Australian Family Physician April - Cancer Screening
Vol 38, (4) 177 - 272
The theme for the April issue of AFP is Cancer Screening. This
month's articles include Cancer screening in general practice, Cancer
screening – pros, cons, choice, and the patient, There’s cancer in the
family, Bowel cancer screening – a role for general practice and
Bridging the gap between primary care and public health.
In the eye of the beholder
Carolyn O’Shea
Risk is an individual business. Some people see skydiving
as safe, thrilling and enjoyable; I see it as the stuff of
nightmares!
Bridging the gap between primary care and public health
Chris van Weel, Raymond Koopmans, Koos van der Velden, Ben Bottema, Pieter de Vries Robbé
In August 2007, a registrar of our general practitioner
training program in The Netherlands diagnosed pneumonia
in a young, otherwise healthy, male patient.
Letters to the editor
The opinions expressed by correspondents in this column are in no way endorsed by either the Editors or The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
Cancer screening in general practice
Salma Fahridin, Helena Britt
Cancer screening promoted through government
policies includes screening for breast cancer, cervical
cancer, bowel cancer, and skin cancer.
Cancer screening – pros, cons, choice, and the patient
Lyndal Trevena
Cancer is a major cause of disability and death in Australia,
with three government funded screening programs now in
place nationally.
There’s cancer in the family
Jon Emery, Kristine Barlow-Stewart, Sylvia A Metcalfe
Patients will sometimes raise the issue of cancer ‘running in their
family’ or it may be identified by the general practitioner when
enquiring about a patient’s family history.
Bowel cancer screening – a role for general practice
Linda Foreman
Current Australian guidelines recommend regular screening
with faecal occult blood tests (FOBT) in asymptomatic people
over 50 years of age in order to reduce mortality from bowel
cancer.
Early stage bowel cancer – follow up and survivorship
Carmel Pezaro, Michael Jefford
Colorectal cancer is the most common internal malignancy affecting
both men and women in Australia.
Solving dental problems in general practice
Angus Kingon
Dentistry is a small component of the undergraduate medical
curriculum, however many patients with oral disease seek advice
from their doctor.
Lowering cholesterol - A review on the role of plant sterols
Peter Clifton
Plant sterols are an important but underused dietary component in
the treatment of elevated blood cholesterol.
Giant inguinoscrotal hernia
Sergio Vano-Galvan, Pablo Guisado-Vasco, Pedro Jaén
Giant inguinoscrotal hernias are uncommon. They are defined as hernias that extend below the midpoint of the inner thigh in the standing position. They present a new spectrum of problems for patients apart from the classical complications of inguinoscrotal hernia.
Accurately assessing candidates for general practice
Russell Jones
Specialist medical examinations, such as those within general
practice, are essential for identifying candidates who are able to
progress to independent specialist practice.
AFP in Practice
AFP in Practice questions are designed to get you started in a small group learning (SGL) activity in your practice or with colleagues. Requirements to earn 40 Category 1 CPD points for a SGL activity are: minimum of four and a maximum of 10 people, minimum of 8 hours of discussion in a year, and at least two GPs.
Clinical Challenge
Questions for this month's clinical challenge are based on articles in this issue. The style and scope of questions is in keeping with the MCQ of the College Fellowship exam. The quiz is endorsed by the RACGP Quality Assurance and Continuing Professional Development Program and has been allocated 4 CPD points per issue.
Breast screening and failure to diagnose breast cancer
Sara Bird
This article discusses a recent Supreme Court of NSW claim against a
breast screening service alleging a failure to diagnose breast cancer.
Heart health - CHD management gaps in general practice
Nancy Huang, Marcus Daddo, Eleanor Clune
For many years, the Heart Foundation has been involved in the
development of evidence based clinical practice guidelines for the
management of cardiovascular diseases and conditions, including
coronary heart disease (CHD).
Impacts on clinical decision making - Changing hormone therapy management after the WHI
Joachim P Sturmberg, Dimity C Pond
Medical news often receives intense, but distorted, media coverage,
which can lead to high levels of insecurity in both patients and
doctors.
Publish or perish? - Evaluation of a writing week
Meredith Temple-Smith, Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Jane Gunn
To improve research publication output, a general practice department in Australia declared a department wide 'writing week'.
Acute otitis externa - Management by GPs in North Queensland
Tracy Cheffins, Clare Heal, Steven Rudolphy
Acute otitis externa (AOE) is a common condition in North
Queensland. Clinical guidelines exist for the management of this
condition.
Playing by the rules - Speech pathologists' views about patient suitability for the Enhanced Primary Care Program
Jemma Skeat, Angela Morgan, Tristan Nickless
Allied health practitioner views about patient suitability may impact
on which patients seek to be referred to the Enhanced Primary Care
(EPC) Program through their general practitioner. These views have
not been previously evaluated.