July 2009 podcast transcript

00:00

Kat: In this month's podcast we head North to find out about a new cancer centre in Newcastle, aiming to bring benefits for cancer patients in the area. Plus, we catch up with former England rugby star Lawrence Dallaglio, to hear about his latest charity venture.

Coming up later, we go through the keyhole, to reveal a new trial for bowel cancer surgery. But first, here's the news with Nell Barrie.

01:06

Nell: Cancer Research UK-funded scientists in Oxford have discovered that vegetarians are 12 per cent less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters. The scientists studied more than 61,000 people, following them for over 12 years. During that time, more than 3,000 were diagnosed with cancer.

The team discovered that the risk of being diagnosed with bladder or stomach cancer, or blood cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma, were lower in the vegetarians than in similar meat-eaters. At the moment, it's not clear whether eating meat increases the risk of cancer, or if an aspect of the vegetarian diet is protective against the disease, but these are important questions for future research.

Here's lead researcher Professor Tim Key discussing whether the results mean that people should consider switching to a vegetarian diet.

[Tim Key interview]

Cancer Research UK-funded scientists in Manchester have made an important discovery which could lead to improved treatments for childhood leukaemia. The researchers discovered that a specific enzyme called AEP breaks down the drug Asnase, which is commonly used to treat children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. The findings explain why some children's cancers don't respond to the treatment, and could lead to better ways to treat them in the future.

And finally, new statistics show that men are almost 40 per cent more likely to die from cancer than women, and also more likely to get the disease in the first place. Although more research needs to be done to understand what causes the difference, experts think it may be down to lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol, as well as men's reluctance to go to the doctor with early signs of cancer.

Kat: You can get the latest news from our award-winning Science Update blog, at Scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org And if you want find out more about these stories, or get the latest from the charity's scientists, and researchers around the world, then have a look at our News & Resources website.

03:43

Kat: Former England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio was once known as a force to be reckoned with on the pitch. But now he's hoping to help us win the fight against cancer, by raising money for Cancer Research UK. I spoke to him to find out why the charity was a cause close to his heart.

[Lawrence Dallaglio interview]

07:01

Kat: Bowel cancer affects X people every year in the UK, and one of the main ways of treating it is through surgery. The technique has been developed and improved over many years, but it's important that surgeons continue to find ways of making it even better.

One area of particular interest is the use of laparoscopic – or keyhole – surgery, and Cancer Research UK has been funding a trial to see how it might improve survival and recovery from bowel cancer. The trial is called EnROL, which stands for Enhanced Recovery, Open versus Laparoscopic – and our reporter Anna Lacey went to St Mark's Hospital in North London to meet the consultant behind it - bowel surgeon Robin Kennedy.

[Keyhole surgery package]

Kat: It's important to point out that keyhole surgery for bowel cancer isn't widely available yet, but the NHS hope to roll it out across the UK by 2012. There's more information on our CancerHelp UK website.

12:55

Kat: As part of our five year strategy, we're launching a series of cancer centres across the UK, and the latest addition to the set is up in Newcastle. I spoke to professor Herbie Newell, professor of Cancer Therapeutics at the Northern Institute of Cancer Research in the city, to find out more.

[Herbie Newell Interview]

15:16

Kat: We've reached the end once more so we hope you've enjoyed this month's podcast. You can keep up to date with all the latest progress in research from our Science Update blog.

And please let us know what you think of this podcast by leaving feedback on the blog, or emailing your comments to podcast@cancer.org.uk.

We're having a break from podcasting next month, but we'll be back in September with all the latest news, so until then, goodbye!

 

  • Credits:
  • Presented and produced by Kat Arney
  • News by Nell Barrie and Kat Arney
  • Keyhole surgery package produced and presented by Anna Lacey
  • Original music written and performed by Kat Arney and Henry Scowcroft
  • With special thanks to all the participants