News

Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) has made a range of resources available to help with continuing to work or returning to work after a diagnosis of breast cancer. Further information is available here. BCNA has also developed an online work and breast cancer hub which includes resources for families, friends, colleagues, employers and self-employed people as well as for people directly affected by cancer.

Cancer Council Australia recently released a new fact sheet called Understanding changes in thinking and memory. Dr Green was one of the collaborators who helped to produce this factsheet, which is the first of its kind in the world that provides free, online, evidence based information about this issue which affects some (but not all) people who have cancer or who have previously been treated for cancer. For other topics about cancer, see this section of the Cancer Council Australia website.

A recent New Zealand study identified stronger mental health benefits from eating raw fruits and vegetables than from cooked, canned, and processed fruits and vegetables. The study was published in the open access journal Frontiers in Psychology. For a summary, see the Frontiers blog. The full study is available here.

Depression is a challenge that many people from all walks of life can encounter. For the latest on what is known about causes of depression and best practice evidence-based treatments, see this video from a recent Australian presentation by world expert, Dr Michael Yapko.

People who have been affected by cancer or who are concerned about developing cancer might notice that there are many media stories about factors that might increase or decrease the risk of cancer.

Remember that often these media stories rely on only one study. Even if the findings sound alarming or exciting, they might not hold up over time.

The American Institute for Cancer Research is a high quality source of information on diet, nutrition, and cancer. On 3 May 2018 they responded to recent news items about coffee and said that “There are hundreds of epidemiological studies on coffee and cancer and essentially none suggest increased cancer risk …  Those who like drinking coffee should have no concerns.”

If you are experiencing excessive fear or anxiety about cancer, or would like help with healthy lifestyle changes, you can find evidence based Australian information via the Cancer Council website or contact us for assistance.