Latest news with #BBCRadioGloucestershire
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'Hidden' breast cancer found in new screening study
A pioneering breast cancer trial involving more than 9,000 patients has found early stages of the disease that might be missed by regular mammograms. Researchers used a range of different scanning methods, including MRI scans and injecting dye into breast tissue, to better understand the disease. More than 1,300 patients in the trial were recruited through Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust. Dr Sarah Vinnicombe, the lead breast radiologist and deputy director of screening at the Thirlestaine Breast Centre in Cheltenham, said she and her colleagues had known for a long time that mammography "even though it's a good screening tool for most women, is not perfect". The issue, she told BBC Radio Gloucestershire, comes down to the density of breast tissue. People with denser tissue are at a higher risk of developing cancer, but as breast tissue and cancers both appear white on mammograms, early warning signs can be difficult to pick up. The researchers looked at three different ways of picking up early-stage cancers - a whole-breast ultrasound, a quick form of breast MRI and a type of mammogram in which patients are injected with a dye to highlight abnormal areas. With more than 9,000 women involved overall it was the first study ever to take this approach and, Dr Vinnicombe said, it yielded "fascinating" results. What the researchers found in the group of patients who had the MRI scan or contrast mammogram was a "massive increase in the number of cancers" detected. As for how their findings could impact what women are offered, Dr Vinnicombe said: "There are a lot of conversations going on in the Department of Health and the national screening committee at the moment. "It's a work in progress - it's quite clear that we can't just implement contrast mammography or MRI for all those women in the country who have very dense breasts," she added, as this would amount to around 10% of the 2.2 million women screened each year. However, she added, the research had found that not all women with denser breast tissue were at higher risk - meaning the more effective techniques they had identified could be targeted at a smaller group of women. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. New hope for patients with breast cancer gene Call for NHS to give women with dense breasts extra cancer scans Gloucestershire NHS Foundation Trust
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'Hidden' breast cancer found in new screening study
A pioneering breast cancer trial involving more than 9,000 patients has found early stages of the disease that might be missed by regular mammograms. Researchers used a range of different scanning methods, including MRI scans and injecting dye into breast tissue, to better understand the disease. More than 1,300 patients in the trial were recruited through Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust. Dr Sarah Vinnicombe, the lead breast radiologist and deputy director of screening at the Thirlestaine Breast Centre in Cheltenham, said she and her colleagues had known for a long time that mammography "even though it's a good screening tool for most women, is not perfect". The issue, she told BBC Radio Gloucestershire, comes down to the density of breast tissue. People with denser tissue are at a higher risk of developing cancer, but as breast tissue and cancers both appear white on mammograms, early warning signs can be difficult to pick up. The researchers looked at three different ways of picking up early-stage cancers - a whole-breast ultrasound, a quick form of breast MRI and a type of mammogram in which patients are injected with a dye to highlight abnormal areas. With more than 9,000 women involved overall it was the first study ever to take this approach and, Dr Vinnicombe said, it yielded "fascinating" results. What the researchers found in the group of patients who had the MRI scan or contrast mammogram was a "massive increase in the number of cancers" detected. As for how their findings could impact what women are offered, Dr Vinnicombe said: "There are a lot of conversations going on in the Department of Health and the national screening committee at the moment. "It's a work in progress - it's quite clear that we can't just implement contrast mammography or MRI for all those women in the country who have very dense breasts," she added, as this would amount to around 10% of the 2.2 million women screened each year. However, she added, the research had found that not all women with denser breast tissue were at higher risk - meaning the more effective techniques they had identified could be targeted at a smaller group of women. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. New hope for patients with breast cancer gene Call for NHS to give women with dense breasts extra cancer scans Gloucestershire NHS Foundation Trust
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Graduated licences could 'prevent' young driver crashes, mum says
A woman who lost her 18-year-old son in a crash says graduated licences for young drivers could "prevent another parent" going through what she Pain, 18, died alongside his passenger, Harry Smith, 17, near North Nibley, Gloucestershire, when he crashed his car in Pain, Oliver's mum, is now calling for graduated driving licences to be introduced, which would mean young drivers could not carry passengers under the age of 25 until they have been driving for six months, or turn Department for Transport told the BBC last week that although it is not considering graduated licences, its THINK! campaign focuses on the safety of male drivers aged 17-24. Graduated licences already exist in Australia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, and some US UK campaign also calls for all cars to be fitted with a tool to smash a window if occupants became trapped, and for those who flout the rules to be given six penalty Pain said restrictions could "save lives" and is campaigning to help other parents of young drivers."It's awful losing a child and if it's something I can do and somebody might listen and it prevents another parent going through what myself and my husband and my family go through, it's got to help," she told BBC Radio Gloucestershire. 'Time gains experience' Mrs Pain believes there is "too much red tape" stopping graduated licences from being introduced in now, she said young drivers should not take passengers if they do not feel "comfortable or ready"."Children are taught to drive and taught to pass their test but it's time which gains their experience on the road," she said."If Oliver wasn't taking that passenger, he, possibly, wouldn't have been on that road where they sadly both lost their lives. "That we will never know but [we need to] keep both passenger and driver safe as much as we can."
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Yahoo
'Teachers must respond to issues in Adolescence'
The father of a murdered young woman wants teachers to respond to issues raised in the TV series Adolescence such as toxic material on social media. Nick Gazzard's daughter Hollie, 20, was killed in the Gloucester hair salon where she worked in 2014 after ending a year-long relationship. The Netflix drama, which was set to be screened to all secondary schools in the UK, examines a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a girl from his class and explores themes of misogyny. Mr Gazzard said showing the series in schools was "great", but added teachers needed to "respond to those issues they're seeing". More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire Adolescence has sparked a national conversation about the impact of social media and "manosphere" influencers, such as Andrew Tate, as well as language such as "incel". Incels, short for involuntary celibate, is a term used by men who blame women for their inability to find a sexual partner. It is an ideology that has been linked to terror attacks and killings in recent years such as the Plymouth shooting in 2022. Mr Gazzard told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "It [the series] brings a lot of issues, particularly around social media and the damage it does to young men. "A lot of people are aware of this but perhaps not aware of the depth and the damage it's causing." Mr Gazzard set up the Hollie Gazzard Trust following his daughter's death and has been campaigning about domestic abuse and stalking since. He was made an OBE by the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace on 28 March. He said the trust would support schools in helping teachers respond to "harmful damage" young men see on social media which is "causing violence against women and girls". "We're trying to bring it back from that damaging content which they're learning online," he said." Professor Adeela Shafi, professor of education in youth justice at the University of Gloucestershire, said the education was "really for us as society". "The cold language children may be using - that we as adults are completely outside of - we don't understand that," she said. "That's one of the most powerful things that's come through for us as parents." She added: "The overwhelming knowledge of how our children are exposed to things that we would never want them to be exposed to, and be exposed to things we wouldn't have even thought about when we were younger." Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Adolescence hard to watch as a dad, Starmer tells creators Netflix's Adolescence makes UK TV ratings history Parents should be aware of extremism, Met says 'I've not heard of incel before': Teenager dissects Adolescence with his worried parents The Hollie Gazzard Trust
BBC News
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Adolescence: 'School teachers must respond to toxic material'
The father of a murdered young woman wants teachers to respond to issues raised in the TV series Adolescence such as toxic material on social Gazzard's daughter Hollie, 20, was killed in the Gloucester hair salon where she worked in 2014 after ending a year-long Netflix drama, which was set to be screened to all secondary schools in the UK, examines a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a girl from his class and explores themes of Gazzard said showing the series in schools was "great", but added teachers needed to "respond to those issues they're seeing". Adolescence has sparked a national conversation about the impact of social media and "manosphere" influencers, such as Andrew Tate, as well as language such as "incel".Incels, short for involuntary celibate, is a term used by men who blame women for their inability to find a sexual partner. It is an ideology that has been linked to terror attacks and killings in recent years such as the Plymouth shooting in Gazzard told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "It [the series] brings a lot of issues, particularly around social media and the damage it does to young men. "A lot of people are aware of this but perhaps not aware of the depth and the damage it's causing." Mr Gazzard set up the Hollie Gazzard Trust following his daughter's death and has been campaigning about domestic abuse and stalking since. He was made an OBE by the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace on 28 said the trust would support schools in helping teachers respond to "harmful damage" young men see on social media which is "causing violence against women and girls"."We're trying to bring it back from that damaging content which they're learning online," he said."Professor Adeela Shafi, professor of education in youth justice at the University of Gloucestershire, said the education was "really for us as society"."The cold language children may be using - that we as adults are completely outside of - we don't understand that," she said."That's one of the most powerful things that's come through for us as parents."She added: "The overwhelming knowledge of how our children are exposed to things that we would never want them to be exposed to, and be exposed to things we wouldn't have even thought about when we were younger."
