Show You Care About Beating Cancer

beating-cancerOver time, the daffodil flower has been regarded as a symbol of rebirth – a sign of the new beginnings that come with spring.
The Cancer Council of Australia (www.cancer.org.au) chose the daffodil as a sign of new life and hope that a cure for cancer will be found. This Daffodil Day, 28 August 2015, will see a major fundraiser for the Cancer Council of Australia with the theme of ‘Show you care about beating cancer.’ Every daffodil and every donation grows hope – hope for better treatments, hope for more survivors, and hope for a cancer-free future.

Every day in Australia, about 300 people are told they have a life-threatening cancer. The Cancer Council says an estimated 124,910 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Australia this year, with that number set to rise to 150,000 by 2020. One in two Australian men and one in three Australian women will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85.

The good news is that while cancer is on the increase, death rates are falling and today more than 50 per cent of all cancers can be successfully treated. The survival rate for many common cancers has increased by 30% in the past two decades. However, there is still a long way to go, and Daffodil Day is one way of raising the funds that are needed to further increase the survival rate from cancers.

In Australia the most common cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers) are prostate, colorectal (bowel), breast, melanoma and lung cancer.

The Cancer Council estimates that each year in Australia more than 6,000 deaths from cancer can be attributed to three major risk factors – inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables, inadequate physical activity, and being overweight and obese.

Tobacco is also a major cause of preventable disease. While Australia has been a world leader in tobacco control, thousands of people are still dying prematurely as a result of active and passive smoking.

Research highlights the need for behavioural and lifestyle changes as the key to cancer prevention. Developments and improved treatments for cancer have greatly improved health outcomes, but effective prevention strategies are the key to further improving these outcomes. Research shows that once cancer is diagnosed, modification of diet or the use of dietary supplements (such as vitamins or antioxidants) does not seem to alter the course of the disease.

At Fresh Therapeutics we provide advice on ways to keep healthy and prevent cancer. We can provide advice and support on how to achieve a healthy weight or how to quit smoking.

We have the ColoVantage Test Kit that is recommended by Bowel Cancer Australia as a screening test for bowel cancer. The test kit uses advanced scientific techniques to detect small amounts of bleeding in bowel movements, which may be an indication of colorectal disease (including bowel polyps). The recommendation for a positive test is for further investigation, often a colonoscopy.

We also stock Sunscreens and advice on how to prevent skin cancer in our Sense in the Sun Self Care Fact Card.

At Fresh Therapeutics we like to help our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle by making informed decisions about lifestyle choices.