News
New research. High cancer risk for smokers with Barrett’s Oesophagus
Cancer risk for Barrett’s patients
Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) have found that smoking doubles the risk of developing oesophageal cancer in people with Barrett’s Oesophagus. The research, published recently in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, was carried out over 13 years and involved over 3,000 Barrett’s patients. It found that those who smoked tobacco were twice as likely to develop cancer of the oesophagus, than those who did not.
Barrett’s Oesophagus is a disorder in which the lining of the oesophagus is damaged by stomach acid and is changed to a lining similar to that of the stomach. It affects about one in every 100 people in the UK.
Dr Helen Coleman (above right) from the Centre for Public Health in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at QUB led the study. She said: “We found that tobacco smoking emerged as the strongest lifestyle risk factor for cancer progression for patients with Barrett’s Oesophagus. The risk of developing this cancer doubled for those who were smoking tobacco. “One of the most inter- esting observations was that someone who smoked less than one pack a day was still as likely to develop cancer as those who smoked more.” The study, conducted by QUB in partnership with
10 Ireland’s Dental magazine
“The risk of developing this cancer doubled for those who were smoking tobacco”
the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, was the first of its kind worldwide in terms of size – taking a sample of over 3,000 patients. Scientists were able to get information about smoking at the time a person was first diagnosed with Barrett’s Oesophagus to see how this influenced cancer risk later on. This was important for reducing bias known to be associated with asking patients about their smoking habits in the past. Although these findings need to be confirmed in future studies, the study’s researchers suggest that tobacco smoking should be discouraged and smoking- cessation strategies consid- ered in Barrett’s Oesophagus patients in order to reduce future cancer risk.
| MOD onlays p19 | Practice profile p41 | Product news p45
New code of practice welcomed
BEHAVIOUR AND ETHICS
The new Dental Council code of practice relating to profes- sional behaviour and ethics has been welcomed by the Irish Dental Association (IDA). The new code includes a number of new elements including a requirement to have a complaints procedure in place, new provisions regarding adverse events, the management of data and social media. There are also significant changes to the guidelines for dealing with consent, communicating with patients and the need to ensure understanding of the treatment plan, outcomes and cost.
The new code also features updated guidelines on patient records and promoting dental practices as well changes to provisions regarding the health of dentists, the need to notify appropriate authorities and information on ceasing practice. There is also a strong
emphasis in the code that dentists are only to undertake treatments they are compe- tent to complete safely and to a satisfactory standard. Fintan Hourihan, chief executive of the IDA, said: “We would strongly encourage all dentists to read the entirety of the guide, which has been reformulated to reflect the patient journey according to the council.
“It is also worth noting that the council has accepted a number of proposals from the IDA, which we feel will not only ensure adherence to the highest standards of dentistry but also offer appro- priate protection to dentists particularly where they are faced with difficult patients or where they are have concerns about their ability to provide the highest standards of care because of funding cutbacks and resource deficiencies.”
“We would strongly encourage all dentists to read the entirety of the guide”
Cigarette machines banned in NI
NEW LEGISLATION
A ban on cigarette vending machines in Northern Ireland began on 1 March in an effort to drive down the number of young people smoking in the province.
Following a debate in the NI Assembly, Health Minister Edwin Poots said: “A survey in Northern Ireland in 2010, highlights that for 14 per cent of smokers aged between 11 and 16 years, cigarette vending machines are a usual source of tobacco. Children and young people are particularly vulnerable consumers in that they are generally unaware of the long-term health implications of tobacco use. “The main aim in introducing the legislation is to prevent children and young people from being able to access tobacco from a largely unsupervised source. These regulations will also bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52