Pathfields Cancer Team Newsletter – May 2023
Hello and welcome to the May edition of the Cancer Care Newsletter from Pathfields Cancer Team. Please spare a few minutes to skim this email, you might find something of interest that could act as a reminder or a change in practice to help identify a Cancer.
And why not take this opportunity to click the link and spend a minute reminding yourself of the relevant 2ww pathway, especially if it is one we don’t regularly use.
This Month we are bringing awareness to:
Skin Cancer and Bladder Cancer
Skin Cancer:
What can I do to prevent skin cancer?
The best protection is to cover up and be safe in the sun. Wear a hat and long sleeves. It’s important to check your skin regularly for any changes.
How can I be safe in the sun?
- Always use 5* UVA rated sun protection 🌞 Macmillan recommend 5* UVA with at least an SPF 30.
- Drink plenty of water 🥛💦 Cover up with a hat and long sleeves.
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat👒to protect your face and neck.
- Wear UV blocking sunglasses😎 to protect your eyes.
- Don’t forget to apply sun cream to those easy to miss places – lips 👄, tops of ears 👂, back of neck, feet 👣 and scalp.
- Limit your time in the sun and stay in the shade ⛱ between 11am and 3pm.
- Do not let your skin go red or burn. 😡
- Protection can rub off when it comes into contact with sand, water 🌊 towels or sweat, so you should reapply every two hours. 🕑
- Do not use a sunbed or sunlamp. If it is important for you to look tanned, use fake tan lotions or sprays. 🌞
Skin- 2ww Referral Criteria
Reminder:
- Make use of the Photo-Derm clinic at Crownhill Surgery on Fridays to review a suspicious lesion where you are uncertain if it is cancer
- If you are highly suspicious a lesion may be cancerous refer immediately via 2ww
- Melanoma: Refer suspicious pigmented lesions with a score of 3 or more:
Major features (scoring 2 points each):
- change in size
- irregular shape
- irregular colour
- largest diameter 7 mm or more
- inflammation
- oozing
- change in sensation
Bladder Cancer Awareness
Urology: 2ww Referral Criteria
Reminder:
- Refer all patients 45 and over with frank haematuria without evidence of UTI or urinary tract stone or anyone with visible haematuria that recurs after treatment of a UTI
- Make sure you follow-up MSU’s in these patients yourself, and where negative refer.
- Refer anyone aged over 60 with non-visible haematuria and: a) Raised white cell count or b) Dysuria not explained by UTI/stone
Thank you as always for taking the time to connect with our newsletter. If you have any questions or feedback, please do get in contact!