The North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry is marking its two-year anniversary this week. The centre is Northern Ireland’s second facility dedicated to providing cancer treatment and care for patients on both sides of the border.Since opening at the end of November 2016, The North West Cancer Centre, has treated over 900 patients and allowed people from north Donegal to receive their radiotherapy treatment more locally. 162 people from the Republic of Ireland have so far received radiotherapy at the centre.Services within the North West Cancer Centre are now fully operational across a number of tumour sites including prostate, breast, lung, bowel, bladder and head and neck and lymphoma. A number of palliative treatments are also being delivered locally, including the recent implementation of offering emergency radiotherapy treatments.Dr David Stewart, Lead Clinical Oncologist at the North West Cancer Centre said: “The centre is a true example of cross border partnership working and is a success story in the delivery of high quality, safe and effective cancer care for patients from both Northern Ireland and from the Republic of Ireland.“Radiotherapy is highly effective in improving cancer survival rates. The team at the North West Cancer Centre works closely with surgical and medical teams at the Trust and Letterkenny University Hospital to provide the best cancer care for patients. “Modern radiotherapy treatment needs fewer visits to hospital and many patients can continue working during the course of their treatment. To date patient and relative feedback regarding the centre has been very positive, with many patients speaking about the real benefit of receiving care so close to home.”The centre prides itself in the use of highly specialised equipment. Earlier this year the centre implemented the latest treatment imaging technology, including iterative cone-beam CT (iCBCT) and 4D cone-beam CT (4D-CBCT).The centre also uses advanced radiology imaging particularly MRI in the planning of radiotherapy treatments. Collectively these allow delivery of radiotherapy even more accurately to within millimetres curing more patients and producing fewer side effects.In addition to radiotherapy development, the North West Cancer Centre also continues to deliver advanced chemotherapy techniques.The Sperrin Suite, which provides day care treatment for oncology and haematology patients has also treated patients with the newest forms of targeted anti-cancer therapies, including immunotherapy.  These therapies can be more effective and have less associated side effects than some standard forms of chemotherapy. Western Trust Chief Executive Dr Anne Kilgallen and Altnagevlin Hospital staff recently shared a cake to celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the North West Cancer Centre.Over 900 patients treated at North West Cancer Centre in two years was last modified: December 6th, 2018 by Rachel McLaughlinShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Tags:Altnagevlin HospitalNorth West Cancer Centre read more

31 March 2013 South Africa thrashed Ireland by 86 runs at the ICC Women’s World Twenty in Sylhet, Bangladesh on Saturday to set up a showdown against New Zealand on Monday which will decide whether or not the Proteas progress to the semi-finals. With their huge victory, South Africa improved their net run rate significantly. Most importantly, it is now better than the White Ferns’, which means a win would pull Mignon du Preez’s team level with the Kiwis on points, but above them on net run rate. The Proteas were expected to beat Ireland, who fell to their third loss in three outings, but the one-sided nature of the result was perhaps a little surprising.‘It was wonderful’ South Africa went into the game on the back of a hard-fought six wicket loss to Australia, so Proteas’ coach Hilton Moreeng was happy to see his side back on the winning track. “It was wonderful to see such a good fight back from the team today,” he said afterwards. “It’s always difficult to bounce back after a loss, having played so well against a team like Australia. “I’m very proud of their professionalism and character during this match. The batters did so well up front to set us up and our bowlers were just exceptional.”Good start Du Preez elected to bat and Lizelle Lee and Dane van Niekerk, who put on 163 without loss against Pakistan, again got the team off to a good start, posting 57 for the first wicket before Van Niekerk departed for 25. Lee fell for the innings’ top score of 43 with the total on 72 in the 14th over, but some clean hitting by Chloe Tryon and Sune Luus saw the run rate soar in the closing overs, with Tryon finishing undefeated on 35 off only 12 deliveries, with three fours and three sixes, while Luus ended on 29 not out from just 10 deliveries, with six fours.Irish innings Ireland, in reply, lost Clare Shillington in the first over, but then steadied their innings as wicketkeeper Mary Waldron and captain Isobel Joyce added 41 for the second wicket before Waldron was stumped by Trisha Chetty off the bowling of Marcia Letsoala for Ireland’s top score of 33. Joyce went on to make 15 and Melissa Scott-Hayward 14, but when she departed on 67, another victim of Lesoalo, the Irish innings folded, with the next highest scorer making only six runs. The absence of Cecilia Joyce because of an injury did not help either.Standout bowlers Proteas’ opening bowler Shabnim Ismail led the assault on the Irish batswomen, capturing an eye-opening 3 for 5 in her three overs, while Dane van Niekerk did her bit by picking up 3 for 10 in two overs of leg spin. Letsoalo, who made two important breakthroughs, finished with 2 for 23 in her three overs. read more

(AP) – Planned Parenthood says abortions will stop at its Columbia clinic after Oct. 1 unless a federal judge blocks some Missouri abortion restrictions.The organization is asking for a court order to stop Missouri from requiring doctors at the Columbia location to get admitting privileges at nearby hospitals in order to perform abortions.The request comes after the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this month lifted a preliminary injunction that put that regulation on hold.Lawyers for Planned Parenthood in court documents wrote that the Columbia clinic cannot comply with the physician privileges requirement. The organization says enforcing that regulation will mean only the St. Louis Planned Parenthood will provide abortions.The Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which is defending the regulations, didn’t immediately return a request for comment Thursday. read more

It has been more than 50 years since India won its one and the only gold medal in athletics at the Commonwealth Games and the man to achieve the feat, Milkha Singh expects the drought to continue this year as well.Current crop of athletes don’t work hard, says the legendMilkha said that while Indian athletes do not have the will to work hard these days, the majority of blame for India’s inability to succeed at the world stage should go to the people sitting at the helm.”If India was serious about winning medals at the Commonwealth Games at all, their preparations should have started long back but now I don’t expect India to win any medals in athletics,” Milkha told Mail Today. “Things cannot be changed in a few months because it takes years of hard work to succeed, especially in athletics which is the most followed event at any Games,” he said.The 81-year-old is the only Indian so far to win a gold in athletics at the Commonwealth Games, a feat he achieved in 1958 at Cardiff in the 440 yard/quarter mile race.But since then, no Indian has managed to repeat his feat.”Athletes do not want to work very hard these days and you don’t see the same enthusiasm in them that we had in those years.”But the people who are sitting at the top positions are to be blamed for the state of athletics in the country. The whole world looks up to athletics as the main event of any Games but the people at the helm of affairs in our country have hardly paid any heed on improving the standard of our athletes,” he charged.advertisementHe claimed that it has been eight years since he asked Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief Suresh Kalmadi to focus on the preparations of national athletes but all his suggestions fell on deaf ears.”For years, I have been asking to provide our athletes good training but no one was bothered to listen to me. Eight years ago, I had told Mr Kalmadi to focus on athletics but none of my views were taken.”India can win medals in shooting, boxing, badminton, wrestling and other disciplines as well but it is the medals in athletics that everyone wants to see India win,” he added.The ‘Flying Sikh’ said he was pained by the allegations of corruption in the various Commonwealth Games projects and added that it was very damaging for India’s image.”I regularly go outside India with my son (Jeev Milkha Singh) and people do ask me about the stories of corruption in the Commonwealth Games here.”It (allegations of corruption) has left a very negative impact on the world community. At a time when the Indians should have been training hard to grab the home advantage, it is very embarrassing that the country has to go through all this,” he rued.The memories of his gold medal- winning feat at the 1958 Games, in which he outsprinted South African stalwart Malcom Clive Spence in a photo-finish, still remain fresh in Milkha’s mind.He remembers the warm reception he received on his homecoming and the congratulatory messages that flooded in.”I still remember that moment when I saw those stunned faces around me as they never expected me to beat an athlete like Spence, who was the then world record holder in the 440m.”But I had the will to do it and I did. I hope to see some of the Indian athletes to be amongst the top sprinters of the world but there is too much of hard work required to achieve that,” he signed off. read more

Story Highlights The deadline for the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition 2018 has been extended to Monday, April 16. Mr. Davidson noted that the parish coronations, which are normally held during the weekends in May, will now take place in June. He said that this will give a wider cross section of persons the opportunity to participate in the programme, once they have completed their activities. Director of Marketing and Public Relations, JCDC, Stephen Davidson, told JIS News that the main reason for the extension is to give more persons the opportunity to participate. The deadline for the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition 2018 has been extended to Monday, April 16.Entry forms for the competition can be obtained on the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) website at www.jcdc.gov.jm, the JCDC Head Office at 3-5 Phoenix Avenue in Kingston, or at any JCDC parish office islandwide.Director of Marketing and Public Relations, JCDC, Stephen Davidson, told JIS News that the main reason for the extension is to give more persons the opportunity to participate.“We realised that many of our entrants would be in university or in high school and so we wanted to give them the full opportunity to participate,” he said.Mr. Davidson noted that the parish coronations, which are normally held during the weekends in May, will now take place in June. He said that this will give a wider cross section of persons the opportunity to participate in the programme, once they have completed their activities.He is encouraging young women between 18 and 25 years old to enter the competition.“It is a wonderful platform for them to give back to their community, the parish as well as to the country. We are looking for talented young ladies, who are intelligent, who are looking to make an impact on nation building,” he said, adding that the women must first compete at the parish level before the Grand National Coronation, which forms part of the Jamaica Independence celebrations.Mr. Davidson said that a significant component of the competition is the implementation of projects by the parish winners as well as the National Queen, who will do an islandwide project.“There are no losers in this competition. Everyone who enters will win because of the training and the development that they receive at the various levels of the competition,” he added.Mr. Davidson noted that the competition is a platform for young women “to develop their self-esteem, their personal and organisational skills and to be ambassadors for Jamaica.”He said that since the inception of the competition in 1963, several past queens have done well in various fields, including medicine, media, music and politics.Some of the past queens include Dr. Marsha Barnett, Jennifer “Jenny-Jenny” Small, Jacinth Hall-Tracey, Dahlia Harris, Krystal Tomlinson and Kaysia Johnson. read more