Ethical approval has been granted for a new study supported by the Cancer Fund, with the potential to vastly improve cancer diagnosis for multiple types of cancer, taking the diagnosis time from weeks to hours.
UCLH Head and Neck department are partnering with the department of electron microscopy at the Francis Crick Institute to evaluate imaging techniques that can potentially replace time consuming ‘histopathology’. Histopathology is the study of tissues under a microscope to detect abnormalities. It’s a critical tool for diagnosing cancer, but can be a very time-consuming process.
Claire Schilling, Head and Neck surgeon at UCLH, says, “The detection of early metastasis [changes] to bone and lymph nodes is critical in cancer treatment. This study, entitled ‘Rapid pathology techniques for diagnosis’, will undertake non-destructive imaging by 3D Micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT), revealing structures such as blood vessels and even individual red and white blood cells within the vessels, with sub-micron resolution. This study will image both bones and lymph nodes to detect changes in these tissues related to tiny deposits of cancer. These changes allow machine learning to detect tumours, which currently takes weeks. It is hoped the imaging techniques developed in this study will reduce the diagnosis time from weeks to hours.”
Prostate Cancer Buddy at Westmoreland Street
Afro-Caribbean men have a higher incidence of prostate cancer and tend to be diagnosed at a younger age than white men with prostate cancer. When identified at an early stage, prostate cancer is usually curable with surgery or radiotherapy. The relatively young age at which Afro-Caribbean men are diagnosed with prostate cancer means that the impact of treatment side effects is more significant than in their older counterparts, which, alongside other factors, can result in hesitance to proceed with treatment. This can and does result in the cancer progressing to an incurable stage. We are proud to be funding the UCLH Buddy Service, aiming to provide support for African-Caribbean men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“The goal is to improve engagement and treatment outcomes for African-Caribbean men diagnosed with prostate cancer by pairing them with a trained buddy who offers culturally sensitive support and verified health information. In addition, the service supports and encourages Afro-Caribbean members of staff access to a PSA diagnostic test to increase early intervention of prostate cancer for those who are high risk.” Charlotte Sissons, Senior Cancer Project Manager
“It’s a privilege for me to have the opportunity to encourage and support men to receive lifesaving treatment who may otherwise not pursue or accept it”. Adegboyega Balogun, Prostate Cancer Buddy
Staff conferences and training
From funding training days and extra qualifications to PhD’s, we know that investing in our staff is fundamental to improving cancer services, retaining staff, and delivering great patient care. Conferences are an excellent opportunity for professionals to get together, discuss new treatments and current research, and learn from one another
Joanna Sheppard, GP with specialist interest in Palliative Medicine , attended the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer Conference, where professionals met to share and discuss advances in managing the side effects of cancer treatment. “It was a great opportunity to meet other professionals in supportive care from around the world and learn about services at other hospitals and current research. I attended on behalf of the Enhanced Supportive Care team and presented our research on the impact of the ESC team on the sarcoma service in the Quality Improvement session. It was well received, and there were many questions about our service. It was really helpful in terms of getting our service more widely known and has given me lots of ideas for taking future research to a broader audience.”
Cathy Dunlea, Paediatric and TYA Specialist Therapeutic Radiographer attended the Paediatric Radiation Oncology Society Congress. Radiotherapy professionals met to share developments and further their knowledge.
“Having been invited to speak at the conference, I was very keen to attend and showcase the excellent service that is provided by both radiotherapy and proton beam therapy for this young cohort at UCLH. I was very proud to exhibit how, at UCLH, we have navigated through both advantages and challenges in delivering such a specialised service. I also submitted an abstract from my dissertation for my MSc in Enhanced Radiotherapy and Oncology, and my topic was accepted for presentation. Numerous professionals approached me interested in discussing and collaborating on this research. Opportunities to discuss ongoing research and clinical practice in a face-to-face capacity are limited. Therefore, I am incredibly grateful to have had my attendance at the conference supported by the Cancer Fund. The experience has inspired me to continue my professional development in paediatric radiation oncology but also motivated me to drive forward evidence-based practice and innovation in my role.”
New vein-finding machine for young patients
"Many of our teenage and young adult patients receive a range of intravenous chemotherapy treatment on our daycare unit. These infusions can often have a detrimental effect on their veins and cause vascular damage, which is why sometimes trying to obtain peripheral blood samples can be a real challenge to both patients and the nursing team. With the help of the vein finder, they can reduce distress for patients who are known to have difficult venous access or don’t tolerate needle sticks well. Using this device has been a great asset to the team, helping to avoid multiple attempts at venepuncture and reducing the length of hospital stay for patients. Ultimately resulting in a better patient experience.
Thank you so much for your generous donations and for the help of our wonderful charity team that made all this possible."
Mariann Nagy, TYA Bone Marrow Transplant and CAR-T Clinical Nurse Specialist
Changing appearances
"Thanks to the generous support of the Cancer Fund, I recently had the opportunity to attend a five-day ‘Narrative Therapy’ training course. As a Clinical Psychologist in the Oncology Psychology Service, these experiences have significantly enhanced my practice by providing new insights and skills in working with individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer and undergone treatment, particularly those dealing with appearance-related issues and difficulties around loss of identity.
The Appearance Matters Conference highlighted the significant difficulties experienced by cancer patients, especially those with breast cancer who have undergone a mastectomy or those who have faced hair loss or weight gain due to chemotherapy. Additionally, head and neck cancer patients often experience visible differences following surgery. One of the key takeaways from the conference was the pervasive stigma surrounding visible differences, particularly facial differences. This highlighted the importance of shifting societal narratives about appearance rather than solely focusing on individual interventions.
I also learned about the applicability of psychological models like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) to address appearance-related difficulties. Inspired by these insights, I have started the process of piloting a group within the Oncology Psychology Service for breast cancer patients struggling with body image issues following a mastectomy. The Narrative Therapy training course equipped me with valuable skills to help patients who express losing their sense of self and identity due to cancer, by helping patients to develop rich descriptions of preferred accounts of identity. These recent experiences have provided me with the tools to offer more effective support to patients who engage in psychological support via the Oncology Psychology Service.
