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Pioneering research aims to end misery of cancer-induced bone pain
Researchers at the University of Oxford have launched a pioneering project to tackle crippling bone pain suffered by thousands of cancer patients. An estimated 30,000 people every year develop this cancer-induced pain linked to a destructive and hugely debilitating bone disease caused by their cancers. It affects people with primary bone tumours, bone marrow cancers such as multiple myeloma and other forms, such as breast and prostate cancer, that commonly spread to bone. Dr Claire Edwards, associate professor of bone oncology at the University of Oxford, is leading the research project, believed to be the first of its kind. She said: “The major clinical feature of this cancer-induced bone disease is significant and life-altering bone pain but it’s the thing that we understand least. “We believe that tumour cells increase the expression of molecules that promote pain. Our goal is to identify and understand pain-related
Dr Claire Edwards, associate professor of bone oncology at Oxford University.
changes in patients with cancer-induced bone disease so that new approaches to target this pain can be developed.”
Not only is little understood about the causes of the acute bone pain but it is also very difficult to manage. The two-year Oxford project is being funded by Orthopaedic Research UK
(ORUK), one of the country’s leading charities working to improve the lives of people with bone and joint disease and injury. ORUK chief executive, Dr Arash Angadji, said: “Cancer- induced bone pain is a devastating and debilitating feature of tumour growth within bones. “Surprisingly, despite its major clinical impact, there is limited research in this area and a poor understanding of how and why the pain develops. This research will be a key step in the goal of developing new, safe and effective approaches to managing cancer induced bone pain which will improve the quality of lives of so many people.”
ORUK has awarded grants of more than £9m to leading universities, NHS Trusts and research centres across the UK and overseas. It aims to raise a further £2.5m over the next three years to support translational orthopaedic research that has the best chance of delivering real and meaningful benefits for patients.
Health and Care Innovation Expo highlights technology role
This year’s Health and Care Innovation Expo, sponsored by HIMSS-UK, focused on innovation and technology in the heath sector, and its role in the improved care of patients and the delivery of the NHS Five Year Forward View. The conference included over 100 workshops in a ‘pop-up university’ format, four feature zones and two main speaker stages, which included speeches from: NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens, Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt and Chief Nursing Officer for England, Professor Jane Cummings. Simon Stevens used his keynote address to provide an update on various key delivery programmes, including an expansion of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (DPP), designed to help people at risk of Type 2 Diabetes, to 17 additional areas across the country, and for the first time, a digital DPP, enabling more individuals to get the kind of support and education they need to prevent this avoidable and high cost condition. In his keynote speech, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt also outlined measures to create ‘smartphone-ready’ services in a new NHS technology drive. The new services include: l The introduction of a new NHS 111 online triage service for less serious health problems. This will enable patients to enter their symptoms online and get tailored advice or a call-back from a healthcare professional according to their needs.
l The launch of a library of NHS-approved health apps to guide patient choice. NHS England will also advise on other wearable devices to ensure people select reputable and effective products to monitor and improve their health.
l The current NHS Choices website will be relaunched as
NHS.UK with a wider range of online patient services, including the ability to register with a GP, book appointments, and order and track prescriptions all in one place. The new website will also enable patients to download their personal health records to their phone securely, giving them instant access to important healthcare information, such as prescriptions and test results.
The Chief Nursing Officer for England, Professor Jane Cummings, also urged nursing and midwifery staff to engage in a debate about the shape of the workforce for the future. She gave a frank appraisal of the challenges and opportunities facing the profession and set out some of the big questions that need to be answered to improve care and meet the
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challenges of today and tomorrow. “The world is changing and as a profession we need to respond in the right way, by taking responsibility and the lead to ensure we can meet the challenges we face. Is our workforce ready for these challenges? Are we making full use of our graduate workforce? Are we really addressing the training needed for prevention, technology and changing care requirements?” She commented: “The health and care system is going through a key period of change. Money is tight, so we need to find ways of being more efficient while improving services. This is tough, but as the largest group of healthcare professionals we should take the lead…Nurses and midwives have a key role to play, including ensuring the health and social care system work effectively together and that everyone understands how we can improve care for patients and the public.”
OCTOBER 2016
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