Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Tobacco Control in School - Somerville School, Noida 24.4.09

POSITIVE ABOUT LIFE - I CAN WIN
CHOOSE LIFE NOT TOBACCO

I CAN WIN - POSITIVE ABOUT LIFE
Tobacco Control in School
Somerville School, Noida
24.4.09

I CAN WIN-Positive about life Tobacco Awareness workshop was held on 24th April, 2009 at Somerville School, Noida.

Around 740 students of class 9, 10, 11 and 12 attended the camp.

The workshop was arranged by Ms Ratna Marya and Ms Sunita under the guidance of School Principal, Mrs Arul Raj. The workshop was conducted by Dr Pawan Gupta M.Ch., President, Indian Cancer Winners’ Association and Sr Consultant Cancer Surgeon, SMH-Curie Cancer Centre, Delhi. Mrs Rani Isaac, Mr Sunil Bhandhari and Mr Karan helped in conducting the workshop.

The wokshop was held to create awareness among young people about tobacco and the practices adopted by the tobacco industry to initiate them to smoking and to other forms of tobacco use. It was also aimed to help the youth to make healthy choices.
Mrs Aruna introduced the subject and its menace in the young youth who unknowingly may start a habit which would be difficult to quit later.
In his presentation Dr Pawan Gupta said that Tobacco is

*Most important preventable cause of death
*Kills 50% of its users. Killed 1 billion in 21st century
*Tobacco contain more than 4000 harmful ingredients
*Smoking habit in children
– 20% of ever smoker children smoked their first whole cigarette before 10 years of age
– 80% of current smokers started smoking before they turned 18.
The younger a person is when he or she starts using tobacco, the more difficult it is for the that person to quit tobacco
*Tobacco adversely affects almost every organ of the body.
*Among young people, the short-term health effects of smoking include damage to the
– respiratory system,
– addiction to nicotine, and
– the associated risk of other drug use
– hurts young people's physical fitness in terms of both performance and endurance
*Long-term health consequences of youth smoking include cancer, lung diseases, cardiac diseases including heart attack, peripheral vascular diseases, infertility and deformed sperms.
*Second hand Smoke is a known carcinogen. Non- smokers including children should be protected from this harmful environment pollutant.

The youth were encouraged to have healthy living habits like balanced diet, exercise, control of weight gain, avoid alcohol, and, of course, no tobacco. Regular checkups and self awareness are required. Further, Dr Pawan stressed on the fact that quitting tobacco is possible. Quitting will help one live longer, no matter what the age or how long one has used tobacco.

The students actively participated and came up with lot of queries, which was answered to their satisfaction. Some of the students were given the I CAN WIN – POSITIVE ABOUT LIFE badges.

Worksheets were given to all the students and prizes will be given for the best two in each class.

We take pleasure in congratulating the management of Somerville School for the successful workshop.


Dr Pawan Gupta MS, FSOG, FAIS, M.Ch
President
Mr Suresh Prakash
Secretary
The Indian Cancer Winners’ Association – National


























Tobacco Control in Schools - Somerville School Noida 24.4.09

Tobacco Control in Schools - Somerville School Noida 24.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

SUPPORT GROUP MEET

Rejuvenate yourself with live music, meditation, yoga, exercise and more!

Get rid of your Cancer Fatigue!!

Share your experiences!!!

Be a WINNER!!!



I CAN WIN AOL MAHASATSANG

For

Cancer Winners

On Sunday, 26th April 2009 at 4 pm

Venue: 21,Vigyan Lok, near Anand Vihar

Program:

Introduction – Mrs Prabha Gupta

Yoga and Meditation – Mr Narinder Mohan

Win over Cancer – Dr Pawan Gupta

Experience Sharing – all participants

Mahasatsang – ART OF LIVING team

Prasad


“I CAN WIN – AOL MAHASATSANG”

“Cancer Winners”

1. Who have suffered through the disease and completed treatment, wishes to achieve a positive state of mind

2. A care taker of a cancer patient, who wishes to make her/him a winner.

3. A social person who wishes to be cancer aware and propagate cancer awareness in the society.

4. An oncologist, physician, surgeon or other professionals who believes in winning over cancer and not just fight against cancer.

Positive people are happy, loving, generous, giving, helping, serving people. So they develop magnetic personality and are honored, loved, respected and even worshipped.


INDIAN CANCER WINNERS’ ASSOCIATION

A mission to “Win over Cancer”

(A Unit of I Can Win Foundation) Regd. Office: D-10/54, Sec-7, Rohini, New Delhi– 110085

Tel: +9111-27933358. Email: icanwinassociation@gmail.com

www.icanwinassociation.blogspot.com

Vision:

To change the way cancer is perceived by the society






Rejuvenate yourself with live music, meditation, yoga, exercise and more!

Get rid of your Cancer Fatigue!!

Share your experiences!!!

Be a WINNER!!

For

Cancer Winners

On Sunday, 26th April 2009 at 4 pm

Venue: 21,Vigyan Lok, near Anand Vihar








Program:

Introduction – Mrs Prabha Gupta

Yoga and Meditation – Mr Narinder Mohan

Win over Cancer – Dr Pawan Gupta

Experience Sharing – all participants

Mahasatsang – ART OF LIVING team

Prasad

ICANWIN AOL MAHASATSANG






















Program Director - Mrs Prabha Gupta 9650295190, prabhagupta49@yahoo.com

Co- Director – Mr Narinder Mohan 9868391162 nmgupta01@yahoo.com

Coordinator –

Mr Rajesh Goel 9810193902

Mr Nijhawan 9891199180

Mr Karan 9868944030

Volunteers –

Mr R.K.Goel & Mrs Puspha Goel 9810705342

Mr Subodh & Mrs Seema Nirwan 9873939453

Mrs Sashi Agarwal 95120 - 3293838

Organized by:

Indian Cancer Winners’ Association

President: Dr PAWAN GUPTA M.Ch. 9811290152

Secretary: Sri Suresh Prakash 9891948444

Art of Living-

East Delhi Branch

Rashmi 9810379194 Harish 99111365090

Sarita 9818297998

Kindly confirm your attendance to Mr Karan 9868944030



Means are many but mission is only one "Win over Cancer"



“I CAN WIN – AOL MAHASATSANG”

“Cancer Winners”

1. Who have suffered through the disease and completed treatment, wishes to achieve a positive state of mind

2. A care taker of a cancer patient, who wishes to make her/him a winner.

3. A social person who wishes to be cancer aware and propagate cancer awareness in the society.

4. An oncologist, physician, surgeon or other professionals who believes in winning over cancer and not just fight against cancer.

Positive people are happy, loving, generous, giving, helping, serving people. So they develop magnetic personality and are honored, loved, respected and even worshipped.

Indian Cancer Winners’ Association

Founded in 2008, is an independent, non profit, non political, non-governmental organization, a unit of I Can Win Foundation. It is potentially the largest cancer winning organization of India. The head quarter is at D-10/54, Sector 7, Rohini, Delhi-110085. It is a registered body and donations to “I CAN WIN FOUNDATION” are exempt from income tax under cause 80(G) of I.T. Act 1961.

The members of this organization are most eminent citizens of the country along with highly qualified medical professionals and experts having latest knowledge of research and treatment in the field of Cancer disease and are engaged at the top cancer hospitals of the Country. The members have a philanthropic zeal of rendering social service to the nation through their Chapters/ Branches in different Cities of the Country to reach the grass roots of the society.

The mission of the Indian cancer Winners Association is "Win over Cancer". It envisions to change the way cancer is perceived in the society as well as patients need to accept the fact that now a days it is not so dreaded a disease. We need to have positive approach and not only fight against Cancer, we can win over it.

Association brings together individuals and professionals to carry out programmes in

· Cancer awareness in public and health care-takers

· Cancer prevention and control

· Cancer supportive care and rehabilitation programs

· Tobacco control

Any professional, individual or organization that believes in the goal of the association and want to be part of it, can join the association as member, friend, volunteer or be a donor.

PROFILE OF ORGANISERS

Dr Pawan Gupta MS, M.Ch, FSOG, FAIS: – President, Indian Cancer Winners’ Association; Senior Consultant - Cancer Surgeon, SMH-Curie Cancer Centre, Shanti Mukand Hospital, Delhi.

Having treated patients of all kinds for more than 15 years and being privileged to have worked at reputed Cancer Institutes of India - Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute, Tata Memorial Hospital, Dharamsilla Cancer Hospital, Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences, SCB Medical College; his unfailing compassion for the Cancer patient attempts to achieve not just annulment of disease but an excellent quality of life. Inspired the fighters of cancer during his professional work, he was primarily instrumental in forming the “Indian Cancer Winners’ Association”, which prophesizes “Win over Cancer” rather than just overcome or survive it. He believes that winning is an attitude, CANCER WINNERS are not immortal but they live in a positive spirit, feel great, full of energy filled with love. We can have more cancer winners by creating awareness amongst the society to diagnose cancer early when it is curable and by rehabilitation of the patient and family who has suffered. He believes there is more than just treating cancer with surgery, drugs and radiotherapy. It requires a holistic approach and integration with alternate therapy.

Mrs Prabha Gupta: A Winner, she won over cancer with the help of expert medical treatment combined with yoga and meditation. She believes anyone who has or had cancer can come back to normal life with positive attitude, pursuing the treatment religiously, doing yoga and meditation.

Mr Narinder Mohan – He is presently working as Deputy General Manager in NTPC Ltd and is a trained instructor in The Art of Living organization. The Art of Living organization founded by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi shankarji is an international, non profit, educational foundation that is active in over 155 countries world wide running unique programs for every strata of society. Approx. 8000 villages have been made self sufficient under the 5H Rural Development Program. Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir schools have been set up in villages and cities to impart quality education to young generation. In Delhi, Vyakti Vikas Kendra conducts specific stress elimination courses to diverse groups such as young adults, children, prisoners, corporates and people at large. He was earlier also associated with Bhartiya Yog Sansthan teaching yoga and was Sangthan Mantri there. His dream is to realize the vision of Sri Sri Ravishankar ji to build a divine society, a Vaudeva Kutumbkam. He believes that Pranayam and Sudarshan Kriya can make substantial difference in the lives of cancer patients both physically and mentally as it energises every cell of the body and provide positive attitude in life.

Mr Suresh Prakash – Secretary of The Indian Cancer Winners’ Association. His better half, Mrs Shashi, is suffering from stage IV cancer. He is a great inspiration for the association. He believes that he cannot stop people from getting cancer but if we share and care we can definitely win over cancer. He is a role model for the cancer patient’s care-takers.

I CAN WIN - Tobacco Control in School

TOBACCO AWARENESS WORKSHOP ON 24th APRIL AT SOMMERVILLE SCHOOL, NOIDA

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Cancer Winner still going strong at 95years





Mrs Shingal of Moradabad was detected with cancer at the age of 78years.at present she is 95 years young. She underwent the required treatment. She is highly positive does all her normal chores herself. She is a WINNER.

2009.4.12 Moradabad Breast Awareness Workshop

INDIAN CANCER WINNERS’ ASSOCIATION
“A mission to Win over Cancer ”
(A Unit of I Can Win Foundation) Regd. Office: D-10/54, Sec-7, Rohini, New Delhi– 110085
Tel: +9111-27933358. icanwinassociation@gmail.com
www.icanwinassociation.blogspot.com






The Indian Cancer Winners’ Association – Moradabad Chapter
(President: Mr Yogendra Agarwal,
Secretary: Sri J.S.Agarwal
Expert: Dr Ajay Agarwal)

A “win over cancer” breast cancer Awareness workshop was held on 12th April, 2009 at Moradabad. It was jointly organized by the Lioness Club of Sambalpur and The Indian Cancer Winners’ Association-Delhi. The camp was arranged in collaboration with ASHADEEP Hospital, Moradabad.



The following specialist attended the camp and explained to the people the method of Self Breast Awareness.
Dr Pawan Gupta
Dr Natasha Das
Dr M Priyadarshini
Dr Sourendra Das
Dr Ajay Agarwal
Dr Vimita Agarwal

Mr Suresh Prakash, Secretary Indian Cancer Winners’ Association talked to the people and local Practioners about his vision of making Moradabad area as a cancer aware area.

The camp was attended by local chapter members Sri Yogendra Agarwal, President Moradabad chapter, Sri Jagdish S Agarwal, Secretary, Mr Jagannath, Sri G.K.Singh, Sri S. Singh, Dr R.K.Sharma

Around 175 registrations were made of which 20 cases were detected which would require further investigations and treatment.

The camp was followed by a discussion with the local general practitioners. Dr Pawan Gupta discussed the early detection of cancer and its treatment. Dr Natasha explained the clinical examination of breast and its early detection. This was followed by high tea.

The camp and discussion which started at 9.30 am in the morning was over at 8.00 pm in the evening.

We take pleasure in congratulating the Moradabad Chapter for the successful camp.


Mr Suresh Prakash
Secretary

Dr Pawan Gupta MS, FSOG, FAIS, M.Ch
President
The Indian Cancer Winners’ Association



















Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Chemotherapy and Hair Loss

Chemotherapy and hair loss: What to expect during treatment
Find out what to expect when it comes to chemotherapy and hair loss. Plan to use your energy staying healthy rather than worrying about how you look.


You might not think about how important your hair is until you face losing it. And if you have cancer and are about to undergo chemotherapy, the chance of hair loss is very real. Both men and women report hair loss as one of the side effects they fear most after being diagnosed with cancer.

Whether or not you have hair loss from your chemotherapy depends mostly on the type and dose of medication you receive. But whether you can maintain a healthy body image after hair loss depends a lot on your attitude and the support of your friends and family. Read more..

Chemotherapy and hair loss: What to expect during treatment

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Screening-Mammography Benefits and Harms in Spotlight Again

Screening-Mammography Benefits and Harms in Spotlight Again

Nick Mulcahy

Medscape Medical News 2009. © 2009 Medscape

April 2, 2009 — A new study adds to the debate about how the benefits and harms of screening mammography are presented to the public and provides new estimates of the absolute numbers of breast cancer deaths prevented by the screening.

The authors argue that the public is not currently presented with a balanced view of the screening, with potential benefits overemphasized and potential harms rarely discussed.

The study was published April 2 in the open-access online journal BMC Medical Informatics and Decision-Making.

Repeated screening mammography starting at age 50 saves about 1.8 lives over 15 years for every 1000 women screened, according the study authors.

They calculated that the absolute death risk from breast cancer without any screening is about 1% over those 15 years. "This means the survival percentage among women aged 50 to 60 who are not screened is 99%," said lead author John D. Keen, MD, senior attending radiologist at the John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County, in Chicago, Illinois.

The survival percentage among women aged 50 to 60 who are not screened is 99%.

These statistical facts about mammography are in sharp contrast with what is most publicized about this screening, which is "mammography saves lives," suggested Dr. Keen.

"From a consumer perspective, the screening-mammography discussion in the United States is rather paternalistic and 1-sided," said Dr. Keen in an interview with Medscape Oncology.

What's needed is a balanced presentation of the facts to patients, which should include mention of the absolute benefits associated with screening and a discussion of potential harms, such as false positives, anxiety, unnecessary biopsies, and overdiagnosis, emphasized Dr. Keen. "This is not occurring now," he added.

However, a critic of the study says that its statistical methods are questionable and its findings debatable. Furthermore, the paper "labors an obvious point" about preventive medicine, says the critic.

"One has to apply an intervention to large numbers of healthy subjects in order to benefit the few who are unlucky enough to develop the disease," writes Stephen W. Duffy, MD, from the Cancer Research Center, in London, the United Kingdom, in an editorial that accompanies the study.

Dr. Keen's response to that criticism was that the "public has a right to know what the statistics are regarding mammography screening so that individuals can make informed decisions about participating."

Another cancer-screening expert approached by Medscape Oncology joined the study authors in calling for a better presentation of the facts about screening mammography. "We all have to do a better job to best inform the public about the benefits and harms of screening mammography," said Bob Smith, PhD, director of cancer screening at the American Cancer Society, in Atlanta, Georgia.

We all have to do a better job to best inform the public about the benefits and harms of screening mammography.

The new study appears at a time of increased public scrutiny of screening mammography. The New York Times recently covered the story of a public-health leaflet on screening mammography in the United Kingdom and the public outcry that resulted because the leaflet failed to mention the potential harms of screening. The controversy had been reported a month earlier by Medscape Oncology.

Findings Disputed and Supported

In their new paper, Dr. John Keen and his brother and coauthor James E. Keen, DVM, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Nebraska, in Lincoln, analyzed the claim that "mammography saves lives" by calculating the life-saving absolute benefit of screening mammography in reducing breast cancer mortality in women aged 40 to 65.

To make this estimate, the authors used a variety of existing data sources, including randomized trials and SEER data on breast cancer mortality.

Dr. Duffy points out in his editorial that this study is one of modeled results and not empirical observation. "The accuracy of the figures arrived at is questionable," he writes.

Dr. Duffy notes that empirical data from 2 different randomized trials indicate that 3 or 2.1 breast cancer deaths, respectively, are prevented by repeatedly screening 1000 women. So the figure of 1.8 prevented deaths used in the current study is low, he says.

However, in a second editorial that accompanies the new study, Michael Retsky, PhD, from Harvard Medical School, in Boston, Massachusetts, says that the 1.8 deaths prevented by screening are consistent with other results.

"The crux of the problem is that early detection from screening only benefits approximately 1 in 1000 participants. That ratio appears in many trials and in the Keen and Keen paper," he told Medscape Oncology. The numerical results of the new study "are consistent with my knowledge and experience," he writes.

The crux of the problem is that early detection from screening only benefits approximately 1 in 1000 participants.

Dr. Duffy also disputes the new study's estimate that only 4.3% of screen-detected breast cancer cases have their lives saved as a result of screening. "This is clearly at odds with the experimental evidence. In the Swedish Two-County Trial, 141 breast cancer deaths were prevented — 15% of the 928 screen-detected cancers," he writes.

However, Dr. Keen countered this criticism by pointing out that a recent review of Swedish screening trials had turned up "multiple problems" and that his study findings predicted the results from the most recent AGE trial in England. He also said that the new study's data are derived from American sources and are "therefore more likely accurate for women in the United States."

Challenging a Popular Perception; A Question About Patient Knowledge

The finding that so few (only 4.3%) screen-detected breast cancer cases have their lives saved as a result of screening seems counterintuitive, write the authors. There is a widely held view that breast cancer is a uniformly progressive disease and that it is rarely curable unless caught early, they write. But in reality, breast cancer is a heterogenous disease, and it may be systemic from the start or it may never metastasize, they say.

In effect, this finding about lives saved by mammography challenges "the popular perception that earlier detection through mammography helps most patients with screen-detected breast cancer," write the authors.

In his editorial, Dr. Retsky agrees that the new study findings "defy" some "well-established viewpoints." He also believes that screening has considerable limitations.

"Personally, I am doubtful that imaging-based early detection will ever make dramatic improvements in breast cancer mortality. Rather, I think improved therapies are needed," Dr. Retsky commented to Medscape Oncology.

The limitations of mammography screening make the discussion of the harms all the more important, suggested Dr. Keen.

"Authorities acknowledge that screening-mammography harms include a 30% increase in overdiagnosis and overtreatment, delayed diagnosis, and radiation-induced cancers," write the authors. They also cite a survey that showed that physicians discuss these potential harms only 7% of the time when talking to women before a baseline mammogram (Health Expect. 2008;11:366-375).

However, the American Cancer Society's Dr. Smith believes that women are not uninformed about most of the potential harms of screening mammography.

"The authors imply that women are naive about these harms. They aren't. A study by Schwartz [et al. BMJ. 2000;320:1635-1640] observed that 90% of women said they were fully aware of false-positive mammograms and biopsies, and this awareness remained just as high when women who had experienced a false positive were compared with those who had not," he told Medscape Oncology.

The new study authors suggest that substantial business concerns influence the likelihood that consumers will receive "professional even-handed advice" about the harms and benefits of mammography. "Fundamentally, cancer testing is a business," they write.

Breast radiologists, equipment manufacturers, and advocacy groups all have conflicts of interest arising from financial incentives. "These incentives create the temptation to exaggerate the benefits and dismiss the harms of screening for breast cancer when advertising to the public," the authors write.

The study authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Dr. Retsky disclosed that he has a patent application for a therapy for early-stage breast cancer.

BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2009;9:18, 19, 20.

For details go to - http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/590535

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