Latest news with #TheChristieNHSFoundationTrust
Scottish Sun
05-07-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Acupuncture helped me recover from cancer like Kate – it eases the agony I'm left facing and means I can walk
WE are living in what experts are calling a 'golden age' of cancer treatment. New medicines are being developed every year, and half of patients diagnosed now survive for ten years or more — up from 24 per cent in the 1970s. 4 Kate Middleton revealed she had acupuncture as part of her recovery from cancer Credit: Getty 4 Like the Princess of Wales, Paige Nunu turned to acupuncture after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma Credit: The Christie NHS Foundation Trust But cancer remains the UK's biggest killer and researchers are seeking ways to change this. This week, the Princess of Wales revealed she had acupuncture as part of her recovery from cancer. Kate, 43, told patients at a cancer wellbeing centre at Colchester Hospital she'd tried the traditional Chinese medicine, which uses thin needles inserted into parts of the body to relieve pain and promote healing. Kate said: 'Looking at it from a mind, body and spiritual perspective really matters.' Like the Princess of Wales, Paige Nunu turned to acupuncture after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma — a type of cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes. Nerve pain Administering the treatment herself is not something the 32-year-old ever thought she would do. But Paige, from Stockport, has been taught how to do it at The Christie hospital in Manchester to deal with the severe pain she has been left with after chemotherapy. Diagnosed in 2022 after having symptoms for 12 months, Paige's prognosis meant aggressive treatment was her best option. The pain was so bad some days that even walking was difficult. I was offered medication, but I wanted a more holistic approach Paige 'I was stage four when I was told I had cancer,' the mum-of-one tells Sun on Sunday Health. 'It wasn't put down to cancer for quite a while. It meant I had to have intense chemotherapy that escalated. Every dose was stronger than the last, which came at a cost.' Princess Kate issued a clear warning shot with her cancer comments - it's time people took note Left with nerve pain in her hands and feet, and fibromyalgia, which causes widespread pain, Paige turned to acupuncture. She says: 'The pain was so bad some days that even walking was difficult. I was offered medication, but I wanted a more holistic approach. 'I'd had acupuncture before and had always found it really effective so when I was offered it at The Christie, I went for it.' Acupuncture is not the only complementary therapy having a positive effect. A study presented to the American Society of Clinical Oncology last month found exercise reduced the risk of cancer patients dying within eight years by up to a third. Getting the blood pumping could also help to stop tumours returning within five years. The results of the landmark trial across the US, UK, Australia, France, Canada and Israel showed that exercise can be an effective complementary therapy. About 35 per cent of people with cancer use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) alongside traditional treatment plans, according to Cancer Research UK. Several studies have found they reduce adverse symptoms both during and after conventional medical treatment. While Paige is treated at The Christie, Guy's and St Thomas' in London offers aromatherapy in cancer care, University College Hospitals in London offer aromatherapy, massage, reiki and reflexology, and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital does reflexology, massage, reiki and the M Technique — a massage suitable for frail patients. Availability on the NHS is limited and dependent on postcode and treatment centres, and is often funded by charities. After giving birth to her daughter Sahara, now 14 months, in 2024, Paige found it difficult to get to acupuncture appointments so her nurse taught her to do it herself. 'I had acupuncture once a week and it really helped with the pain,' she says. 4 Kate said: 'Looking at it from a mind, body and spiritual perspective really matters' Credit: AFP 'I got my mobility back and I could walk properly again. 'At the end of last year, my therapist said she was planning to train some patients to do self-acupuncture so we could do it at home. Regain control 'I jumped at the chance, particularly as I had recently given birth and the juggle of childcare with my weekly appointments was difficult.' The Christie is one of Europe's largest experimental cancer medicine centres, with more than 3,000 patients and around 700 clinical studies taking place at any one time. It is also one of the first to offer self-training for acupuncture as a complementary therapy alongside traditional cancer treatments. Eileen Hackman, integrative therapy health and wellbeing lead who taught Paige how to do her own acupuncture, says: 'Research shows that acupuncture benefits cancer patients physically and psychologically. 'Patients describe it as life-changing as it enables them to regain some control. 'Many feel it makes their lives generally easier to cope with.' Putting needles in yourself might sound daunting but it's had such a huge impact Eileen Hackman Paige was taught how to safely insert and remove the needles in her hands and feet. She does it every few weeks and says: 'When Eileen did the acupuncture, it looked easy, but having tried it myself, it can be fiddly. 'I get frustrated if I place them incorrectly and they slip out. The difference is big though — it relieves the pain I'm in by around 60 per cent, which means I can walk and use my hands a lot more comfortably. 'My hands are sometimes so bad I can't pick things up so it makes a huge difference, especially with how much I need to do as a stay-at-home mum. 'Putting needles in yourself might sound daunting but it's had such a huge impact.' Paige, who is now cancer-free, adds: 'Being able to take ownership of my health in this way has been incredible. I hope, in time, the pain will lessen more.' 4 Paige during treatment Credit: Jam Press/Paige Nunu Some complementary therapies may be harmful or interact with other treatments, and Caroline Geraghty, specialist information nurse at Cancer Research UK, says: 'It may be OK to use some complementary treatments along-side treatment prescribed by your doctor. However, the influence of things you see online can be misleading. 'It's important to speak with your cancer doctor, GP or specialist nurse if you're considering using any complementary therapies, as some may affect the way your treatment works."
The Irish Sun
05-07-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Acupuncture helped me recover from cancer like Kate – it eases the agony I'm left facing and means I can walk
WE are living in what experts are calling a 'golden age' of cancer treatment. New medicines are being developed every year, and half of patients diagnosed now survive for ten years or more — up from 24 per cent in the 1970s. 4 Kate Middleton revealed she had acupuncture as part of her recovery from cancer Credit: Getty 4 Like the Princess of Wales, Paige Nunu turned to acupuncture after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma Credit: The Christie NHS Foundation Trust But cancer remains the UK's biggest killer and researchers are seeking ways to change this. This week, the Princess of Wales revealed she had acupuncture as part of her recovery from cancer. Kate, 43, told patients at a cancer wellbeing centre at Colchester Hospital she'd tried the traditional Chinese medicine, which uses thin needles inserted into parts of the body to relieve pain and promote healing. Kate said: 'Looking at it from a mind, body and spiritual perspective really matters.' READ MORE ON CANCER Like the Princess of Wales, Paige Nunu turned to acupuncture after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma — a type of cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes. Nerve pain Administering the treatment herself is not something the 32-year-old ever thought she would do. But Paige, from Stockport, has been taught how to do it at The Christie hospital in Manchester to deal with the severe pain she has been left with after chemotherapy. Diagnosed in 2022 after having symptoms for 12 months, Paige's prognosis meant aggressive treatment was her best option. Most read in Health The pain was so bad some days that even walking was difficult. I was offered medication, but I wanted a more holistic approach Paige 'I was stage four when I was told I had cancer,' the mum-of-one tells Sun on Sunday Health. 'It wasn't put down to cancer for quite a while. It meant I had to have intense chemotherapy that escalated. Every dose was stronger than the last, which came at a cost.' Princess Kate issued a clear warning shot with her cancer comments - it's time people took note Left with nerve pain in her hands and feet, and fibromyalgia, which causes widespread pain, Paige turned to acupuncture. She says: 'The pain was so bad some days that even walking was difficult. I was offered medication, but I wanted a more holistic approach. 'I'd had acupuncture before and had always found it really effective so when I was offered it at The Christie, I went for it.' Acupuncture is not the only complementary therapy having a positive effect. A study presented to the American Society of Clinical Oncology last month found exercise reduced the risk of cancer patients dying within eight years by up to a third. Getting the blood pumping could also help to stop tumours returning within five years. The results of the landmark trial across the US, UK, Australia, France, Canada and Israel showed that exercise can be an effective complementary therapy. About 35 per cent of people with cancer use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) alongside traditional treatment plans, according to Cancer Research UK. Several studies have found they reduce adverse symptoms both during and after conventional medical treatment. While Paige is treated at The Christie, Guy's and St Thomas' in London offers aromatherapy in cancer care, University College Hospitals in London offer aromatherapy, massage, reiki and reflexology, and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital does reflexology, massage, reiki and the M Technique — a massage suitable for frail patients. Availability on the NHS is limited and dependent on postcode and treatment centres, and is often funded by charities. After giving birth to her daughter Sahara, now 14 months, in 2024, Paige found it difficult to get to acupuncture appointments so her nurse taught her to do it herself. 'I had acupuncture once a week and it really helped with the pain,' she says. 4 Kate said: 'Looking at it from a mind, body and spiritual perspective really matters' Credit: AFP 'I got my mobility back and I could walk properly again. 'At the end of last year, my therapist said she was planning to train some patients to do self-acupuncture so we could do it at home. Regain control 'I jumped at the chance, particularly as I had recently given birth and the juggle of childcare with my weekly appointments was difficult.' The Christie is one of Europe's largest experimental cancer medicine centres, with more than 3,000 patients and around 700 clinical studies taking place at any one time. It is also one of the first to offer self-training for acupuncture as a complementary therapy alongside traditional cancer treatments. Eileen Hackman, integrative therapy health and wellbeing lead who taught Paige how to do her own acupuncture, says: 'Research shows that acupuncture benefits cancer patients physically and psychologically. 'Patients describe it as life-changing as it enables them to regain some control. 'Many feel it makes their lives generally easier to cope with.' Putting needles in yourself might sound daunting but it's had such a huge impact Eileen Hackman Paige was taught how to safely insert and remove the needles in her hands and feet. She does it every few weeks and says: 'When Eileen did the acupuncture, it looked easy, but having tried it myself, it can be fiddly. 'I get frustrated if I place them incorrectly and they slip out. The difference is big though — it relieves the pain I'm in by around 60 per cent, which means I can walk and use my hands a lot more comfortably. 'My hands are sometimes so bad I can't pick things up so it makes a huge difference, especially with how much I need to do as a stay-at-home mum. 'Putting needles in yourself might sound daunting but it's had such a huge impact.' Paige, who is now cancer-free, adds: 'Being able to take ownership of my health in this way has been incredible. I hope, in time, the pain will lessen more.' 4 Paige during treatment Credit: Jam Press/Paige Nunu Some complementary therapies may be harmful or interact with other treatments, and Caroline Geraghty, specialist information nurse at Cancer Research UK, says: 'It may be OK to use some complementary treatments along-side treatment prescribed by your doctor. However, the influence of things you see online can be misleading. 'It's important to speak with your cancer doctor, GP or specialist nurse if you're considering using any complementary therapies, as some may affect the way your treatment works." Major medical breakthroughs HERE are some of the big cancer treatment breakthroughs of the last decade. BLOOD TESTING: Super sensitive blood tests can now detect fragments of tumour DNA coming from anywhere in the body with a simple blood sample. Scientists can use the results to confirm or rule out a cancer diagnosis. IMMUNOTHERAPY: Harnessing a patient's own immune system to fight cancer is on the rise as it is more accurate and less toxic than chemotherapy. Drugs can switch off tumour genes that cancer cells use to resist white blood cells. VACCINES: Cancer vaccines are an extension of immunotherapy and work similarly to jabs for bugs like Covid or measles, but mostly treat instead of prevent. Scientists grow or create cells that look like cancer in a lab, then inject them into the body to train the immune system to kill them. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: AI is being used to improve cancer detection as it can harvest and analyse data faster than a human. ROBOTIC SURGERY: Surgical robots are used to treat cancer as they can reduce side effects and speed up recovery compared to traditional ops.
News18
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Tommy Shelby Suit Breaks Record As Peaky Blinders Auction Nets $25.7K
Last Updated: A charity auction for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust raised $25,700 through the sale of Peaky Blinders costumes. A charity auction for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust raised about $25,700 through the sale of original Peaky Blinders costumes. Omega Auctions hosted the event from April 22 to May 20, culminating in a themed gathering at Manchester's Peaky Blinders bar with live bidding and costume exhibits. Cillian Murphy's grey three-piece suit, featured in the series finale as Tommy Shelby, was sold for $2,234. Inside the pocket, a handwritten note read 'takes off ring," referencing Shelby's emotional journey. Murphy's wool 'Tommy suit C" achieved the highest price at $4,063, according to a PA report. Sam Claflin's hat, worn by his character Oswald Mosley, fetched $243. Helen McCrory's coat from her role as Polly Gray, the fierce matriarch of the Shelby family, was sold for $880. Murphy's wedding suit from Season 3 raised $2,167, and Aimee Ffion Edwards' embroidered jacket, worn by her character Esme Shelby, sold for $325. Additional items, including ties, dresses, and shoes, were also auctioned. The proceeds will support cancer research and patient care at Manchester's Christie Hospital. The event celebrated the show's enduring impact, blending the gritty 1920s aesthetic of Peaky Blinders with a charitable cause. The series followed Tommy Shelby's evolution from a Birmingham gangster to a political figure, facing off against fascism, communism, and personal struggles. Claflin's portrayal of Mosley reflected real-world extremism, while McCrory's Polly provided a strong, witty anchor for the Shelby family. The Peaky Blinders franchise is set to return soon with a film sequel, written by creator Steven Knight and starring Murphy, due for release this autumn. Running from 2013 to 2022, the series skillfully combined post-war politics with family drama, securing its cult status. Fans were able to relive the show's intensity and contribute to cancer research through their bids on these iconic costumes. First Published:
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Peaky Blinders charity auction raises $25,700; Tommy Shelby suit fetches record price
An auction of original Peaky Blinders costumes raised approximately $25,700 for cancer charity, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. Held by Omega Auctions from April 22 to May 20, it ended with a themed event at Manchester's Peaky Blinders bar, featuring live bidding and costume displays. Cillian Murphy's grey three-piece suit, worn as Tommy Shelby in the series finale, sold for $2,234. A handwritten note inside its pocket read: 'takes off ring', a nod to Shelby's emotional arc. His wool 'Tommy suit C' fetched the highest bid of a whopping $4,063, says a PA report. ALSO READ | Why are more American children falling sick? RFK Jr's MAHA report has this to say Sam Claflin's hat, worn as fascist leader Oswald Mosley, sold for $243. Helen McCrory's coat from her role as Polly Gray, the Shelby family's fierce matriarch, went for $880. Murphy's wedding suit from Season 3 sold for $2167, while Aimee Ffion Edwards' embroidered jacket as Esme Shelby, a fiery Shelby in-law, earned another $325. Other items included ties, dresses, and shoes. Proceeds support cancer research and patients at Manchester's Christie Hospital. The event celebrated the show's legacy, blending its gritty 1920s aesthetic with charity. Peaky Blinders followed Tommy Shelby's rise from Birmingham gangster to political schemer, battling fascism, communism, and personal demons. Claflin's Mosley embodied real-world extremism, while McCrory's Polly anchored the Shelby clan with steel-hearted wit. A film sequel, written by creator Steven Knight and starring Murphy, releases this autumn. ALSO READ | Skilla Baby update: Rapper recovering after Detroit shooting - What we know so far The series, spanning 2013–2022, wove post-war politics with family drama, cementing its cult status. Fans relived its intensity through these costumes, turning memorabilia into cancer funds. Every bid honored the show's impact and its cast's iconic roles.
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Alarm star Mike Peters' tragic final message just two days before his death revealed
The tragic final message of The Alarm front man Mike Peters, who died today aged 66, has been revealed. Peters, born in Prestatyn, north Wales, was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) when he was just 36 and said he had 'lived with the disease' ever since. But last year, just five days before he was set to embark on a 50-date US tour, the rock star noticed a lump on his neck which he thought 'would pass'. Doctors quickly realised the Welshman had developed Richter's syndrome, a more aggressive form of CLL. He was sent to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester to receive specialist treatment, and had regularly updated fans about his battles with cancer. Unfortunately, a spokeswoman for the charity he and his wife co-founded announced today that Mike Peters has died. Less than two days before his death, Peters released a tragic 'personal message' to fans on social media announcing the release of his latest autobiography, Volume 2 HOPE - 1991-2005. The message read: 'I'm writing personally to thank you for the love and understanding shown to me and my family during my trails at The Christie Hospital, Manchester, throughout these challenging last few months. 'Andrew Richardson (my publisher) has kept me fully abreast of all the wonderful feedback you have sent me him regarding the book content, story telling and attention to detail that I poured into the writing of Love 1959 - 1991. 'Luckily for me, I was able to stay alive long enough through 2024 to complete Volume 2 HOPE - 1991 - 2005 and we are all now ready and excited to share news and detail of its publication so I'm going to hand this part over to Andrew.' Peters first gained success in the early 1980s and went onto support world-renowned names such as U2 and Bruce Springsteen. After battling with cancer for more than 25 years, in 2019 he was awarded an MBE for services to cancer charities after he and his wife, Jules, founded Love Hope Strength, which aimed to encourage action around stem cell donation. Jules herself had been diagnosed with breast cancer while filming a TV show about their jet-set family in 2016. Instead of quitting the show, the mother of the couple's two sons made the brave decision to continue allowing a camera crew to follow her and her family as they faced the journey through her diagnosis, surgery and treatment. Jules had been by her husband's side throughout his battle with cancer which began all the way back in 1995. In an interview with the BBC earlier this year, she recalled how she felt when her rock star partner was diagnosed again last year. 'When Mike was diagnosed in April, I honestly felt like it was game over,' she said. 'I struggled very, very hard to pull myself together. For the first time in my life, I was going to have to fake it. 'And I faked it for a couple of weeks and thought, we can't waste any days worrying and feeling sorry for myself, that won't get my anywhere.' The Alarm's Instagram page today released a haunting song titled 'Totally Free', in which Peters sings 'I'm free, I'm really free, I'm totally free'. In the comments section, hundreds of supporters paid tribute to the 'inspirational' singer. One wrote: 'I'm devastated. Mike was a wonderful man - because of his music I didn't feel alone as a teenager. His music has continued to be the soundtrack to my life. 'He was a light in this world. Sending all my love to Jules and the boys can't imagine what they're going through right now.' Another commented: 'Fly Free Mike. So sorry to read this, your battle was so long and hard and fought like a true hero.' 'My first gig was The Alarm,' another fan remembered. 'Showed me what live music was all about. A true legend and the hardest working guy. Gutted to lose you. Sleep well Mike, no more suffering.' Peters leaves behind Jules and their two sons, Dylan, 20, and Evan, 18.
