Statistical Overview of Mithuruwela Center Activities

MITHURUWELA CENTER
A Review
January 2006

During the period 20th July 2005 to 19th January 2006, befriending sessions were conducted at the Mithuruwela Center for a period of 56 days.

A total of 66 Callers were befriended. While 26 callers visited the Center just once, the remaining 40 made multiple visits. Therefore during the 56 day period, a total of 215 befriending sessions were conducted. This is an average of around 4 sessions per day.

Of the 66 Callers, 27 are males and 39 are females.

Also, 22 of those befriended were Patients and the remaining 44 were Caregivers.

The age groups to which the callers belong are given below.

10 years or less 02
11 to 15 years 01
16 to 25 years 11
26 to 55 years 41
Over 55 years 11

The types of Cancers encountered during the befriending sessions were as follows :

Leukemia 19
Thyroid 04
Ovarian 07
Breast 09
T Cell Lymphoma 03
Lung / Chest 02
Stomach 02
Bowel 01
Colon 02
Throat 04
Nasopharyngeal Lymphoma 01
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma 01
Liver 01
Spleen 01
H Mole 01
Brain Tumor 01
Lymph Node 01
Non-Malignant Tumors 03
Not known 03

The primary needs of the Callers were as follows :
Emotional Support 62
Information 32
Financial 11
Medication / Drugs 05

There were multiple needs in the case of a few callers.
The areas of residence of Callers are as follows :
Bandarawela Negombo
Madampe Moneragala
Matara Kalutara
Kahawatte Medawachchiya
Kurunegala Kandy
Kalmunai Kattankudy
Vavuniya Wennappuwa
Tissamaharama Ampara
Chilaw Puttalam
Polonnaruwa Divulapitiya
Sammanthurai Dehiwela
Batticaloa Jaffna
Maharagama Kantalai
Moneragala Galgamuva
Nikaweratiya Gampaha
Minuwangoda Marawila
Kuliyapitiya Panadura
Badulla Waikkal
Ratnapura

New Procedure Improves Ovarian Cancer Survival Rates-NYT

By DENISE GRADY

Published: January 5, 2006

A rarely used treatment that pumps cancer drugs directly into the abdominal cavity can add 16 months or more to the lives of many women with advanced cases of ovarian cancer, doctors are reporting.

Medical practice should change immediately to reflect the findings from the study, being published today, as well as those from several earlier studies, cancer experts say.

In the United States there are more than 22,000 new cases each year, and 16,000 deaths. Currently, most women receive chemotherapy intravenously. They should still do so, but many should get the drugs abdominally as well.

The combined treatment should be offered to every woman who meets the medical criteria for it, the cancer experts say, and doctors who cannot provide it should refer women to clinics that can. They advise that patients ask their doctors about the treatment.

The technique employs two generic drugs already in wide use for ovarian cancer, paclitaxel and cisplatin, and involves high doses that can have severe side effects.

The National Cancer Institute is taking the unusual step of issuing a clinical announcement to encourage doctors to use the abdominal treatment. Such alerts are uncommon. The last one was in 1999, to publicize a major advance in cervical cancer.

Full story available on the New York Times (free registration required).