Cancer

Your Cancer Risk

Link: 
http://www.yourcancerrisk.harvard.edu
Developed by the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention, Your Cancer Risk is a personalized tool that estimates your risk of cancer and provides tips for prevention

CancerNet

Link: 
http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov/
A service of the National Cancer Institute - comprehensive information on cancer.

Durban moves to lead fight against cancer

Durban is planning to become the first city in the country to set up its own environmental cancer surveillance unit. The move coincides with a national process to declare cancer a reportable disease and improve data collection on the disease, which kills or disfigures several thousand South Africans every year. Ten years ago The Mercury uncovered evidence of potentially high cancer rates in children in Durban's southern industrial area. Official figures suggest that at least 50 000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed around the country every year, although these statistics are recognised as an underestimation of the true picture. The aim of the new surveillance unit (or registry) is to monitor the number and different types of cancer cases in the Durban area by gathering accurate information on where, how and why the disease occurs, and the extent to which air pollution and other environmental risks might add to the cancer burden. Siva Chetty, the deputy head of pollution control for the eThekwini Health Department, said the plan was to start collecting information on cancer cases in Durban by next year.

Cervical Cancer and HIV: The intimate connection

Published by: 
Health Systems Trust

Since 1997, over 33 000 women have died of cervical cancer in South Africa. This translates into roughly 3 000 per year. In addition, approximately 7000 women develop the disease every year. In 2000, a national cervical cancer screening policy was developed and put into place. The system uses a screening method to prevent the precancerous lesions from developing into cervical cancer through early detection and treatment. Screening takes place through pap smears with three free pap smears being offered to women in the public service at the ages of 30, 40 and 50.

Cervical cancer - is vaccination the way to go?

Series Name: 
Nursing Update
Published by: 
Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa
Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer (second to breast cancer) to affect women in South Africa. The most common cancer to affect black women - 31 per cent of all cancers - it is also preventable and treatable. It is associated with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), of which the most prevalent strains are 16 and 18. Cervical cancer also appears to be an opportunistic infection among those living with HIV as it links to a weakened immune system. In South Africa a woman's risk of developing cervical cancer is one in 26. Each year 6 700 women develop cervical cancer while 3 700 die from the disease annually in South Africa.