Our Information and Support Worker Fiona has compiled these articles to compliment our Cancer and Pregnancy Awareness Week 2023.
Monday - Too Young
Is early-onset cancer an emerging global epidemic? Current evidence and future implications. - Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology Volume 19, pages 656–673 (2022)
Colorectal cancer rates soar among young adults in England - Medscape UK, Dec 2019
Fiona Says: "This article talks specifically about the rise in annual incidence rates of cancer in adults aged 20-39 years old."
Colorectal cancer statistics, 2023 - American Cancer Society Journals Volume73, Issue3 May/June 2023 (2023)
Fiona says: "One of the conclusions of this very current article suggests that the colorectal cancer burden is shifting to younger individuals."
Tuesday - Symptom Masking
Cancer related maternal mortality and delay in diagnosis and treatment: A case series on 26 cases - BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 18(1) January 2018
Fiona says: "The abstract from this research, carried out in Holland in 2018, concludes that avoiding delay in diagnosis and therapy in case of pregnancy related cancer could potentially improve maternal and neonatal outcome. It is therefore essential to increase awareness among health care providers about the occurrence and recurrence of cancer in pregnancy and the possibilities of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in these women."
Clinical presentation and causes of the delayed diagnosis of breast cancer in patients with pregnancy associated breast cancer - Journal of Family and Community Medicine 22(2)p 96-100, May–Aug 2015.
Fiona says: This study was carried out in Saudi Arabia in 2015 and concludes that there was more of a delay in diagnosis of breast cancer in pregnant women than non-pregnant women. 40% of the delay was due to physician’s reassurance and 10% due to delay in presentation because of fear of cancer in the patient.
Malignancies in pregnancy - Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Volume 33 (p 2-18), 2016
Fiona says: You can only access the preview of this article, but the full article can be purchased if desired.
It states that “prompt diagnosis of cancer is paramount to successful treatment regardless of pregnancy status. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of cancer in pregnancy is often delayed. Diagnosis during pregnancy is complicated by the fact that many symptoms of malignancy are similar to symptoms of pregnancy, including nausea/vomiting, breast changes, abdominal pain, anaemia, and fatigue. Breast changes and the gravid uterus may make the physical examination of a pregnant woman difficult."
Wednesday - Who Takes The Lead? Thursday - Multiple Presentations
Friday - Think, Refer, Escalate, Educate
NHS cancer programme: faster diagnosis framework (including the Non Specific Symptoms Pathways) - NHS England Published 28 November 2022
Opticians fast-tracking tumour diagnoses (Case Study) - NHS England
Interactive videos improve referrals (Case Study) - NHS England
