medical devices – Senator Medical AB

WHO warning: E-cigarettes won’t help in reducing cancer

admin — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 09:38:53 +0000

No evidence to justify their claim according to World Health Organization (WHO)

Electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products are not helping fight cancer, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says, urging smokers and governments not to trust claims from cigarette firms about their latest products.

The seventh “WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic” said blocking the industry’s interference was critical to cutting the harm from tobacco use.

“The tobacco industry has a long history of systemic, aggressive, sustained and well-resourced opposition to tobacco control measures,” the report said.

“While some strategies are public and others more covert, all have the goal of weakening tobacco control.”

The report said tobacco giant Philip Morris International was trying to position itself as a responsible public health partner via its “Unsmoke” campaign, which encourages people to “change to a better alternative”.

The WHO said the campaign aimed to ensure tobacco remained socially acceptable, while confusing consumers with terms such as “smoke-free products”, which may refer to products with toxic emissions and unknown short-term and long-term health effects.

Philip Morris spokesman Ryan Sparrow said the WHO’s message made it harder to provide safer options for people who cannot quit smoking.

“There is no question that the best choice for smokers is to quit cigarettes and nicotine altogether. The reality is many people do not. We cannot turn our backs on them,” he said. “Organisations like the World Health Organisation need to stop talking at smokers and start listening.”

The WHO report said the industry hoped to win respectability through manipulative messages such as claiming their products were part of a “harm reduction” strategy, even though cigarettes still account for 97 per cent of the global tobacco market.

Vinayak Prasad, program manager of WHO’s tobacco control unit, said development of new products was solely intended to expand the markets of tobacco firms.

“There is no difference between cigarettes and heated tobacco products except that in terms of exposure: the exposure is less and the smoke is not visible,” he said.

Electronic cigarettes, containing nicotine but not tobacco, were promoted as a way to quit smoking. But there was no evidence to justify the claim, and evidence from the United States showed they had increased the prevalence of young people smoking, he said.

“So it’s also a gateway for young people,” Prasad said.

“The answer is it needs to be regulated. WHO has clear guidelines – to get electronic cigarettes regulated. And if you are banning it, fine, but if you aren’t banning it don’t let it (go) free in the market, because the young people are taking it up.”

Reference: WHO, 7news

Importance of Body image for women (Breast Cancer Article)

admin — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 12:23:05 +0000

Body image in women with breast cancer using a scalp cooling system to reduce chemotherapy induced hair-loss

Background: Most women consider hair to be an important part of body image. Alopecia is an emotionally traumatic side effect for breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. The DigniCap Scalp Cooling System is the first scalp cooling system cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration to reduce the likelihood of chemotherapy induced alopecia.

Methods: Quality of Life (QOL) data were collected as part of a prospective clinical trial evaluating the clinical performance of scalp cooling in women with early stage BC receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.

The study’s primary endpoint was hair loss as evaluated by patient self-assessment. Treatment success was defined as ≤ 50% hair loss. QOL was evaluated by the EORTC-QLQ-BR23 (BR23) administered at baseline, last chemotherapy cycle, and one month later. For BR23, 4 response categories were collapsed to 2 categories (Not at all/A little bit and Quite a bit/Very much) for analysis. QOL was compared between those with success vs. failure of scalp cooling.

Results: 101 patients were evaluable for the primary endpoint: Success was seen in 67 (66.3%) pts. QOL at study entry was comparable between pts with scalp cooling success or failure for each item in the BR23 questionnaire. Results reported as percentages of patients in each group who answered either quite a bit or very much to body image-related questions on the BR23 questionnaire are displayed in Table 1.

Conclusions: Women with breast cancer using scalp cooling during chemotherapy who had hair preservation experienced improved quality of life, according to self-assessment of body image, compared to women who had significant hair loss.

Reference: Cancer Research Journal

Are you more exposed to cancer just because of your job?

admin — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 07:17:10 +0000

Professions associated with Cancer risk

About 5-8% of all cancers worldwide are caused by exposures to carcinogens in the workplace, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Although the rate of workplace-related cancers has decreased due to safety regulations, exposure to some dusts, gases, and chemicals can increase cancer risk in those who are frequently exposed. What’s more, there are hidden health risks for the average worker in seemingly safer industries or environments that could increase the risk of getting cancer.

Professions at a higher risk of exposure and cancer risk include:

Office jobs

Sitting for most of the day — whether at a desk, in front of a screen, or behind the wheel — can increase one’s cancer risk. Studies have found that those who sat for more than 8 hours a day with no physical activity had a risk of dying similar to the risk posed by obesity and smoking. Overtime, sitting regularly for long periods of time can cause other adverse effects, such as:

Increased blood pressure
High blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
High cholesterol levels
Excess body fat around the waist

Shift work

Chronic disruptions to natural circadian rhythms have been linked to an increase in a variety of disorders, including cancer. When you work a night shift — such as taxi or rideshare drivers, merchandise stocker, or police officers — your body’s natural circadian rhythm is disrupted. This can not only cause changes in sleeping patterns, but in other activities such as body temperature and digestion. Studies have shown that cancer development is closely related to a loss of circadian balance in how we burn energy, respond to infection and disease, and age.

Truck drivers are especially at risk because in addition to the overnight work, the job entails sitting a lot of the time, regardless of the time of day.

Agriculture and forestry careers

Sun exposure can cause burns from UV rays, increasing the risk of skin cancer or melanoma. This is especially true in areas or climates where there is increased sun exposure, and in those with fair skin or a family history of skin cancer. Exposure to some agricultural chemicals — such as pesticides and fertilizers, or engine exhaust — can also increase the risk of cancers like lymphoma and leukemia.

Rubber manufacturing jobs

Working in factories that produce tires, rubber gloves, rubber bands, and other rubber products increases exposure to carcinogenic chemicals. Chemicals and toxins from rubber manufacturing are more often absorbed through the skin from repetitive skin constant, not just through inhalation. The International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC) conducted a study determining that there are specific chemicals related to a heightened risk of bladder, leukemia, lung, and stomach cancer in the rubber industry.

Construction and mining work

The biggest carcinogenic risk for construction workers is exposure to asbestos. An estimated 1.3 million construction and general industry workers are potentially exposed to asbestos each year. Cancers associated with asbestos exposure include larynx, lung, ovary, and mesothelioma.

Miners are also at risk of exposure to asbestos, but underground workers are also more likely to encounter uranium and radon, which can lead to a higher risk of cancer. Working in mines can put you at risk for a variety of cancers, including brain, mesothelioma, stomach, and thyroid cancers.

Reducing career-related cancer risk

Across these professions, there are some preventative measures you can take to lower your cancer risk.

If working in construction, agriculture, or a job that requires you to be outside for most of the day, use sunscreen and limit exposure as much as possible by finding shade when possible. Sunglasses are also important to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.

Fields such as construction and rubber manufacturing have laws that protect workers from and limit chemical and asbestos exposure. These regulations protect workers, requiring they wear protective equipment (such as face masks) and setting legal asbestos exposure limits. Quitting or never smoking cigarettes can help decrease the risk of asbestos-related lung cancer.

If you find yourself sitting most of the day, stand or take a brief walk every 30 minutes. If possible, try a standing desk or position your work surface above a treadmill. Studiesshow that an hour of moderate exercise a day counters the effects of too much sitting.

Reference article

Greetings from Senator Medical AB in Stockholm, Sweden

admin — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 16:06:37 +0000

This is the first post from Senator Medical after uploading the new website.

Healthcare business is a combination of learning, experience and of course making sales. Its inevitable to learn first, learn very well. So we decided to call our blog name: EduTainment!

Soon you will hear more from us!

“Globally” yours,

Senator Medical AB

#edutainment #senatormedical #medisenator #healthcare #medicaldevices #businessdevelopment #BD #Sweden #Scandinavia #pharmaceuticals #singleuse #oncology #export