Raising awareness of HTLV and calling for a national antenatal screening programme (UK). The cancer HTLV-1 causes is incurable, but transmission is preventable.
Brazil is ahead of the game in HTLV policies; testing pregnant women for HTLV… UK far behind- National Screening Committee UK feel that screening pregnant women not useful- Is it because it’s mainly a BAME population? #HTLV2024
5 years ago today, my partner was diagnosed with ATLL. I drove home, not knowing if he would survive 24 hours.
That night, I researched ATLL, whilst cuddling our baby.
The prognosis was dire...he wouldn't see our son start school.
5 years on, ATLL prognosis has not changed.
There is no cure for ATLL, the cancer HTLV causes.
We can reduce transmission of HTLV through screening.
Yet no national screening programme exists in the UK.
We can support those with ATLL caused by HTLV.
Yet @macmillancancer do not provide information on ATLL.
#BAME#HTLV
HTLV causes an aggressive, incurable cancer called Adult T-cell Leukaemia Lymphoma (ATLL). Trying to find information on ATLL can be frightening and isolating for patients.
We call for charities to recognise ATLL on their websites.
@macmillancancer@CR_UK#BAME#HTLV#ATLL
Imperial College's Afro-Caribbean Society is holding an event today, 18.00 BST, named 'Challenging racism in the NHS, one case at a time'.
HTLV is more common in BAME communities. Would there be more research if HTLV was prevalent in other communities?
bit.ly/ImperialACSevent
A week to go until the UK NSC close their public consultation on introducing antenatal screening for HTLV.
The reasons that the NSC have used previously to prevent the introduction of screening are dissected in my most recent video: youtu.be/yehi5VWRa2U#HTLV#UKNSC#BAME
The UKNSC have opened their public consultation on antenatal screening for HTLV.
They cite 7 weak arguments as to why screening is not recommended. It is imperative we submit our own comments so voices of real people, en masse, are heard.
view-health-screening-recomm…#htlv#uknsc
Did you know, in 1980, @DrRobertCGallo and colleagues, discovered the first human retrovirus that can cause a form of leukemia and a fatal disease of the spinal cord, known as human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1)?
Children infected with HTLV-1 can present with infective dermatitis.
This may develop into incurable cancer (ATLL) or a neurological disease (TSP/HAM) in adulthood.
Yet in the UK, we don't have routine antenatal screening for HTLV.
Vertical transmission continues.
#UKNSC#HTLV
UK NSC state that antenatal screening for HTLV-1 should not take place as a positive result "may cause significant anxiety and stress".
Have they considered the stress experienced by mothers who have passed HTLV-1 to their babies because they WERE NOT OFFERED SCREENING?
#HTLV
Royal College of Midwives and the UK Government: urges new mothers to breastfeed for at least 6 months.
Also the Royal College of Midwives and the UK Government: refuses to recommend screening pregnant women for HTLV-1, that can be passed on by BREASTFEEDING for over 6 months…