THE POSITIVE PROFESSOR
SOCIAL media’s voice of calm Karol Sikora has been signed up by the Daily Express. Readers can now enjoy his soothing advice in these troubled times that have won him hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter. If you need reassuring everything’s going to be all right read Professor Positivity.
THE whole reason I got involved with the coronavirus debate was to try to stand up for the cancer patients who I just knew would get forgotten about.
Almost six months on and we’re not moving quickly enough. Where is the urgency? We saw the whole country shut down for the virus but when millions are waiting for cancer tests or treatment it has barely shifted the dial.
That is not to say nothing has been done, but we’re a long way from where we need to be.
However I was pleased to see NHS England invest in a £160 million initiative to fund drugs that are less harmful to the immune system and require fewer hospital visits, which clearly has its benefits.
It’s a well thought out plan and deserves praise for its innovative approach.
Swapping injections for tablets is another way to reduce the risks of chemotherapy.
Over the last few weeks we have seen the conversion of many patients with breast and colon cancer on to oral forms of a drug called 5 Fluorouracil which dramatically reduces the risk of recurrence in some patients.
The lack of physical contact with staff means there’s less chance of infection between both parties.
Permission has been given to oncologists to use immunotherapy for certain bladder and colon patients routinely. These drugs are given less frequently than the older regimens so less hospital visits are necessary.
New targeted hormone treatments for prostate cancer given as tablets will also be allowed.
These are all really welcome developments and will almost certainly still be present for years after the virus has gone.
It’s very easy to criticise all the time but we are seeing some steps in the right direction. An awfully long way to go, but I’m pleased to see some progress at least.