Given that nursing is mostly a female profession, why are management positions mostly held by men?
 
The question was asked by Carla Martins, director of nursing at the Local Health Unit of Santa Maria Hospital, in Lisbon, during a recent debate at the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) on gender equality and, more specifically, on female leadership in healthcare.
 

There are varying degrees in the response of a cancerous tumour to a treatment. A complete response corresponds to the disappearance of all detectable signs of cancer in the body, while a partial or incomplete response is a decrease in the size of the tumour or in the amount of cancer in the body. To be considered a partial response, the measurable size of the tumor has to be reduced by at least 30% to 50% due to the treatment. 

A strategy called Watch & Wait (W&W) has increasingly been used, including at the Champalimaud Foundation, to avoid surgery and its associated complications, in a selected group of patients  whose tumours become undetectable after chemoradiotherapy. In terms of the local tumour control, it has been shown to be as safe to operate them later – if ever their tumour gives any sign of coming back – as to operate them immediately after chemoradiotherapy treatment.

Cancers become resistant to chemotherapy in two major ways. They either have preexisting resistance to a type of drug or they can develop resistance through mutations.

Here are some of the main reasons for cancer drug resistance to arise. 

Here, we highlight the observations, the questions, the approaches and strategies that showcase the creativity and critical thinking inherent in scientific research.

In science, creativity stands as a crucial, albeit sometimes underappreciated, skill. Creativity comes in a wide variety of forms and shapes, and often emerges from collaborative interactions among diverse minds, emphasising the importance of inclusivity and varied perspectives in driving forward groundbreaking research.

For some time now, the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), the world’s body that defines carcinogens, has considered night shift work as a potential carcinogen.

But what about the general population of adults that are not night-shift workers and that sleep too little or go to bed too late – or have “poor quality" sleep, waking up repeatedly during the night? Are they also at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer and are therefore more likely to die prematurely than people whose sleep patterns are considered healthier?

We are used to hearing about vaccines that prevent diseases, protecting us from them before we ever catch them. They train the immune system to recognise and fight common bacteria and viruses. One or several shots suffice to ensure that, when we are actually confronted with the danger, our body’s immune system will produce the right cells and antibodies to protect us: the disease will be prevented before it ever affects our body. Sometimes the vaccine’s effects are lifelong, in other cases you need a periodical boost to maintain a strong level of immunity.

In November 2023, a meeting on malignant melanoma, entitled "Challenging Malignant Melanoma", was held at the Champalimaud Foundation. It was organised by the Dermatology Unit and aimed at doctors and researchers from various specialisations. The organisers consider it a success and intend to repeat this type of event to bring together clinical and scientific expertise.

But it isn’t only a skin cancer: there exist other, though much rarer, forms of malignant melanoma that can develop in other parts of the body.

For instance, mucosal melanoma occurs on mucous membranes, which line various cavities in the body. Mucosal melanomas can be found in the head and neck, the anorectal region, the vulvovaginal region and the urinary tract. These melanomas have a poorer prognosis than skin melanomas.

Tânia Mesquita, 36, is responsible for the customer care area, for the clinical secretariat – and above all, for welcoming patients at the Champalimaud Clinical Centre (CCC). She has a degree in management, a master's degree in strategic marketing and a post-graduate degree in Health Unit Management.