iconEVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO HELP YOU B EAT CANCER integrated cancer and oncology news February 2004 Volume 2 Issue 8 Exclusive interview: DR MIKE BRADA Icon’s icon in radiotherapy SEEING OFF EYE CANCER Bernie Greener’s inspiring story FERTILITY AFTER CANCER Part I of a vital report ZAPPING Can it cure cancer? IT’S ONLY NATURAL Vitamin D and Ellagic Acid BREAST CANCER The importance of Only available on subscription early diagnosis ALL PROCEEDS TO CHARITY icon icon A magazine from Health Issues Limited. contents Registered in the UK 4 (Reg. No. 4405117) EDITOR: Maggie Goodman EYE CANCER LIVING PROOF The Facts EDITORIAL TEAM: Melanie Hart 7 Bernie Greener and Madeleine Kingsley tells how he saw off ART DIRECTOR: Jeremy Baker NOTICEBOARD eye cancer PUBLISHING TEAM: News and Chris Woollams & Lindsey Fealey 8 views Ask Nurse Patricia icon OUR INTEGRATIVE NURSE 9 is only available on annual ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS subscription. All proceeds go to our charity Cancer ACTIVE For more information please 10 contact us as follows: 12 Write to us at LET'S BE COMPLEMENTARY Can you zapthose icon, The Elms, Radclive Road CENTREFOLD PIN-UP Gawcott, Buckingham MK18 4JB cancer cells? Things to ask your Email us on doctor before [email protected] radiotherapy Fax us on 01280 824655 14 Telephone us on 01280 815166 Visit our website: MAINFEATURE 18 www.iconmag.co.uk Dr Mike Brada, icon’s We would like to thank all doctors, nurses, health workers icon in radiotherapy SPECIAL REPORT and practitioners who made this Cancer and fertility, issue of icon possible IT'S ONLY NATURAL Part one of a two 20 Vitamin D and Every article and photograph printed in part investigation this magazine is the copyright of Health Ellagic acid Issues Ltd. and may not be reproduced without prior permission. IMPORTANT NOTICE IN NEXT MONTH'S ISSUE While every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, neither the magazine, its G icon’s icon: Tony staff, nor publishers accept any responsibility for errors, omissions or Howell, the UK’s first 22 consequences. Professor of Cancer Cancer is a very serious and very individual disease and readers must consult with Prevention CANCER WATCH experts in the appropriate medical field Formaldehyde and leukaemia before taking any action or refraining G Living Proof: overcoming Can ginger prevent cancer? from any action. Update on deodorants The content of this magazine is in no way childhood leukaemia intended to be a substitute for any treatment recommended by a qualified medical practitioner or cancer specialist. G It’s only natural: all HOT GOSSIP Printed by: Northward Press, about zinc 24 Catching upon nutrition in schools Ball Moor, Buckingham Industrial Park Buckingham MK18 1RT EDITORIAL i con 3 Onwardicon and Upwards e’re proud this month to be publishing a Because we try to be a truly open-minded magazine, rare interview with the Royal Marsden’s Dr we are happy to publish an article in our Let’s be WBrada - icon’s icon in radiotherapy - he’s Complementary slot about Zapping. It’s an usually much too busy researching or dealing with unorthodox and highly experimental treatment patients to talk to people like us! Mike Brada is a which has caused much controversy, and claims and brilliant scientist, working in the traditions of Marie counter-claims have been made about it. But none of Curie to push back the barriers in the battle against that means it won’t work! cancer. I found this article most cheering. Dr Brada is a modest man but you can tell from his comments As our writer Ginny Fraser maintains, it’s not likely to how much progress has been made via radiotherapy, do you any harm, and some people have reported not only in prolonging life but also in eliminating major successes. Who knows, in ten years time, it side effects and in improved patient care during the might be the treatment of choice for some kinds of twenty years he has worked at the Marsden. tumour. Anyway, our volunteer is testing one of the machines and we’ll give you a follow-up in about More good news is reflected in our report about three months. cancer and fertility. There was a time when people with life-threatening illnesses dared only to think inally a big thank you. We’ve had lots of emails, about survival. Now, when prospects of recovery are letters, subscription renewals and telephone so much better, patients have the “luxury” , as writer Fmessages with a postscript wishing us well in the Madeleine Kingsley describes it ,of being able to plan new year and thanking us for the magazine and for beyond the treatment to a time when they may be Chris‘s books. This kind of feedback means a lot to us able to bring up a normal family. And improvements and we are grateful to you all. Don’t stop writing. are happening all the time. Next month in Part 11 we’ll be featuring some of the women (and men) Have a brilliant February and keep taking the cod who have been able to defy the odds. liver oil (see Page 20). Maggie Goodman An update on CancerACTIVE The lengthy process of registering our new charity is Finally we have received a great presentation on how now in its final stages. The documentation has been to run a successful charity with some fantastic ideas on with the Charities Commission since before Christmas logos and branding. You will be impressed! and we have our fingers crossed that any day now we will be officially a registered charity. So in case you aren’t aware cancerACTIVE is a charity with four main objectives: However, we haven’t been just sitting here waiting for the official go-ahead. G TO PROVIDE UP TO DATE INFORMATION FOR We needed a minimum of a thousand pounds in the EVERYONE “TOUCHED BY CANCER”. bank before attempting registration and thanks to G TO PROVIDE PERSONAL CANCER “ADVOCATES” WHO one particularly generous donation we achieved that WILL GIVE ADVICE ON INTEGRATED CANCER first goal very quickly. Our thanks to that person and TREATMENTS, COUNSELLING AND INFORMATION FROM their family and to all of those who have contributed THE POINT OF DIAGNOSIS FOR AS LONG AS REQUIRED. to date. G TO PROVIDE ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION ON THE A plan of forthcoming fund-raising activities is well PREVENTION OF CANCER. underway and any ideas or suggestions that you have G TO CARRY OUT AND PUBLISH SCIENTIFICALLY will be most welcome. We have received a number of RIGOROUS RESEARCH INTO INTEGRATED CANCER calls and correspondence from potential cancer TREATMENTS. “Advocates” and are planning ways to get people on board and trained as quickly as possible. The same Please call Lindsey at the icon office (01280 815166) goes for “Activists”– more to follow on both of these for more information or to volunteer in any capacity. shortly. And plans are well underway with the We look forward to hearing from you. programme of prevention in schools. i con 4 LIVING PROOF SEEING OFF EYE CANCER “If I can do all this, anyone can!” LIVING PROOF i con 5 ernie Greener is a remarkable man, although three consultants, but was nipped my ear, and I heard modesty would prevent him from ever told they would get another, myself say, ‘I want my cancer Dr Woods, back from his and my left eye taken away’. Bdescribing himself as such. At 53, the father holiday to see me urgently It might not sound much, but of three, from Sunderland, has just been the following week, as he it was the hardest thing I’ve promoted to foreman at one of the North East’s was the person who had to ever done in my life. I didn’t busiest shipyards. Climbing 60ft ladders to tell me what I had. Before I cry, because I was numb, but left I asked one of the the tears were there. I balance on scaffolding is no mean feat for anyone consultants to tell me what found out much later that - but for a man who lost his left eye to cancer just they’d found. He said, ‘What Linda and the family had over three years ago, and had to learn to walk all do you think?’ I said, ‘I’ve planned a surprise 50th over again, it is a tremendous achievement. got cancer haven’t I?’ He birthday party for me that asked me why I’d said that, night, but it was all quietly and when I said it was a cancelled. Bernie’s courage and determination has also led feeling I had he wasn’t to him launching and running a charitable support allowed to confirm it. He nstead we went home and trust, Eye Believe, to help others with his just said, ‘When you see Dr I tried to tell the kids condition. As he prepares for a busy 2004, and Woods next week your life I(Daniel, Stephanie and will change drastically.’ looks forward to a special personal milestone in Luke, now 21, 16 and 15) what was going to happen his marriage to Linda - their silver wedding So before Dr Woods gave me in a way that wouldn’t make anniversary in March - Bernie found time to tell those two options, I’d them frightened of going to icon his inspiring story. already made up my mind the opticians or having that I would have the check-ups in the future. “I saw Dr Woods at the amount of pain there, but Sunderland Eye Infirmary on I’ve been a plater for more October 9 2000.