles Swellings in the scrotum (the sack of skin surrounding the testicles) are quite common and most of these are not cancer, particularly if they are separate from the testicles themselves. If your GP thinks it is necessary, he/she will arrange an urgent appointment with a specialist called a urologist for a second opinion.If you have any concerns or worries please feel free to contact our National Cancer Helpline on Freefone 1800 200 700 (Mon - Thurs 9 - 7, Fri 9 til 5 ) and speak with one of our nurses trained in cancer care.

It is important to remember that blood in a bowel movement does not always mean that you have cancer. There can be other causes, e.g. haemorrhoids or piles. Bowel cancer usually occurs in people over the age of 50 so if younger people experience this symptom it is usually due to other bowel problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or ulcerative colitis. It is important however to get this symptom checked by your doctor. Other symptoms of bowel cancer can include weight loss, a change in your bowel habit that lasts a long time (6 weeks), feeling of sickness, a bloated feeling or pain in your stomach. National Cancer Helpline Freefone 1800 200 700 (mon-thurs 9am-7pm, fri 9am-5pm)

Abnormal cells on the cervix can be detected during a smear test. Many women feel anxious when they are told after a smear test that they have abnormal cells on their cervix. They often assume that this means cancer. Abnormal cells means a condition known as CIN. CIN is not a cancer but may develop into cancer in some women and so is often described as 'pre-cancerous' changes. The initials CIN stand for cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia. there are three types: CIN 1, CIN 2 and CIN 3. The abnormalities in CIN 1 are quite minor and will often disappear of their own accord without requiring any treatment . The risk of CIN 1 becoming cancerous is considered to be very small. Doctors therefore advise that the smear test be repeated in six months. If changes in the cervix continue, then further treatment may be suggested. In CIN 2 and 3, the abnormal cells cover more of the cervix and are more likely to develop into cancer if treatment is not given. The treatment for CIN 2 and 3 is usually very simple and can often be done as an out-patient. Treatments include a procedure called LETTZ, which stands for large loop excision of the transformational zone, Other treatments also available are laser therapy, cryotherapy (freezing the cells) or cold coagulation (removing the cells using heat). National Cancer Helpline 1800 200 700 (Mon-Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri 'til 5pm)

The symptoms of lung cancer can include any of the following: -Repeated chest infections that don't improve even after treatment -A persistent cough or change in a long term cough -Shortness of breath, for example difficulty breathing when climbing stairs -Coughing up blood-stained phlegm (sputum) -Chest pain, either a dull ache or sharp pain especially when you take a breath in or cough. -Unexplained weight loss or loss of apetite -Feeling more tired than usual. Remember all of these symptoms can be caused by conditions other than cancer. If you have any of these symptoms it is important to go to your GP.

There isn't any one test for cancer. If you are worried about a symptom or if you would like an overall check, go to your GP. He / she can refer you on to an appropriate specialist if neccessary. The European code against cancer has a useful guide to staying healthy, which includes: -Don't smoke. -Drink moderate amounts of alcohol. -Eat a healthy diet, high in fibre and low in fat. -Avoid becoming overweight. If you already are, plan to lose weight. -Take regular exercise. -Be sunsmart, wear sunscreen and cover up. Avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm. -If you notice anything wrong with your body, eg. a new lump, unusual bleeding or a symptom that wont go away, go to your GP.

A CT scan is a series of xrays that builds up a 3-dimensional picture of inside your body. CT stands for Computerised Tomography. You will need to lie down on a couch which moves through a tunnel. This is a painless procedure and usually takes about 30mins. You may need to take a drink or be injected with dye. This allows your doctors to see areas of your body more clearly. The dye might make you feel hot but this will pass. An MRI scan uses magnetic fields and not xrays to build up a series of cross sectional pictures of inside your body. MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Again you will have to lie on a couch, this time inside a metal cyclinder. An MRI scan is very noisy and you will be given earplugs or headphones. Some patients find an MRI claustrophobic. If you are worried about this discuss it with your doctor. They can prescribe medication to help keep you calm. You may also be given a drink or injection of dye before an MRI scan. A PET scan stands for Positron Emisson Tomography. You will be given a radioactive injection prior to your scan and this will highlight areas in the body that are abnormal. A PET scan is often used for parts of the body that other scans don't give enough information about. This scan is also painless, however it can take up to two hours to perform. Again you will be required to lie on a couch that moves through a scanner. This scanner contains sensors that read the signals from the radioactive substance injected into your body. It is important to be very relaxed prior to a PET scan. Your doctor might prescribe some medication to help you with this. It is unusual to become claustrophobic during a PET scan. All of these scans take pictures of inside the body. Your doctor will decide which scan is best suited for you. These scans are usually performed for investigative purposes and are not normally performed on healthy people. You will be advised before your scan whether or not you need to fast. Also the staff in the radiology department will explain whether or not you are radioactive following your scan. If so it is advisable to avoid contact with young children and pregnant women for 24hours.