Experts from across Europe will meet in Belfast this week to discuss collaboration and development in an innovative area of healthcare known as personalised medicine. Personalised medicine aims to shift treatment from a ‘one size fits all’ approach to one which targets treatments and therapies to the individual needs of each patient, securing better outcomes and more effective prevention. Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer, said: “Here in Northern Ireland, personalised medicine is an area of substantial and rapidly increasing focus. A growing population with a higher number of older

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast have discovered a new way to predict the aggressiveness and future behaviour of prostate cancers. The research was supported by the Belfast-Manchester Movember Centre of Excellence, Prostate Cancer UK, and the Health and Social Care Research and Development Division of the Public Health Agency. The new method uses images from computed tomography (CT) scans that are routinely collected from all patients. The images are then analysed by a computer to extract hundreds of features, termed ‘radiomic features’, which have the potential to uncover disease

Researchers from both sides of the Irish border have joined together in a large trial that looks at whether an inexpensive medication, already used to treat other conditions, could help prevent those who have already had a stroke from having a further stroke. The CONVINCE study – which is currently taking place in nine centres across Europe – has been extended to include centres in Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland. The extension follows a funding boost of just over €600,000 by the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland, the Stroke Association, and the

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month the Public Health Agency (PHA) is raising awareness of signs and symptoms of the condition, and encouraging women to look out for changes in their breasts. “There were 1,478 cases of breast cancer diagnosed in Northern Ireland in 2017,” said Dr Louise Herron, Consultant in Service Development and Screening at the PHA. “Most women know that if you get a lump in your breast you need to get it checked out early. But lumps aren’t the only sign of breast cancer. Our breasts look and feel different at different times in our lives. If you are worried about any

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging everyone who falls into an eligible group to get the free flu vaccine. The calls comes as the agency launches this year’s flu vaccination programme, offering vaccines which are specially formulated to tackle the strains of the virus which are expected to be circulating this winter. Dr Jillian Johnston, Consultant in Health Protection at the PHA, said: “For most people flu is a very unpleasant illness, but in some cases and for those in ‘at risk’ groups it can be very dangerous and sometimes fatal. That is why we have a wide-ranging vaccination programme

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging students to be aware of the importance of looking after their mental health as the new academic year gets under way, and to seek help if they need it. Starting university or college can be a stressful experience for young people, many of whom are leaving home for the first time. It’s also a time for developing new friendships, learning how to manage study and lectures, budgeting, dealing with financial worries, coping with a new course and exam stress and the expectation to succeed. A culmination of these pressures can sometimes lead to feelings of

During Freshers’ Week, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging students across Northern Ireland to take steps to look after their health and wellbeing as they get ready to begin a new term at college or university. Brendan Bonner, Assistant Director for Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement at the PHA, said: “This is a really exciting time for students, when you get to make new friends and enjoy some independence. But it can also be overwhelming; there are lots of new things to get to grips with, such as learning to cook and managing budgets. “To help students out we have come up with

To mark this year’s Palliative Care Week [Sunday 8 to Saturday 14 September] the Palliative Care in Partnership programme held a conference to showcase progress made to date on improving the experiences of people with palliative care needs and those important to them, and to set out priorities for the years ahead to continue to enhance and improve these services. Corrina Grimes, Palliative Care lead at the PHA, said: “Due to improvements in public health, people are thankfully living longer and are less likely to die suddenly. We are seeing more people die from illnesses such as dementia