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The 15th of February marks the ‘International Childhood Cancer Day’. Cancer has often affected many people and their loved ones at some point during their lives including our beloved young children.

Cancer kills more Australian children than all other diseases combined. Around 1 in 285 kids are diagnosed prior to reaching adulthood. Over 10,000 Australian children are fighting cancer now. Another 1,100 are diagnosed each year. 1 in 5 kids die within 5 years of diagnosis.

Childhood cancer is very different than adult cancer. It can affect any child, and there are no known risk factors for childhood cancer, and nothing can prevent development.

Current treatments are outdated and toxic. Side affects both short and long term is inhumane. 90% of childhood cancer survivors develop chronic, lifelong health problems. Survivors are at greater risk of developing secondary cancers. Overall survival is compromised.

Even though there have been great advances in research and medicine, childhood cancer survival rates have continued to plateau. Pediatric cancer research has been insufficiently funded in both Australia and internationally. Improved rates of survival are reliant on further research for treatment options. As current treatments are very toxic and have been unchanged for many years. Both short term and long term side effects from current treatments cause the suffering children ongoing pain and suffering

International Childhood Cancer Day is a global collaborative campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer, and to express support for children and adolescents with cancer, the survivors and their families.

The day encourages increased awareness and hopes for better knowledge and understanding of the problems and challenges that affect childhood cancer, the current sufferers, the survivors, their families and the society as a whole. It also raises needed recognition for more support and improved access to treatment and care.

References

The post International Childhood Cancer Day appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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According to me, smart eating is the practice of choosing and consuming a variety of foods from across the different food groups (wholegrain breads, cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, lean meat and low-fat dairy and healthy fats), that provide all the essential nutrients required by the body to function. The art of smart eating reduces the incidence of chronic disease and improves quality of life.

What does smart eating mean to you?

Leave your response in the comments section below on our Facebook page before Feb 20,2018 and the person with the best answer will get a 20% discount off the first consult!

The post Smart Eating Week appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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A recent study led by Professor Courtenay Norbury assessed children in primary schools across Surrey, has found that roughly two children in each Year 1 class has a clinically significant language disorder that his or her learning. This roughly equates to 7.58% of all children. This was found to be vastly different to the statistical data provided through the Department of Education, which indicates that only 3.04% of children in Year 1 of the same year were identified by schools as having language difficulties. This means that over half of these children with language difficulties are not being identified by schools and most likely missing out on receiving the crucial support they require.

This figure is even quite conservative given that the data encompassed by the department of education covers a wider group, including for example those with speech difficulties. It also includes children with English as an Additional Language, and those attending special schools – which this current study excludes. What could be the possible reasons for this identification gap?

A few years back, the Communication Trust used the phrase ‘mistaken, misunderstood, missed‘ to describe children with language difficulties. Yes, there are definitely some children whose needs are missed, or not identified – especially at the beginning of primary school when the curriculum is relatively straightforward. It may be only later on when learning becomes more complicated and dependent on technical, complex language when children have problems. However, in many more pupils language needs may be mistaken for and recorded as something else.

In the SCALES study, for example, a sizable proportion of the children identified as having a language disorder were reported by schools as having Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Finally, there are those pupils whose needs are misunderstood as something completely different. Schools generally notice when there is a problem, especially a behaviour problem, but do not always understand that this may be because of an underlying language difficulty.

It looks as though these unidentified children may be ‘hidden’ elsewhere in the Education Department statistics. The child’s needs may be identified however, the language component may not have been. The studies statistics indicate that only half of the children identified with language difficulties had been referred for speech and language therapy. One reason for children seeming to be ‘missed’ might be that even after being identified, these children’s difficulties may not be severe enough to qualify for therapy, or extended waiting list may discourage staff from raising concern with families due to the lack of immediate help available at the school or locally.

Without the support they need, children with speech and language difficulties run the risk of school failure, relationships that don’t work and ultimately limited life chances. But with the right support at the right time, children with language difficulties can achieve their potential.

Reference

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/mary-hartshorne/children

The post Children With Language Disorders: Missed Or Mis-Identified? appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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While it is daunting watching, someone stay awake through their own surgery, especially performed on their own head. It is even more difficult to believe that someone could talk through the process. It is crucial however that some patients are kept awake specifically so they can speak or perform other high-level functions as they undergo surgery to give  their surgeons a guide or map to work with when it comes time to remove the actual tumor.

A man named Ambrož Bajec-Lapajne underwent surgery in June 2014. He is a professional opera singer and he sang Franz Schubert’s “Gute Nacht” throughout his surgery.

Awake brain surgery is made possible by advanced brain mapping techniques and high-tech anesthetics. These days, doctors are working with a precise map of the brain they are operating on, and they can use that to successfully extricate dangerous tumours that sit near important brain regions, like ones that control speech, motor function or memory. Meanwhile, the latest anaesthetics make it possible to keep patients sedated but awake and talking.

Once the patient has been tested with questions or fine-motor tasks while applying electrical stimulation to different parts of the brain to see where the vulnerable areas are located, doctors are then able to put the patient to sleep completely for the actual removal of the tumour with confidence that they’ve mapped out forbidden areas.

In Bajec-Lapajne’s case, doctors wanted to monitor his ability to recognize changes in key, since that’s something he relies heavily on for his profession. They were most likely trying to avoid hurting those functions in the course of removing the tumor.

Singing is also a good task to help doctors avoid hurting speech areas — which is why some musicians choose to play guitar and sing during their surgeries instead of more traditional tasks like reading and answering questions.”

During the mapping process something alarming is noted. Bajec-Lapajne slurs his words, and his singing slows down to a mumbled stop. This was done in order for the Surgeons need to determine which parts of the brain will have this effect if interfered with. This guides the surgeons of where not to go during the tumour removal. Moments later, Bajec-Lapajne bounces right back to a beautiful performance. Bajec-Lapajne reports to be doing fine a year later, and continues to pursue a career in classical music.

Reference

https://www.washingtonpost.com/watch-as-man-sings-opera-throughout-his-own-brain-surgery

The post Opera singer performs throughout his own brain surgery appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

By

While it is daunting watching, someone stay awake through their own surgery, especially performed on their own head. It is even more difficult to believe that someone could talk through the process. It is crucial however that some patients are kept awake specifically so they can speak or perform other high-level functions as they undergo surgery to give  their surgeons a guide or map to work with when it comes time to remove the actual tumor.

A man named Ambrož Bajec-Lapajne underwent surgery in June 2014. He is a professional opera singer and he sang Franz Schubert’s “Gute Nacht” throughout his surgery.

Awake brain surgery is made possible by advanced brain mapping techniques and high-tech anesthetics. These days, doctors are working with a precise map of the brain they are operating on, and they can use that to successfully extricate dangerous tumours that sit near important brain regions, like ones that control speech, motor function or memory. Meanwhile, the latest anaesthetics make it possible to keep patients sedated but awake and talking.

Once the patient has been tested with questions or fine-motor tasks while applying electrical stimulation to different parts of the brain to see where the vulnerable areas are located, doctors are then able to put the patient to sleep completely for the actual removal of the tumour with confidence that they’ve mapped out forbidden areas.

In Bajec-Lapajne’s case, doctors wanted to monitor his ability to recognize changes in key, since that’s something he relies heavily on for his profession. They were most likely trying to avoid hurting those functions in the course of removing the tumor.

Singing is also a good task to help doctors avoid hurting speech areas — which is why some musicians choose to play guitar and sing during their surgeries instead of more traditional tasks like reading and answering questions.”

During the mapping process something alarming is noted. Bajec-Lapajne slurs his words, and his singing slows down to a mumbled stop. This was done in order for the Surgeons need to determine which parts of the brain will have this effect if interfered with. This guides the surgeons of where not to go during the tumour removal. Moments later, Bajec-Lapajne bounces right back to a beautiful performance. Bajec-Lapajne reports to be doing fine a year later, and continues to pursue a career in classical music.

Reference

https://www.washingtonpost.com/watch-as-man-sings-opera-throughout-his-own-brain-surgery

The post Opera singer performs throughout his own brain surgery appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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