Welcome to the Xmas edition of the OPA Newsletter which we hope you will enjoy reading. In this issue an update on Scotland groups and we meet the new OPA Trustees.
Category: Uncategorised
Philip Coverdale features in an article in the latest edition of Trends in Urology & Men’s Health covering oesophageal cancer in men.
In the case history “A vigilant nurse and GP”, Philip Coverdale goes on to describe his story:
“I was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in November 2012. I was one of the ‘lucky’ 35%, as the cancer was discovered early enough to operate and get rid of it. For the other 65%, it is normally too late for this. A major reason for this is lack of knowledge about oesophageal cancer and what the symptoms are…”
Click here to read the full article as a PDF
Or you can read the article via the Trends in Urology & Men’s Health article Oesophageal cancer: diagnosis and management.
Come along this Saturday to the OPA meeting in Birmingham. Ewen Griffiths from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham will be the guest speaker. A great chance to meet up and meet others. This Saturday October 1st at the Old Joint Stock in Birmingham City Centre (just opposite St Philips Catherdral on Temple Row West) from 10:00am.
If you would like to come along RSVP to [email protected] so we have an idea of numbers of attendees.
Whether you dine for business or pleasure, £1 for every diner will be donated by the restaurant to the OPA, if you so choose, when you make a reservation via ChariTable Bookings at absolutely no cost to you.
You can make reservations at over 4,800 restaurants across the UK and it’s easy to get started. Simply search for your favourite restaurant or area where you wish to dine at https://charitablebookings.org/
You can also read more on ChariTable Bookings in our Shop And Give section.
Follow our simple steps for making a classic Madeira cake. Whip up a soft, buttery treat that’s perfect for afternoon tea.
Ingredients
- 175g/6oz butter, at room temperature
- 175g/6oz caster sugar
- 3 free-range eggs
- 250g/9oz self-raising flour
- 2-3 tablespoon milk
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 1-2 thin pieces of candied citron or lemon peel, to decorate
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease an 18cm/7in round cake tin, line the base with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each one and adding a tablespoon of flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture curdling.
- Sift the flour and gently fold in, with enough milk to give a mixture that falls slowly from the spoon. Fold in the lemon zest.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and lightly level the top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- To serve, decorate the cake with the candied peel.
Let us know how your cake turns out and post a photo on our Facebook page.
Emmerdale’s, Fiona Wade who plays Priya Sharma in the series, is joining the UK’s leading patient support charity, The Oesophageal Patients’ Association as Patron, in the charity’s 30th anniversary year and the tenth anniversary year of her father’s death through oesophageal cancer.
Chairman of The OPA, Professor Bob Mason said: ”We are delighted to announce that Fiona Wade has agreed to become Patron of The OPA. This is an especially significant year both for Fiona and for our charity. To have Fiona, who has offered such enthusiastic support, as Patron and Ambassador will be enormously beneficial to our campaign to promote public awareness of the importance of early diagnosis of this lesser known but rapidly increasing cancer. Many more lives could be saved through earlier diagnosis and better treatment”.
Fiona Wade said: “I am so honoured to be Patron of The OPA and to support this wonderful charity that helps to create awareness and raise money for this little known but dangerous disease. Early diagnosis by spreading awareness is absolutely key in saving lives from this cancer, so I hope we can carry on doing all we can to make more people aware and hopefully prevent others from going through what my father endured. Ten years ago I lost my Father to oesophageal cancer. It was a huge shock to us all and was all very quick. He was such an amazing person, the best father I could ever wish for and so very loved by everyone who knew him. He was also very healthy throughout his life which is also why it was so sad and shocking when he was diagnosed with this very sad illness.
I had never heard of this type of cancer before, which is also the sad thing about it all, as I feel to this day that if we had been more aware of oesophageal cancer or reflux disease, which leads to cancer of the oesophagus, then for sure earlier diagnosis would have made a difference and maybe saved his life”.
The Oesophageal Patients Association has supported many thousands of patients during the past thirty years. As an independent registered charity its aim is to improve survival and quality of life for patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer by increasing awareness and encouraging early diagnosis. Through its network of regional branches, former patients and experts from the medical profession work voluntarily to support and reassure patients, families and carers having to cope with one of the worst forms of cancer.
