End this secrecy over clinical trials
Ninety-six of every 100 adult cancer patients do not enrol in a clinical trial. One reason is that many trials are shrouded in a veil of secrecy, and patients find it hard to locate one [more]
January 2005
Stella Kyriakides: the torch bearer
When Dolly Triantafyllides, a prominent member of Cypriot society, contracted breast cancer in the late 1960s, she broke with traditional taboos and went public, becoming one of the island’s first advocates. Many years after her [more]
Let’s talk Chinese milk vetch
Quack remedies’ have long been a thorn in the side of the medical establishment, but fear of ridicule means many patients don’t tell their doctors about any additional medicines they may be using. This problem [more]
Cancer in pregnancy: the cruellest dilemma
When a pregnant woman discovers she has cancer, her doctor faces a challenge with few guidelines, and little evidence of optimal treatment. The woman faces a cruel dilemma does she lose the baby to [more]
Sophie Fosså: The survival expert
Choosing a career as a urologist in Norway was always going to be a tough option for a German woman in the 1960s, and she often felt isolated and unwelcome. But Sophie Fosså’s outstanding work [more]
Show me the evidence
Haematologist Else Borst Eilers was handed a poisoned chalice as the Minister asked to make cuts in healthcare costs in the Netherlands. She found her salvation in the patient viewpoint, and evidence-based care. Download full [more]
Doctors who shun guidelines get worse results
An unhelpful straightjacket or an essential tool for optimal treatment? Some physicians still trust their own skill and judgement above all else, but new evidence shows that patients do best when their doctors follow consensus [more]
Nurses to get frontline training in haematological toxicities
Nurses need to know about haematological toxicities so that they understand how to manage problems and are able to identify who is at risk and teach patients the danger signs. A new course will soon [more]
Inspiring the oncologists of tomorrow
Given that cancer is the number two killer in the world, oncology is surprisingly poorly taught at medical schools. So last September, the European School of Oncology piloted its first course aimed specifically at undergraduates. [more]
The sounds of silence
Negative clinical-trial results are underreported. But this may soon change. Download full article