Increasing the accuracy of early ovarian cancer detection

Increasing the accuracy of early ovarian cancer detection: A test being developed in Queensland could help to reduce the high mortality rate from ovarian cancer by dramatically improving the accuracy of early detection.

Bride, 25, Dies of Cancer One Day Before Her Wedding

Anna Swabey was given three months to live when she was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor in January 2015. The next month, she joined the dating app Tinder, and unexpectedly found love with Andy Bell.

"I knew halfway through my third date with Andy that I was going to break his heart. Not because I was going to cheat on him or dump him, but because I knew I was going to die," Swabey had revealed in an essay for Marie Claire U.K. 

The 25-year-old from Durham, England surpassed her doctors' prognosis and had openly chronicled her cancer battle on her blog, Inside My Head. On December 8, 2015, she happily shared that her boyfriend of 10 months had proposed, later sharing that they would wed on September 17, 2016.

Sadly, Swabey died one day before walking down the aisle in front of 160 guests. 

 

"Anna passed away peacefully in the early hours of this morning," Swabey's family announced on her blog's Facebook page. "I cannot put into words the heartbreak we all feel, but amongst our sadness, we are so proud of her courage, her spirit and the determination she showed throughout her illness. If ever there was a person to show us how to live, it's Anna Louise Swabey, our beautiful, brave girl."

In the Marie Claire U.K. piece, published on the day of her death, Anna recalled some of her favorite moments in the relationship, including the proposal.

"As he got down on one knee, I cried and asked if he was sure – if we went ahead, he'd be a widower before he was 30," she remembered. "I could die following a seizure, or he might have to take care of me until the bitter end. My personality could even change. But he said that he'd rather be married to me for a few years than not at all."

Swabey concluded her essay with a confession: though she had come to peace with her diagnosis, she knew in her heart that their love would live on.

"I've come to terms with my death now, yet I struggle when I think about how it's going to affect Andy. I worry about how he'll cope when I start slipping away," she wrote. "I hate the idea of him becoming my carer, and it terrifies me that I might not be 'myself' at the end."

Anna continued," That's why we're getting married in September. It's not about a dress or a big party, it's about making memories for Andy and making a commitment to each other. Terminal illness has taught me to seize opportunities, so I have to trust him when he says he wants to be with me forever. Even if we don't know how long that is."

Women Who Breastfeed Frequently Are Less Prone to Breast Cancer

The Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Dr. Jide Idris, has stated that women who breastfeed their babies frequently are less prone to ovarian and breast cancer, as well as diabetes later in their life.

He said the health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended period in a child’s life was not only beneficial to the child, but could improve the mother’s health, as well as prevent certain health issues in both mother and child.

Idris, who spoke during the commemoration of the 2016 World Breastfeeding Week, also noted that breastfeeding could help in child spacing, such that the mother would recover fully from childbirth before having another pregnancy, which he noted would also help the child as well to develop properly. “

He said children who were exclusively breastfed have higher immunity, higher intelligence quotient, as well as becoming better adults in life, adding that breast milk has antibodies that protects children against infection. “Also, children who get exclusive breast milk have lower chances of getting obese,” the commissioner added.

On his part, the Special Adviser to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Primary Health Care (PHC), Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, said only 28 per cent of mothers in Lagos exclusively breastfeed their new babies for at least six months, adding that 72 per cent of mothers in Lagos were not observing the healthy practise.

Onanuga said exclusive breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding were part of the key interventions for improving child survival and had the potential of saving about 20 per cent of under five children from morbidity and mortality. According to him, about 50–60 per cent of under-five mortality cases were largely due to malnutrition, caused by poor breastfeeding practices and inadequate complementary feeding.

While observing that the national percentage was way lower, at 17 per cent of exclusive breastfeeding rate, he said that of Lagos, which is 28 per cent must be increased, hence the need for more awareness on the benefit of the practise.

He said in Lagos, “statistics has shown that only 22.6 per cent of children were breastfed within one day of birth while 25.9 per cent of children born in Lagos State were breastfed appropriately, (2013 MICS 4). The practice of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life and the introduction of adequate complementary diet till the first two years of life are integral part to child survival and optimal growth. Our future is in our hands which can be guaranteed with the provision of adequate diet to children for optimal brain growth,” he
said.

The special adviser said it was for this reason that the state government institutionalised the extension of the maternity leave to six months and also introduced two weeks paternity leave, adding that wise nursing mothers were expected to make effective use of this long holiday to exclusively breastfeed their babies.

He said the objectives of the 2016 Breastfeeding Week included sensitising the public
that the provision of adequate nutrition for children at all age groups was the first step towards the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG); firmly anchoring breastfeeding as a key component of sustainable development; galvanising a variety of actions at all levels of breastfeeding in the new era of the SDGs and engaging and collaborating with a wider range of actors around the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding.

“Collectively, we must ensure the survival of our children to guaranty our tomorrow. The efforts of this administration are geared towards the promotion of maternal and child survival strategies,” he said. He said to celebrate the week, the state government lined up a number of activities, including creation of public awareness on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, among others.

For Men: Five reasons to masturbate tonight

Regular sex or masturbation works out your pelvic floor muscles to prevent erectile dysfunction and incontinence.

Masturbation perks

There is nothing wrong in taking a little time to love yourself. Not only does it feel really, really good, it also has awesome benefits that you get long after your explosive climax.
Menshealth gives all men 5 reasons to give themselves a hand.

It prevents cancer.

A study found that men who ejaculated more than five times a week were a third less likely to develop prostate cancer.
Disease-causing toxins build up in your urogenital tract and when you rub one out, you flush the bad guys out of your system.

It makes you harder.

As you age, you naturally lose muscle tone ... even down there.
Regular sex or masturbation works out your pelvic floor muscles to prevent erectile dysfunction and incontinence.
Aim to (ahem) arrive three to five times a week for rock-solid results.

It helps you last longer.

Taking yourself to palm prom may help you stretch your sack sessions.
“[Masturbating] an hour before a date will give you more control. Train yourself by timing how long it takes you to orgasm. If it usually takes two minutes solo, try for three next time. Or count how many strokes you need to get to your happy place. If you’re spurting after 50, shoot for 60. Most men can double the number of strokes and the time within one month.
READ: Six signs you have a serious sexual problem

It ups your immunity.

Ejaculation increases levels of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol, which usually gets a bad rap as a havoc-wrecking stress hormone, actually helps regulate and maintain your immunity in the small doses. Masturbation can produce the right environment for a strengthened immune system.

It boosts your mood.

Masturbating releases a slew of feel-good neurochemicals like dopamine and oxytocin that lift your spirits, boost your satisfaction, and activate the reward circuits in your brain.
“An orgasm is the biggest non-drug blast of dopamine available,” says Brame. “A brain scan of someone having an orgasm looks like a heroin addict’s.”