May 2007 podcast transcript

In the May podcast we find out how to stay SunSmart as the weather hots up, hear from Theresa Hughes about her experience of skin cancer, and track down the latest travel info for people with cancer.

Kat: In today's show we'll be slipping on a T-shirt and slapping on the suncream as we get SunSmart for summer. Not only can you avoid that lobster-like sunburn this year, but you can also reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Henry: People around the UK will be given the chance to find out more about how they can reduce their risk of cancer, thanks to a partnership between Cancer Research UK and the Marie Keating Foundation.

The Cancer Awareness Roadshow will be touring Scotland, the North East, the Midlands and Wales over the coming month.

Two mobile units, staffed by trained nurses, will be visiting nearly one hundred towns, providing information about the charity's Reduce the Risk campaign.

Martin Ledwick, Cancer Research UK's Information Nurse Manager explains more:

Martin Ledwick

The units have got a wide ranging display inside them with lots of really good health messages. Also they have the full range of Cancer Research UK's leaflets about ways to reduce the risk of getting cancer and the symptoms to look out for.

And we're also collecting together locally produced leaflets wherever we're going, to point people towards local services like stop smoking clinics.

There'll also be a nurse on each unit, so if people want to have a private chat about anything, the nurses are there to pick up on that as well.

A large study, funded in part by Cancer Research UK, has found that women who take hormone replacement therapy have a slightly higher risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Results from the Million Women Study, the biggest study of its kind in the world, show that, over a five-year period, there is one extra case of ovarian cancer among every 2,500 women who take HRT.

In total, the scientists think that the use of HRT since 1991 has resulted in an extra 1,300 cases of the disease.

But the research also found that a woman's risk of ovarian cancer returns to a normal level within a few years of stopping HRT.

Previous results from the Million Women Study have linked the use of HRT with breast cancer, and cancer of the womb.

Combined with ovarian cancer, these three diseases account for almost four out of ten cases of cancer in women in the UK and a quarter of cancer deaths.

Here's Lesley Walker, director of Cancer Information at Cancer Research UK.

Lesley Walker

The best advice that we can give to women is to only take HRT if there is a real clinical need for it, and to only take it for the shortest time possible.

And finally, scientists at Cancer Research UK's London Research Institute studying the very basic workings of our cells have made the intriguing discovery that our body clocks and our cancer defences may be linked.

The research, co-funded by Cancer Research UK and the Breast Cancer Campaign, showed that CLK2 - one of the key proteins that keeps our clocks in time has an unexpected role in controlling the response of our cells to DNA damage.

Scientists already knew that faults in the genes involved in repairing DNA and running our biological clocks can increase the likelihood of getting cancer, but this is one of the first demonstrations of a direct link between the two.

Dr Simon Boulton, head of the Cancer Research UK DNA Damage Response laboratory, explains the significance.

Dr Simon Boulton

The fact that CLK 2 was originally identified as a gene that affects biological clocks in response to certain rhythms, such as the day-night cycle, and the fact that this gene is required for repairing damaged DNA: If you put these two together, it raises the intriguing possibility that these two processes may be intimately linked at some level.

Kat: Thanks Henry. 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.

You can also find out if the Cancer Awareness Roadshow is coming to your town by visiting the  Reduce the Risk website.

Kat: Even though it's only Spring, the weather is warming up and summer is most definitely on its way. But with the sun comes the risk of skin cancer, as the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight can damage skin cells, causing cancer.

Rates of malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, are rising dramatically, especially in younger age groups. This is due to increased sunbathing, and use of sunbeds.

Theresa Hughes is from Leighton Buzzard, and has been treated for skin cancer. I asked her to share her story.

Theresa Hughes

Theresa woke up two years ago to discover a scab on her nose. It turned out to be basal cell carcinoma. She was also diagnosed with early-stage melanoma on her cheek. She had several hours of surgery under local anaesthetic, to remove the tumours and reconstruct her face. Her doctor has said that her sun-loving lifestyle led to the cancers. She used to love sitting in the sun and ìfryingî. Now she has to take extra care in the sun, and has to live with the scars.

Kat: Cancer Research UK runs an annual SunSmart campaign, highlighting the dangers of unsafe sun exposure. This year, the focus is on the dangers of getting sunburnt, which can double your risk of skin cancer.

With Sun Awareness week taking place in the UK from the 7th of May, I spoke to Rebecca Russell, the SunSmart campaign manager, to find out who's most at risk from the sun.

Rebecca Russell

Those most at risk of skin cancer are people with fair skin, lots of moles or freckles, or a family history of skin cancer. We encourage people to use the know their skin type and use the UV index to find out when they need to protect themselves.

The SunSmart campaign this year is targeting holidaymakers, because a survey we carried out found that the majority of people were getting sunburnt whole they were on holiday: Some key ways to enjoy the sun safely this summer are:

• Spend time in the shade between 11 and 3
• Make sure you never burn
• Aim to cover up with a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses
• Remember to take extra care with children
• Then use factor 15+ sunscreen

Kat:You can find out more about the  SunSmart campaign online. But are these messages getting through? I spoke to some members of the public, to find out how they take care in the sun.

Vox pops

"The older I get the more worried about my skin I become, and I take care because I don't want to get wrinkles as well as skin cancer."

"I use factor 24, because I'm very aware of the dangers of the sun. If I am getting burnt, I get out of the sun as soon as possible." "I have to admit I have been sunburnt when I was younger ñ I used to put on loads of oil and I burnt my legs." "On holiday when I was much younger I got my back sunburnt. I've got a few moles there and a dermatologist has told me one of them is a bit suspect, so I take extra care."

Kat:We know that it's important to take care in the sun, to avoid the sort of damage that can lead to cancer. But many of us are exposed to the sun, and not everyone develops skin cancer, even though there are more than 75,000 cases of skin cancer every year in the UK.

Researchers think this may be because our immune systems help to protect us, to a certain extent. I spoke to dermatology consultant Charlotte Proby to find out more.

Dr Charlotte Proby

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers that white-skinned people get, and it's a huge problem even in the normal population. But people who've had organ transplants have to be on large doses of drugs to suppress the immune system. They need to stay on these drugs life-long to prevent transplant rejection.

What we find is if your immune system is suppressed, you get more skin cancer. For example, squamous cell carcinoma is increased a hundred-fold in these patients.

This tells us that normal people would be getting much more skin cancer if we didn't have an immune system to protect us.

Kat:Cancer Research UK funds a range of research into understanding skin cancer and developing new treatments for the disease. You can find out more on our News & Resources website.

Kat: Now that summer is almost here, many of us will be starting to think about what to pack for a summer holiday. But for people with cancer, and their carers, the thought of going away, even for just a few days, can be a daunting one.

To address this, Cancer Research UK has launched an online travel advice section on its award winning CancerHelp UK website.

The new ëTravelling with cancer' section contains helpful advice for travelling in the UK and abroad, and answers a range of questions that people may have, from how their physical needs could affect their trip to practical issues such as travel insurance and vaccinations.

I spoke to CancerHelp UK specialist nurse writer, Jenny Childs, to find out more about the issues that affect people with cancer when they travel.

Jenny Childs

It's about planning and preparing really. People want to know about how they can get somewhere, and it depends what their needs are.

For some people, they don't have any additional needs from what they had before they had cancer. But other people will need to think about any physical changes that have happened because of their treatment ñ for example they may be tired, or at greater risk of infection. People need to think about those issues now, before they go.

We all like to go away, and it's a good way to relax. Having had treatment for cancer shouldn't be a reason to stop you going on holiday, and it can help you feel like you're getting back to normal again.

Kat: For more information about travelling with cancer, visit CancerHelp UK.

Kat: Finally, you'll be pleased to know that Ashley Tapp, who featured in last month's podcast, managed to complete the London Marathon in an impressive 4 hours 28 minutes, raising more than three thousand pounds for Cancer Research UK. Nice work, Ashley!

We receive virtually no government funding for our research work, so the fundraising efforts of Ashley, and all the charity's supporters, are vital in helping to beat cancer.

You can find out more about different ways to support Cancer Research UK online.

We've reached the end once more so we hope you've enjoyed the podcast. Don't forget that your feedback is vital in helping us improve the show, so please send us your comments and suggestions by email to podcast@cancer.org.uk. And don't forget that you can sign up to our RSS feed to get the latest Cancer Research UK podcast delivered straight to your computer every month. If you'd like to get involved in our podcast, or simply let us know what you think, then email us at podcast@cancer.org.uk

I'll be back next month, with all the latest news from Cancer Research UK. Until then, goodbye!

• Credits:
• Presented and produced by Kat Arney
• News by Henry Scowcroft and Kat Arney
• Post-production by Henry Sowcroft
• Original music written and performed by Kat Arney and Henry Scowcroft
• With special thanks to all the participants