Tag Archives: Dr Kathleen Thompson

Snake Oil or Medicine? by Dr Kathleen Thompson

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Every day we read on the Internet, in newspapers or in magazines about wonder drugs. With all these miracle cures around it is surprising that so many of us still suffer illness. Surely we just need to pop one of these pills and all will be well?

But maybe, just maybe, some of these potions can’t cure cancer, can’t make people with arthritis dance in the streets and can’t make you lose ten inches off your waist-line in a week?

If you have incurable cancer, or constant arthritic pain, you wouldn’t want to miss a useful treatment. So how can you know whether claims are genuine or snake oil?

Approved medicines are tested in numerous clinical studies, usually in thousands of people. Study data are scrutinised by regulatory authorities (FDA in USA and EMA in Europe) before doctors can prescribe them.  Thus there is firm evidence that they work, and a great deal is known about side-effects or safety issues.

However, anything can be advertised on the Internet – Google has no truth filter.  Impressive-sounding study results may not be scientifically sound. So here are some clues to help you assess them (See Table): Snake Oil or Medicine? by Dr Kathleen Thompson tableplacebo

1. Has the ‘medicine’ been tested against placebo (dummy medicine)? If people believe they are receiving a beneficial treatment, they often feel better, regardless. Most studies should include some patients who only receive placebo, to make sure any benefit is due to the real medicine.

2. Measures of benefit (endpoints) should be chosen before a study starts. Eg an influenza medicine may measure fever. If fevers don’t improve, one can’t then change the endpoint to, say, sore throat, just because these improved more. Some symptoms will improve by coincidence, and it isn’t valid to cherry-pick the best results. This is often done in unregulated ‘studies’ and can make a treatment look better than it is.

3. Always check how many people were tested. If a study only had two patients, and one received real medicine and one placebo, even if the patient on the real medicine did better, it could have been due to chance. Statisticians calculate how many patients are needed to give a reliable result. Unregulated studies rarely include enough people.

Unapproved studies are not always checked, so there is more opportunity to ‘cheat’—results may be changed, ‘patients’ invented, or data from any patients who didn’t improve may be removed. Where the study was performed, and by who, may give reassurance on this, or not.

A respectable study will be written up as a report, and will be published in a good scientific journal. Be careful though – some ‘journals’ have impressive titles but are not what they seem. You can check them on Cite Factor (see below) to be sure.

I hope this helps you decide what you can believe. If in doubt, do ask your doctor’s opinion. And remember, if something seems to good to be true – then it may well be exactly that.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co,uk

Further information:

http://www.citefactor.org

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/info/understand

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice

 

 

Does Your Child Need Urgent Medical Attention? By Dr Kathleen Thompson

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Healthy children, who have died following a short but severe infection have hit the news recently.

The problem is that young children can become sick within hours. Most recover equally quickly—but, despite best care, some don’t, particularly if they have meningitis or other overwhelming infection.

One year-old William Mead died of sepsis, apparently after ‘111’ staff didn’t appreciate how ill he had become. I won’t comment without knowing all the facts, except to say it can be difficult, sometimes even for experts, to assess whether a small child is seriously ill.

However, as an ex-paediatrician, I do have concerns about telephone diagnosis, whether the 111 service, swine-flu helplines, or GPs asking parents to hold the telephone over a child’s chest so they can hear their breathing (yes I have known this to happen). Professor Neena Modi, a senior paediatrician, has also publically voiced similar concerns recently.

Small children have an immature immune system, and consequently don’t react to, or show signs of, illness in the same way as adults. Whenever I was asked to see a sick child, my first concern was whether they needed immediate emergency treatment, or whether I could take my time, asking more questions and making a detailed examination. The signs in the Table would help me decide, and sometimes I just knew from experience.  I remember assessing a new-born baby, who simply wouldn’t stop crying. Something wasn’t right. We did some tests on the special baby unit—he had meningitis and needed urgent antibiotics. Happily he made a full recovery.

I am not suggesting that every crying child needs an urgent medical assessment—just that signs of illness in babies and toddlers can be subtle, and experience helps.

So how does a parent know whether to seek urgent medical help?

Does Your Child Need Urgent Medical Attention? signsofillnessinbabiesandchildren

The Table provides pointers, however, you know your child, and, even if they don’t shown any of these signs, if you are worried, you must insist they are seen by a doctor—better to ‘waste someone’s time’ than miss a serious infection. As a personal example, I was convinced one night that my young son had meningitis. I rushed him to A&E department, where he made a miraculous recovery, just before my colleague came in to examine him. Embarrassing, but I would do it again.

So if you are worried, what should you do?

Options include:

  • Phone your GP
  • Phone 111 and ask to see a doctor that day (or within the hour if you are really worried)
  • Go to your local A&E department (check first that it is open).

If all else fails, and your child is getting worse, dial 999 for an ambulance.

Although it is important that you are aware of these signs and what to do, please do remember, though, that overwhelming childhood infections are relatively rare. Most infections are not serious, and most times your child will be dancing around the next day.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q

Further information:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/spotting-signs-serious-illness.aspx

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20120704/Signs-that-a-child-is-seriously-ill-Interview-with-Professor-Middleton.aspx

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

 

 

From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson Book Launch

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From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson Book Launch
Frost was exceptionally pleased to be invited to the launch of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson. Yes, we had champagne, and yes, the eats were fantastic, and most of us wore masks, but it it was the occasion. It was such fun, and the ideal way to launch a book – a book which after all, could be life changing.

From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson Book Launch4
Frost’s Margaret Graham, duly masked meeting those waiting to buy a copy of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope

If you haven’t yet readthis guide which Dr Thompson wrote to help those with breast cancer, you should do so. She  explains the ins and outs of treatment, the questions to ask, and includes wise words on helping to prevent a recurrence. All this alongside her own journey to recovery from the disease.
From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson Book Launch1 From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson Book Launch2
Dr Kathleen Thompson signing copies of her books.

Frost is proud to include a further excerpt from this truly fascinating book.

Chapter 1

Let’s face it, cancer is what happens to other people. Poor souls, with the sword of Damocles swinging on a fraying thread over their heads, these are people who are inevitably going to die, and soon. Of course we feel sorry for them — we’ll send them a card, a basket of fruit, some flowers, but we certainly don’t have plans to join their exclusive club.

Well guess what? All of us have cancer cells in our bodies on a fairly regular basis, and more than one in three of us in the western world will experience some form of cancer during our lives. So I’m afraid there’s a fairly high chance of ‘us’ becoming ‘them’. Maybe you’re reading this because you’ve already joined the ‘club’.

The good news is, our bodies are very capable of fighting cancer. Indeed, most of the time cancer cells are destroyed as soon as they develop, much in the way that our immune system hunts down and destroys bacteria or viruses. Other times, the cancer sneaks through our defences, but even if it does, it can still be overcome. I say ‘can’ because despite all efforts, some people do succumb. To keep things in perspective though, many cancer sufferers live to a very respectable old age, and eventually fill up completely different columns in the ‘cause of death’ statistics.

Cancer is on the increase, and there are many theories as to why. So, what steps can we take to reduce our chance of getting cancer, or to help fight an existing cancer? I have some ideas for you inside this book.

But first, who am I? What qualifications do I have that would permit me to offer you advice in what could be an extremely traumatic time? I’m a medical doctor. I’m on the wrong side of fifty and divorced. I have two fabulous children, a loving extended family and some good friends. I’d always worked hard, but I was starting to ease off, take up more hobbies and enjoy myself — when my life changed.

Like you, I never thought I would get cancer.

As a doctor, I would sympathise with cancer patients and offer them encouragement from within my armour-plated white-coat. They were the patients, I was the doctor. Simple.

Even when my developing cancer crept into my consciousness, I ignored it, and my own advice.

Maybe it would just go away.

But it didn’t, and I had to face the realisation that my life might be cut very short. Then, on top of that, I had to negotiate my way through complicated highly-specialised medical treatments and, on occasions, challenge medical decisions. I found this extremely hard, even as a doctor, because I was also a vulnerable patient, and I was depending on other doctors for my survival.

Cancer taught me a great deal. Primarily it taught me that diagnosis is not a death sentence. People can and do survive cancer, most of the time. However, being forced to face the possibility of my imminent demise, I gradually learned not to fear death either. I also learned to appreciate every day of this wonderful thing called life.

I have a lot to share with you, so welcome to Cancer Club —whether you have cancer yourself or you know someone who has.
From Both Ends Of The Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson

Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Both-Ends-Stethoscope

 

 

 

Dr Kathleen Thompson shares some excerpts from her enormously helpful book, From Both Ends of the Stethoscope

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Frost asked Dr Kathleen Thompson if she felt like sharing some excerpts from her enormously helpful book, From Both Ends of the Stethoscope.

Here is the first in a series of excerpts, and an invaluable read for everyone. Who knows, after all, when we will need to support someone with cancer, or even face a diagnosis ourselves. I can remember standing outside Ascot races one day last year with Kathleen, rattling collecting tins for three cancer charities. Many people stopped, and gave, because they had relatives with the disease or indeed, were, or had been sufferers themselves.

Since her brush with the disease Kathleen has lived life to the full, and perhaps with even greater gusto before. She has climbed Kilimanjaro, cycled for charity in southern India, and taken up ballroom dancing with a vengeance, (she has recently qualified for Blackpool – be still my beating heart. I intend to try and go to cheer her on). All this as well as continuing in her profession in medical research, writing a regular medical column for Frost, and best of all, writing about her own journey with cancer – From Both Ends of the Stethoscope which is full of sensible advice. The woman is a powerhouse, an inspiration, and the most amazing fun.

However did this happen to me?   by Dr Kathleen Thompson

From Both Ends Of The Stethoscope by Dr. Kathleen Thompson book review, health, breast cancer,

The nurse asked me to lie on the couch by the ultrasound machine.

‘The doctor will be here soon.’

A tall man with white hair walked through the door and smiled. He sat down next to the machine.

Looking straight into my eyes, he spoke. ‘The problem is, we’ve seen a lump on your mammogram. So I need to look at it with this ultrasound.’

Very gently, he pulled down my blue gown and exposed my breasts. I flinched as he squirted a blob of cold gel onto my skin. He pressed the ultrasound probe onto the blob, and moved it slowly over my right breast for a few minutes. He pointed to the fuzzy image on the small screen.

‘This is the lump — it’s about 2cm wide.’ His voice was quiet but firm. ‘Do you see the irregular shape, and these little bright flecks? These are worrying.’

He looked at me as he said this. His blue eyes offered sympathy and strength.

The screen looked like an ancient TV with a lousy reception. I couldn’t make out any lump—but I understood ‘irregular shape’ and ‘worrying’ well enough.

‘I see you’re a doctor. Where do you practice?’ he continued.

‘I was a paediatrician, but now I work in drug research.’

‘Oh? Interesting.’ His smile morphed into a serious expression, ‘I need to take a biopsy of this lump. We have these neat little things now.’ He held a small black box between his finger and thumb.

‘I’m going to press this box over the lump, then push this button, and a needle will shoot out and take the sample. It’ll make a loud click, but it won’t hurt, because I’m going to numb you first.’

I lay on the couch in the semi-darkness, watching him fill a small syringe with local anaesthetic. The cold wall, pressing against my left arm, forced me to concentrate. Everything was unreal — surreal. What was I doing here? I’d only come in for a check. My left hand gripped the coarse material of the hospital gown as if it was a survival rope. My right hand was visible to him and the nurse, so I forced it to relax.

Lifting the small syringe towards me, he injected the anaesthetic into my breast. It stung, but I hid the pain with a smile. ‘No, it doesn’t hurt. It’s fine. It’s a lovely day outside. I don’t expect you’ll have much chance to enjoy it, stuck in here.’

Somehow I controlled my voice — but tears were streaming down my face. I hoped the darkened room would hide them.

Then, a loud click shattered the quiet. He’d taken the biopsy, and he was right, it hadn’t hurt.

‘Well done. All finished. Nurse will pop a dressing on for you. Then she’ll take you to see the breast surgeon. Good luck with your research work.’ And he was gone.

On an otherwise unremarkable spring day, my life had just changed forever.

 

Excerpt from:

From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9935083-0-1

E book ISBN: 978-0-9935083-1-8

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q

 

 

An interview with Dr Kathleen Thompson: Author of From Both Ends Of The Stethoscope and Frost’s medical correspondent

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From Both Ends Of The Stethoscope by Dr. Kathleen Thompson book review, health, breast cancer,

Why did you write the book?

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was surprised how hard I found it, even as a doctor, to navigate my way through the tests and treatments. It made me realise how much more difficult it must be for someone without any medical knowledge. This book is to help those people. I also wanted to give an insight of what it was like to have cancer, for the benefit of the friends and relatives of people with breast cancer.

 

What is your book about?

It uses my personal breast cancer experiences to guide people through their breast cancer treatment, explaining the various tests and procedures. It points them to further information sources too. Although full of information, it is simply written, in order to be easily absorbed by someone in a state of shock.

Later in the book I explain medical research. The internet is a fabulous source of information. The trouble is, it doesn’t have a truth-filter. Anybody can post anything, and there are numerous ‘cancer cures’ which are unsubstantiated and sometimes dangerous. When you have a serious illness, it is tempting to try anything. So, for these reasons, I explain how to assess whether a claim is valid, or whether it is misleading.

Finally I talk about the causes of cancer and what we can do to reduce our chances of contracting it – and it is surprising how much we can do.

 

What is the most important message of your book?

Take control. We lose control of our lives the moment we are told we have cancer—take it back. Don’t relinquish that control to anyone, even to your medical carers. They may do a fantastic job, but in the end, you are the one with the most at stake. You need to understand all your treatment options, discuss with your doctor, and then decide which are best for you, and make sure you get them.

 

Who will your book help and in what way?

Firstly it will help people going through breast cancer, or other cancers, as much of the information extends to all cancers.

Equally it will help the relatives and friends of people diagnosed with cancer.

It will also be of interest to anyone who enjoys reading about personal experiences and who is interested in improving their health, reducing their cancer risk and understanding medical research

 

Did being a doctor help you get through breast cancer?

In many ways, yes it did, and that is why I want to share my ‘inside knowledge’ with others. In some ways, though, it didn’t, and I felt as vulnerable, bewildered and uncertain about what to do as anyone else.

 

Can we do anything to help lower our cancer risk?

Absolutely yes—it is surprising how much we can do. Of course some people have a higher risk of cancerthan others, and sometimes, however hard you try, you can’t prevent it. But for many of us, we can shift along the seesaw of cancer risk—and so make ourselves go up, and not down.

 

Frost found From Both Ends Of The Stethoscope impressive, and important. If you know anyone who could use help after a diagnosis, don’t hesitate to point them towards the book.

From Both Ends Of the Stethoscope is available from all good bookshops and Amazon.co.uk

 

 

New Self Help Book on Breast Cancer Released

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From Both Ends Of The Stethoscope by Dr. Kathleen Thompson book review, health, breast cancer,From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows   by Dr Kathleen Thompson

ISBN: paperback: 978-0-9935083-0-1  ebook: 978-0-9935083-1-8

Published by Faito Books

Cancer cells appear in everyone’s body much of the time, and more than one in three of us will experience some form of cancer during our lives. 

One of the commonest of these is breast cancer.

So what is breast cancer? What is cancer come to that?

What is it like to have breast cancer?

Cancer cells are usually destroyed by our immune system – but sometimes they breach these defences, and we get cancer – why?

What can we do to prevent this?

 Actually there are lots of simple things we can do to avoid cancer in the first place, and to give ourselves the best chance of recovering completely.

This is a non-fiction autobiographical, self-help book written by a doctor who has had breast cancer. Sharing her own experiences, the author takes the reader through the raw emotions associated with having cancer and needing to face one’s own mortality.

Always referring to her own cancer journey, with all its highs and dips, she helps the reader understand what they will experience during the treatment.

She explains the various medical consultations, tests and procedures, and the different treatment options, and how to make the best treatment choices.

She uses her personal experiences of things going wrong to illustrate how to deal with such circumstances, including coping with problems as an in-patient, and challenging incorrect medical decisions.

She deals with the post-treatment period, and what to do if the cancer comes back.

Alternative therapies are discussed, and, importantly, advice is given on how to distinguish credible research, and genuine therapies, from quackery.

Finally that all important question is answered – what can we do to protect ourselves against cancer?

Biography: Dr Kathleen Thompson

Kathleen is a doctor, specialising in pharmaceutical drug research.

A few years ago her life changed completely, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. This became the inspiration for her first book.

She writes medical contributions for Frost e-Magazine and has authored various scientific research publications through her career.

She has two long-suffering children, who patiently tolerate their mother’s crazy projects, and rescue her from frequent IT catastrophes.

She has a passion for ballroom dancing and enjoys adventures. She has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, walked the Camino de Santiago (500 miles) and cycled the mountains of Kerala, and also through Rajasthan.  During two of these activities she raised funds for Women v Cancer –which provides funding for three cancer charities, including Breast Cancer Care.

 

 

From Both Ends Of The Stethoscope by Dr. Kathleen Thompson

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Review by Margaret Graham

From Both Ends Of The Stethoscope by Dr. Kathleen Thompson book review, health, breast cancer,

Many of you will be familiar with Frost Magazine’s Dr Kathleen Thompson’s regular health features, which are topical, succinct accessible and helpful.

 

It is no surprise, therefore, that Dr Kathleen Thompson brings just the same skills to From Both Ends Of The Stethoscope – Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows.

 

This guide should be read by anyone with cancer, or given to anyone we know with the disease. Not only that, it should be read by relatives who are suddenly thrust into a unexpected supportive role, which leaves them as confused and upset as the patient.

 

In the guide, Dr Kathleen Thompson has the courage to use her personal experiences of breast cancer to explore the situation. She acknowledges not only her reluctance to face up to the symptoms, but her initial fear and confusion as she adjusted to this change in her fortunes.

As a medical insider, she reflects and applies her understanding of the medical procedures brought to bear to counteract the progress of the disease. She suggests the questions patients could, or perhaps should ask. She explains the possible treatments, (remember, that knowledge is power).

 

This is the key to the guide, it seemed to me: it is important for the patient to take control of the situation, and for the relatives to support this stance. To control a situation you need education because education leads to knowledge, which leads to power. Here I must acknowledge the fantastic Andy McNabb, who made this suggestion in a talk he gave. I thought it profound, and use it often.

 

Indeed, everyone should keep it as a mantra.

 

I loved, particularly,  the chapter on how patients manipulate the staff to achieve, or not, the results they require – read it, learn, and laugh.

 

Sensibly laid out, each chapter is easy to navigate. In other words, it won’t be too much or too difficult for those under stress.

 

Importantly, the author explains medical research, and how to assess the credibility of the numerous cancer treatment claims, and what we can all do to protect ourselves from cancer.

 

This is an important book, in either e-book or paperback.

 

Published by Faito Books it is available on Amazon.co.uk at £12.99

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0993508308

 

 

Inflammatory Breast Cancer by Dr Kathleen Thompson

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breast cancer, cancer, information on breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer

Have you read Heidi Loughlin’s blog? Heidi is a young mother who has breast cancer.

She was pregnant when diagnosed, so treatment was started with chemotherapy drugs which were relatively safe for her unborn baby. The birth was to be brought forward, when she would switch to more effective drugs.

However her cancer progressed quickly, requiring an earlier delivery than planned, to allow Heidi to start Herceptin treatment sooner. Devastatingly, her baby daughter died shortly after the birth, just before this Christmas.

Heidi has inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Although rare  (1-4% of all breast cancers), it is important for two reasons— (1) it grows and spreads rapidly and (2) the appearance may mimic infection or injury (often there is no lump), and so breast cancer may be overlooked and life-saving treatment delayed.

IBC invades the breast skin, and blocks the lymph vessels within it. It tends to spread in sheets, rather than forming a lump.

This results in an unusual picture. The lymph blockages cause fluid build-up, so the skin swells and discolours, and hair follicles enlarge, forming multiple pits. The resulting skin resembles that of an orange (and is called ‘peau d’orange’).

However this classical appearance isn’t always seen either.

The breast may become red, hot and swollen, resembling infection, and if ‘mastitis’ doesn’t respond to antibiotics, IBC should be considered urgently.

Sometimes the skin appears bruised, or ridges or welts appear. There may be ulceration. Sometimes the nipple inverts or leaks fluid/blood, and there may be enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit or collar bone area.

If any of these changes occur, you must see a doctor without delay.

Because there may be no lump, and because it often occurs in younger women, with denser breast tissue, it may not be picked up on a mammogram.

Biopsy of the affected skin is key to diagnosis. AS IBC spreads early, PET or CAT scans of the body, and bone scans will also be needed.

The outlook for IBC used to be very poor. It is still not as good as for other breast cancers, but with modern treatment it has improved, and recent genetic research has yielded potential new hope.

Chemotherapy is usually started before surgery. Afterwards a full mastectomy is generally needed, removing more body tissue than normal, including armpit lymph nodes. Breast reconstruction isn’t normally possible until later on.

Radiotherapy follows surgery, then often more chemotherapy. If the cancer is HER2 positive, Herceptin will be given. If it is sensitive to female hormones, anti-oestrogens, either tamoxifen or an aromatase-inhibitor, such as letrozole will be prescribed.

Treating any cancer during pregnancy involves balancing risks to baby and mother, and, as in Heidi’s case, can involve bitter disappointments.

If you notice any unusual and persistent changes in your breast—not necessarily a lump, you must see your doctor without delay. Unless there is a good explanation for the changes, you should be referred to a breast clinic. Do push for this if you are concerned.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q

Further information:

http://storminatitcup.blogspot.co.uk/2015_12_01_archive.html

http://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/ibc-fact-sheet

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/type/breast-cancer/about/types/inflammatory-breast-cancer

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/101/19/1302.full

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice