Spreading the Word….
Astra Zeneca National Conference:
This was a great opportunity to attend, present and discuss all things EGFR+ with the Lung Cancer Division of Astra Zeneca. We have worked closely with AZ for several years and have built a strong relationships especially as Osimertinib was being developed and approved in the UK.
Roy Castle Foundation Information Day:
These are regular events run by RCF around the country and are designed in collaboration with the local clinical team. The sessions are for all lung cancer patients not just mutation driven. If there is one running locally to you, your CNS should send you an invite but if that doesn’t happen ask! We had a slot at the one happening in Oxford on 20th March where we shared a patient’s story and gave an overview of EGFR+ lung cancer, the charity and our work.
Next EGFR+ Member’s Forum: Birmingham on 22nd April 2023:
Following our very successful day in London last year this time we visit Birmingham. Clinical speakers include Shobhit Baijal and Tracey Coles. Shobhit is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at University Hospital Birmingham and he will give us an overview of the current state and future developments in the world of EGFR+ lung cancer. Shobhit is a great speaker who regularly features in British Thoracic gatherings as well as internationally. Tracey was a CNS for many years and is now the Darzi Clinical Fellow for North Thames Genomic Medicine Service Alliance based at Bart’s Health NHS Trust. We have asked her to share her CNS experiences, give us a heads up on how to get the best from our clinical team and explore the area of supportive care.
If you can’t make the date don’t worry as we plan to do 2 more in 2023, one in Manchester and one in London.
Up-coming annual conferences:
The British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG April 2023) and Lung Cancer Nurse UK (LCNUK May 2023) conferences are fast approaching and we have been busy preparing. Our Abstract, written with ALK+UK, has been accepted for BTOG. This is based on the Campaign report of the See Through The Symptoms Campaign we developed in collaboration with ALK+UK and the Ruth Strauss Foundation. A great opportunity to share the success of this initiative with a broader audience. For the LCNUK conference we are preparing an Abstract based around the findings from our recent Survey. More on both of these next quarter.
Successful launch of the Caregivers on-line chat group:
Two evening sessions have now run and we have received very positive feedback. Comments included ‘The meeting really helped me’, ‘nice to feel that others understand what we’re all going through’, ‘please make this a regular happening’, ‘I have never talked to anyone like this about my situation, tough to do but so helpful’
The sessions will run once per month and are facilitated by Richard Warren and Robyn Ramsell. Richard’s wife Jenny, who was one of the founders of the charity and sadly died in Dec 2021. Richard has a wealth of experience to call upon having been through the EGFR+ LC pathway from diagnosis to 15 months following Jenny’s death. Robyn’s mother is a patient and as well as being a trained facilitator and counsellor, she gives the perspective of the adult ‘child’. Together they create a safe, private and quite unique space for loved ones, family and carers. No patients attend these sessions.