I haven't given my regular readers, those concerned with Kezia's health and progress, an update for some time now ... why? Because there is nothing to report. Her neutrophil counts go up and down as they should do. When they go below a certain level, she comes off the IV methotrexate and mercapturine and when they recover, she goes back on them. The Dexamethasone trip occurs once a month and I (and others) have described (all too often) how shitty that is. No crises, everything routine. The cancer routine.
So what's new?
Dr Crippen reported last week on NICE's choice of the two Human Papillomavirus vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, that will be offered and administered to teenage females throughout the world to prevent cervical cancer. However, in the UK it seems, contrary to the rest of the world, NICE has chosen Cervarix that protects against less strains of cervical cancer and does not protect against genital warts. Why? Because it's cheaper, of course. Oh, and even though boys can spread around HPV and develop genital warts (which in their turn can spread HPV), there are no plans to extend HPV vaccination to boys (as I reported here - come on Dr Crippen, don't you ever read me?).
Dr Rant reports that top surgeon and health minister Lord Darzi, on whom the Department of Health is depending to push through its National Health Service reforms, found time to appear on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs on Sunday. For our non-UK readers Desert Island Discs is a weekly radio programme that has been running for decades whereby a famous personality is requested to select ten pieces of music s/he would take with her/him if s/he were to be abandoned on a Desert Island + three other items.
Perhaps, 50% of Lord Darzi's musical choice I was in agreement with ... but his choice of a pencil and notepad seriously lacked a pencil-sharperner ... or perhaps even a knife - then he could perform surgery as well as sharpen his pencil.
Oh ... and we are honoured to have been added to Dr Rant's list of links.
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