The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Surgery can dramatically reduce genetic cancer risk Posted: 14 May 2013 08:36 AM PDT
The issue has been thrown into the spotlight with Hollywood star Angelina Jolie's announcement that she had her breasts surgically removed after tests revealed she carried a genetic mutation that can lead to cancer. Rocker Ozzy Osbourne's wife, Sharon, did the same last year. About 0.2 per cent of women carry a harmful mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene that boosts their lifetime risk of contracting breast cancer to as much as 80 per cent compared to about 10 per cent for women without the gene. "This is what many people would consider a sky-high risk," epidemiology professor Per Hall of Sweden's Karolinska Institutet said. "For the few women who are carriers (of the mutation) this is definitely a good option," he said of surgery. Having a double mastectomy reduces a mutation-carrier's risk by about 90 per cent to a level lower than that of women who don't carry the genetic flaw. But it but can never eliminate the danger entirely. "Even the most skilled surgeon will leave some tiny part of breast tissue behind," said Hall. An estimated 458,000 women died of breast cancer – the most common cancer type among women – in 2008, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Survival rates vary greatly, from 80 per cent in the developed world to under 40 per cent in poor countries that have fewer early-detection programmes. The cost of genetic screening can be prohibitive – ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars, says the US-based National Cancer Institute. On its website, the WHO says early detection remains the "cornerstone" of its cancer strategy as preemptively screening asymptomatic people was a "far more complex undertaking". DNA, the blueprint for life, comprises four basic chemicals called A (adenine), C (cytosine), T (thymine) and G (guanine) strung together in different combinations along a double helix. Sometimes a "spelling mistake" in the A, C, T, G combinations can cause problems in gene function. But carrying a mutation does not necessarily mean a person will develop cancer – factors like lifestyle also play a role. A study in 2005 concluded that a fifth of breast cancer deaths worldwide could be attributed to alcohol use, excessive weight and physical inactivity. Delayed pregnancy and not breastfeeding are factors considered to increase one's chances of contracting breast cancer. Age is a major factor – most breast and ovarian cancers occur in women over 50, though women with the BRCA mutations often get ill at an earlier age. Mutations in the BRCA (BReast CAncer susceptibility) genes, which normally act as tumour suppressors, also increase ovarian cancer risk. Clinical geneticist Clare Turnbull at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London said women who carry the mutation are generally offered intensive MRI and mammogram screening so any cancer can be caught and treated early. "That is one option, and for many women particularly young women, that's the option they choose," she said. "Other women feel that they would like to take a more interventional approach and try and reduce the likelihood of them getting cancer in the first place," such as a double mastectomy. "It is not uncommon." The London-based Breast Cancer Campaign said Jolie's openness would help raise crucial awareness of genetic breast cancer risk. "Deciding whether to have preventative surgery is a heart rending decision for women like Angelina but we know it's a vital way of saving lives," the campaign's chief executive Delyth Morgan said. "This is a stark reminder of how much more research we need to do to give women more knowledge, choice and life-saving options to reduce their risk." – AFP/Relaxnews |
| Airlines bankroll sports glory to win market dogfight Posted: 13 May 2013 09:13 PM PDT
After mythic clubs Barcelona FC and Manchester United, Dortmund is the third football giant to be sponsored by THY, which is vying to dominate the airways with just-as ambitious Gulf carriers, such as Emirates and Qatar Airways. The deal, estimated in the tens of millions of euros, is well timed, coming just as Dortmund secured its place in an all-German Champions League final against Bayern Munich on May 25, in what sports analysts said was a Bundesliga resurgence. "In our pursuit of marketing our product and shaping our brand, we have taken on sports to represent our face to the public," said THY chairman Hamdi Topcu. Crowned best European airline in 2011 and 2012, Turkish Airlines is expanding furiously and chalking up clear victories in an industry known for cut-throat rivalries worthy of the Premier League. The airline carried 39 million passengers in 2012 — Emirates carried 34 million — and paid US$20 billion (RM60 billion) for some 200 Boeing and Airbus jets in a frantic push to carry 96 million passengers by 2020, when it hopes Istanbul will have beaten Madrid and Tokyo to host the Summer Olympics. The idea is to advertise a "good product to provide us with visibility across the world," said Ali Genc, deputy chairperson at the airline. The push has already paid off, at least on the web, with a television ad featuring basketball superstar Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi, the football living legend, viewed over 100 million times. "Sport sponsorships is like fireworks," said Lionel Maltese, a marketing professor at Aix Marseille University in France, explaining the "big buzz" an airline gets for bankrolling sports glory. But a famous name comes with a price, experts say, especially when economies flush with petrodollars are on the hunt for exposure. In football, Dubai-based Emirates is now patron to Paris St. Germain, AC Milan and has long backed Arsenal, whose home field was named Emirates Stadium in a game-changing 2004 deal worth US$200 million. Emirates will also sponsor 15 of Formula One's 19 Grand Prix over the next five seasons.
"It is very simple — sports sponsoring is very successful because people tend to remember sports more than anything else," said Boutros Boutros, the head of Emirates' Corporate Communications. "We also sponsor festivals, expositions and concerts but nobody seems to pay attention to that," Boutros said, noting that passenger numbers rose more than ten-fold since 2000 when the company first started sponsorships. According to chief executive Ahmad bin Said al-Maktoum, Emirates sets aside US$227 million every year for sport sponsorships. Turkish Airlines, which entered the fray much later, chose "eye-catching sponsorships... at the expense of short term profitability," said Emre Akcakmak, a senior analyst from East Capital. But the effort was worth it, he said, with THY's passenger numbers and profitability rising remarkably over the years. The competition never lets up however, with companies running the risk of "looking less famous or less attractive" if they step out of the game, Maltese warned. In November, Qatar Airways replaced THY in a surprise jersey deal with Barcelona worth €170 million. And unsurprisingly, Qatar Airways will also stamp its logo on the 2022 World Cup when home city Doha hosts the huge event. THY, which refuses to announce sponsorship costs, is now trying to bag a "world-famous golfer," the airline's Genc said. "The airline is playing at the top league in this competition, why would its sponsorships be any less than the best?" Whipping out the cheque-book is an "undeniable reality," he said. In the end "it all came together for us, the sponsorships have more than paid off." — AFP/Relaxnews |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Features To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan