Naked Health Dr Penny Ward

In this episode we meet Heather, diagnosed with Stage 4 ALK +ve lung cancer at the age of 34. She has never smoked, she challenges the bias and stigma associated between lung cancer and smoking, the implicit association between the two. Is this why funding into lung cancer research is lower than other cancers, the idea it is somehow self-inflicted, preventable. Is this why people aren't speaking up about their stories and raised awareness, they feel guilt, shame, as if the finger ...

Did you know the majority of cervical cancer is due to a virus and nearly all cases are preventable?Cervical cancer, once the 4th most common cancer Worldwide, is now the 8th and the 19th most common in the U.K. Figures should be decreasing due to the increasingly sophisticated smear programme and the advent of the HPV vaccination, in fact 99.8% of cervical cancer cases are preventable. But here's the thing, we need to talk about it, increase awareness, go for our smear tests, no matter what,...

Is life a series of definitive points, events? Our journeys predestined? What then happens when we come across an unexpected fork, or twist, in the journey. Is this possible? Never, rarely, sometimes, always.....just like in the film we have to open to the possibility, to chance. As health professionals, whilst common conditions are common, uncommon conditions, unusual presentations are out there too. We need to be open to the possibility, to the chance. Patients come to see...

Bowel cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK. Awareness seems lacking in comparison to some other cancers, despite this being 'a big one'. Why is that? Do we bury our heads in the sand when it comes to talking about poo? Or is the information not out there as much as other cancers, are the campaigns not bold enough, loud enough, frequent enough?Dr Penny Ward speaks to special guest Ian who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2019. She discusses symptoms with...

Keeping It In The Family is an exploration of the genetic basis behind breast cancer. Dr Penny Ward speaks to two guests about their family histories, and what happened to them following genetic testing. Is is harder or easier if the altered gene is found? What choices are available, and what happens when these are taken away?References:Breast Cancer Risk Assessment tool from The Cancer Institute: https://bcrisktool.cancer.gov/calculator.htmlWhat is genetic testing, pros and cons ...

Naked Health is a podcast brought to you by Dr Penny Ward, a UK based GP. She aims to strip medicine back to basics, eliminating the need for you to turn to Google following your consultation. Speaking to people about their individual health journeys, she aims to answer questions you may not have known to ask.In this first episode she speaks to Sara Liyanage, author of 'Ticking Off Breast Cancer': what shouldn't you say to someone diagnosed with cancer, what should you pack to take to chemoth...