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** 22 April 2022
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** UK
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** ‘Like fingerprints at a crime scene’: study finds new clues about causes of cancer (#1)
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** New stop smoking scheme shows promising results in Oldham (#2)
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** Revealed: The areas with the strongest and weakest primary care (#3)
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** International
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** Philip Morris reports fall in first-quarter operating income (#4)
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Parliamentary Questions (#5)
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** Links of the Week
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** Westminster Hall debate: Progress towards the Government’s smokefree 2030 ambition (#6)
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** Cancer Awareness Roadshow (#7)
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** UK
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** ‘Like fingerprints at a crime scene’: study finds new clues about causes of cancer
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** Analysis of thousands of tumours has unveiled a treasure trove of clues about the causes of cancer, representing a significant step towards the personalisation of treatment.

Researchers say that for the first time it is possible to detect patterns – called mutational signatures – in the DNA of cancers. These provide clues about, for example, whether a patient has had past exposure to environmental causes of cancer such as smoking or UV light, allowing doctors to look at each patient’s tumour and match it to specific treatments and medications.

Principal author, Serena Nik-Zainal, professor of genomic medicine and bioinformatics at the University of Cambridge and an honorary consultant in clinical genetics at Cambridge University hospitals, said: “The reason it is important to identify mutational signatures is because they are like fingerprints at a crime scene – they help to pinpoint cancer culprits. Some mutational signatures have clinical or treatment implications – they can highlight abnormalities that may be targeted with specific drugs or may indicate a potential ‘achilles heel’ in individual cancers.”

The findings are being incorporated into the NHS as researchers and clinicians now have the use of a digital tool called FitMS that will help them identify the mutational signature and potentially inform cancer management more effectively.

Source: The Guardian, 22 April 2022
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** See also: Science - Substitution mutational signatures in whole-genome–sequenced cancers in the UK population ([link removed])
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Read Article ([link removed] )


** New stop smoking scheme shows promising results in Oldham
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** A new scheme supporting smokers to quit across Greater Manchester has shown promising results in Oldham. Run by Royal Oldham Hospital and local community pharmacies, the scheme sees hospital patients who smoke visited by a smoking cessation nurse and offered a personalised quit plan. They are also given treatment for tobacco addiction through the hospital’s onsite stop smoking service. After being discharged, the patients are referred to a community pharmacy where they can access up to 12-weeks of support, which includes regular carbon monoxide (CO) monitoring.

During the last 12 months, the scheme has supported 81 patients, 57% stayed smokefree for four weeks and 37% of those recorded being smokefree after 12 weeks.

The scheme has been implemented across Greater Manchester and is now being rolled out nationwide as part of the NHS Long Term Plan to offer tobacco treatment services to all hospital inpatients by 2023/2024.

Claire Smith, director of nursing and quality at Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Quitting smoking before surgery and staying smoke-free can help speed up recovery and reduce the risk of serious complications such as blood clots or infections. This partnership between hospitals and community pharmacies makes it easier for people to stay smoke-free and stick with their quit plan once they return home from hospital. I am delighted that Oldham has been able to lead the way and the scheme will now be implemented across the country, helping many more people quit smoking and improve their health.”

Source: The Oldham Times, 22 April 2022
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** Revealed: The areas with the strongest and weakest primary care
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**
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** Official workforce statistics reveal huge variation in primary care staffing across different health systems – with London and the South East appearing to be particularly underserved and the South West relatively well resourced.

The Health Services Journal (HSJ) has previously analysed GP numbers and has now looked at other non-GP staff who are directly involved in patient care, such as nurses, physios and healthcare assistants. The new analysis looks at staff employed directly by GP practices, as well as staff employed by primary care networks.

The relative strength of primary care in the South West and its weakness in the South East is underlined by examining staffing levels at integrated care system level. In the South West, all seven of the Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) score above average on most indicators. In contrast, the six ICSs in the South East region exhibit below average resourcing in almost every data point.

Elsewhere the picture is mixed, with the Midlands, North East, and Yorkshire regions doing relatively well, and many ICSs in the East, London and North West regions struggling. At ICS level, there is a clear split between mainly urban and rural areas. The best served ICSs at primary care level appear to be Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Hereford and Worcestershire, and Norfolk and Waveney.

Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “The government is not on track to meet its target of 6,000 GPs by 2024 – indeed numbers of fully qualified, full-time equivalent GPs are falling. And whilst progress in meeting its target of 26,000 members of the practice team is better, it is still slow and there are issues with retention that need to be addressed.”

Source: HSJ, 21 April 2022
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** International
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** Philip Morris reports fall in first-quarter operating income
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**
Philip Morris International Inc on Thursday reported lower operating income in the first quarter compared to a year before and now expects 2022 earnings per share below 2021 levels.

In the first quarter of 2022, the cigarette maker reported a 4.2% decline in operating income to $3.30 billion from $3.44 billion. Diluted earnings per share were also down, falling 3.2% to $1.50 from $1.55 the previous year. Revenue totalled $7.75 billion in the quarter, up 2.1% from $7.59 billion a year prior. Smoke-free products accounted for 31% of total net revenues.

During the quarter, Russia and Ukraine accounted for around 6% of PMI's total revenue. The company had announced the temporary suspension of its operations in Ukraine on February 25 and its decision to scale down manufacturing in Russia on March 24.

Source: Shares Magazine, 21 April 2022
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Parliamentary Questions
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**
PQ1: Smoking: Reviews

Asked by Ben Bradley, Conservative, Mansfield

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish his response to the Independent Review of Smokefree 2030 Policies; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Maggie Throup, Public Health Minister

There are no current plans to publish a response to the Independent Review of Smokefree 2030. However, the Review and its recommendations will inform the Department’s health disparities white paper and Tobacco Control Plan, which will be published later this year.

Source: Hansard, 20 April 2022 ([link removed])

PQ2: Tobacco

Asked by Ben Bradley, Conservative, Mansfield

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what period will be covered by (a) the new Tobacco Control Plan for England and (b) its delivery plan.

Answered by Maggie Throup, Public Health Minister

The Tobacco Control Plan and any accompanying delivery plan remains under development and no time periods have yet been determined. The Plan will be published later this year.

Source: Hansard, 20 April 2022 ([link removed])

PQ3: Smoking: Health Education

Asked by Ben Bradley, Conservative, Mansfield

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the context of the 2030 smoke-free target, what plans he has to improve smokers’ awareness of (a) e-cigarettes, (b) heat-not-burn products and (c) nicotine pouches.

Answered by Maggie Throup, Public Health Minister

A new Tobacco Control Plan will set out policy proposals and supporting regulatory changes to meet the Smokefree 2030 ambition. This will include new measures to improve smokers’ awareness of alternative and less harmful nicotine products such as e-cigarettes. Measures on nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products will also be included in the Plan. The Plan is due to be published later this year.
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** Source: Hansard, 20 April 2022 ([link removed])
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** Links of the Week
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** Westminster Hall debate: Progress towards the Government’s smokefree 2030 ambition

A Westminster Hall debate will be held at 9.30am on Tuesday 26 April 2022 on progress towards the Government's Smokefree 2030 ambition. The subject for the debate has been nominated by the Backbench Business Committee, and the debate will be opened by Bob Blackman MP and Mary Kelly Foy MP. You can watch the debate live through Parliament Tv.
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Watch ([link removed] )


** Cancer Awareness Roadshow
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**
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** Every year, Cancer Research UK’s Cancer Awareness Roadshow sets off to talk to people about cancer. You can chat to a nurse, have a free health test and get handy leaflets. The four regional teams will be travelling around Scotland, North West, North East and London.
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.

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