A Short Introduction to Cancer
Thursday 12th August
10am-11am (UK)

What level of subject knowledge did you have before the event and what level of knowledge do you feel you have now?

“This was an amazing course. I cannot express this enough. All of the examples given over the two days really helped me understand things which I previously wasn’t able to grasp. To cover such a wide range of subtopics in over two days is impressive and what’s even more impressive is that David was able to cover all of these topics and not leave me feeling baffled and lost. So thank you, I have left the course feeling more confident in my understanding. I’m sad it is already over! I look forward to follow David’s future lectures.”

I am so pleased with this. To see evidence that all attendees felt they had moved on in their learning really gives me a buzz. That is why I do it. I really feel that if people improve their cancer knowledge it will make them better at their jobs, it will make them more confident when talking to patients and their relatives, it will make them confident in reading research protocols and patient notes and it will make them confident in talking to other health care professionals, making the team work better and be more efficient. Remember YOUR cancer knowledge is MY priority.

How would you rate the course facilitator?

8% Good 92 % Excellent.

Always good to have people rate you well in your work and is testament to the thought I put into designing my courses and how to get the best out of everyone attending.

What are the 3 most important elements from the course that you will take back to your workplace?

Increased cancer knowledge, better understanding, confidence.

This is a recurring theme. I know that my courses will increase knowledge, understanding and confidence, but to have if verified and supported by these evaluations is fantastic. Doesn’t everyone want to improve their knowledge of cancer, gain a better understanding of why and how it does what it does and with that, have the confidence to talk about cancer in this knowledgeable way to patients and others alike. If I can achieve that, I have helped provide better care for cancer patients through those that attend my courses, and that makes me proud.

“I work in the Clinical Trials department, so it was really useful learning more about what genes are found as these are the types of things that I come across every day and I never really understood why certain cancers looked for certain genes”

87% felt they would change their working practice.

“I feel much more confident discussing treatment options when patients ask why they are on a particular regime but someone else might be receiving something different although they appear to have a similar diagnosis”

100% of delegates said they would recommend the course

• Definitely, it was exactly what I needed and has really helped me in my development.
• Especially to final year medical students with an interest in oncology
• I would highly recommend this course.

The fact that those attending will go back to their workplace and change their practice as a result of the things we discussed is just amazing. That is the power of a well thought out, well-constructed learning opportunity. One where people feel comfortable in asking questions and one which takes their learning style and previous level of knowledge into account. My courses do not happen by accident. They have formed through 30 years of trial and error. They are not perfect, and I continue to work on ways to improve, and I am dedicated to providing a learning environment that provide relevant material, is informative and challenging in a way that takes you into account, that is safe, friendly and sometimes fun!

“Before I started this course, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t understand all of the terminology and that a lot of the information would go over my head but David explained things in a way that made it stick and was easier to remember. It is a really heavy thing to go over for two days as well but David kept things light at times whilst still explaining things we needed to know, this made the process a lot more enjoyable and because of the way things were explained and demonstrated I am likely to remember this more than just reading through it or if someone just explained it to me. I really enjoyed the two days and feel like I have learnt a lot in such a short space of time.”

“… it was an amazing course. David’s ability to take a complex subject and cover so much in two days without leaving us confused is amazing. He was approachable and his knowledge of oncology is outstanding and has inspired me to carry out further reading.”

“I can only praise David highly, on the excellence of his training and for really helping me understand cancer. He is a brilliant teacher and I hope to attend further events in the future.”

“Good content good pace, comfortable environment to ask questions, but also discuss questions with in the table/group. Very positive no forced groups which actually helped to support a more relaxed and fluid networking opportunity for people.”

Contact me to see how my course and webinars can help improve the cancer knowledge, understanding and confidence in your staff. My courses can be tailored to your needs and requirements. You can find out about the types of work I do at my website www.ohconsultancy.co.uk or email me (doh@ohconsultancy.co.uk) .

Please do share and I look forward to receiving your comments and feedback.

‘til next time

David

David has 30 years of experience teaching about cancer. His engaging style has benefited many from the NHS, Cancer charities, Pharmaceutical companies and many others to better understand cancer as a disease

Cancer is a term which comes with baggage, and I think this is a generational thing. People diagnosed with cancer 50 years ago had very few treatments options available to them. Surgery was OK but not brilliant, radiotherapy was very basic compared to what we have now, chemotherapy was pretty much seen as a ‘last chance saloon’ when everything else had failed. There was very little understanding of what cancer was as a disease.  Consequently, cancer struck the ‘fear of death’ into people. People did not discuss it and if they did so, they talked in a quiet voice. Nowadays cancer is more openly discussed, it is in the media and the younger audience are more knowledgeable about this disease than ever before. Open discussion and understanding are leading to earlier diagnosis which will save many lives and our scientific knowledge of cancer is increasing, leading to more novel targeted approaches to cancer treatment.

But still that fear exists. Some people view cancer as some evil entity which is invading the body, but in reality, these are your cells which have gone rogue, mutated and changed from years and years of damage, be that random errors in DNA replication, damage from the environment or damage caused by things that we do to ourselves’; smoking, drinking, sunbathing and so on. Such cells seem to wage  silent warfare on the body, which is relentless, even in the face of some of our treatments, engaging in stealth tactics to evade our immune system and move ‘unseen’ throughout the body to areas which house critical structures necessary for homeostasis of the human body.

A diagnosis of cancer is without doubt a frightening experience. It is life-changing in ways that unless you have been diagnosed, or had someone close who has been diagnosed, it is difficult to comprehend. Insurance, travel, mortgages, work, driving, walking, shopping, socialising and many more aspects can become daunting and difficult. The management of a person with cancer is not just about the treatment. The support mechanisms that a person with cancer has, plays a huge role in how they cope with the hard road ahead.

And for some this life-changing experience is grasped with both hands. All of a sudden life is seen as something that needs to be taken full advantage of. These people feel empowered, freed almost to do the things that they have put off; run marathons, bike for hundreds of miles, climb mountains, learn to swim, do stand-up comedy.

Not everyone will feel like this, and it’s not obligatory. It can be heart-breaking when someone close to you is diagnosed, and even more so if they die of this disease and, unfortunately, some will. But there is hope. Our understanding of cancer is becoming clearer and is leading to some fantastic treatments. And whilst we are not successful across the board there are some cancers that are very curable. Most women survive cervical cancer, certainly compared to pre-screening age. The cervical screening programme has revolutionised how we deal with cervical cancer, changing it from a disease where many women died to one where few women die (which is why it is important to attend for cervical screening). The HPV vaccination programme is already significantly reducing the numbers of women with cervical cancer and it is hoped that this will also have an impact on reducing other types of cancer associated with HPV exposure. The chemotherapy we use for Hodgkin Lymphoma is brilliant, harsh, but brilliant. Again, Hodgkin lymphoma is a disease with excellent survival prospects. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, which mainly affects children is a very curable disease in most. 80-90% of women with breast cancer will survive more than 5 years. There are lots and lots of success stories. Yes, we still struggle with lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, certain leukaemias and others, and work will continue with these to break the cycle.

In 2014 the World Health Organisation warned about a cancer epidemic. The numbers coming through our door with cancer continue to increase in all corners of the world. But there is hope. Our understanding of risk factors associated with cancer has led to very successful campaigns to educate people about what they can do to reduce their risk. As a result of campaigns like SunSmart in Australia, and those in the UK, it is expected that rates of malignant melanoma will start to fall in 15 or so years’ time. Stop smoking campaigns have seen a reduction in the numbers smoking across the UK and other countries. Certainly, in men the UK there has been a significant drop in the numbers of lung cancers as the numbers of male smokers reduce.  Many heath campaigns highlight the relationship with diet and certain cancers have led to people eating healthier with less processed meats and a higher fibre content. It is hoped that such habits will reduce the numbers of people with bowel cancer in the future.

Remember, cancer is a progressive disease. It takes years to develop. Tiny bits of damage here, tiny bits of damage there, over many years. Work will continue in finding better treatments, but, at the moment, educating our young people about the risk factors, and promoting a healthy living style is probably the best way we have of reducing the impact of cancer.

I hope you have enjoyed this post. Please share with others who might also benefit from this material.

Don’t forget that you can learn more about cancer and much more at my courses and webinars.

Understanding Cancer Treatments, Leeds – 18^th April, 2019

An Introduction to Cancer, London –  21^st June, 2019

Understanding Cancer Treatments – 8^th August, 2019

An Introduction to Cancer – 25^th October, 2019

Or join me for a webinar

“David is clearly very experienced and knowledgeable but more than this, his accessible manner and teaching approach really sets his material apart from other training.”

Joanna Oladipo, Research assistant, Hodgkin lymphoma

Feel free to comment and share.

‘till next time

David

David has 30 years of experience teaching about cancer. His engaging style has benefited many from the NHS, Cancer charities, Pharmaceutical companies and many others to better understand cancer as a disease. To find out more contact David ( doh@ohconsultancy.co.uk) or visit www.ohconsultancy.co.uk

The Christie Hospital in Manchester is a world renown cancer centre and is one of the world leading centres in cancer research and treatment. It hosts the UK’s first proton beam therapy machine and is also home to the School of Oncology which supports a whole host of cancer education and training events. David is pleased to have negotiated an agreement with the School of Oncology to support the cancer education and training events he provides throughout the UK. The first course will be the ‘Understanding Cancer Treatment’ study day to be held in Leeds on the 18th April. Book your place here.

Some more amazing feedback from my recent Understanding Cancer Treatments course at the Christie. Here are some of the main points:

• Respondents scored the Overall Organisation of the Event 98/100
• Respondents scored the Educational Content 99/100
• 100% of respondents said they would recommend the course to others
• 100% rated the course facilitator (me!) as good (15%) or excellent (85%)
• “Very thorough but not too overwhelming. David explained everything so brilliantly in terms of just taking everything back to being simple and avoiding jargon. Also applying the information to specific diagnoses and cancer types.”
• “I highly recommended this to all colleagues. David O’Halloran’s wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm was very inspiring and well-pitched to suit the needs of the attendees from various backgrounds in an easy to understand and approachable way.”

Very pleased!

Well, put simply, its foing from strenghth to strength.

Introduction to Cancer

Birmingham

Friday 22nd February

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“The study day was excellent, well presented by a very knowledgeable facilitator. He able to get information across in an easy and understandable way . David was able to pack lots of information into the day I would recommend the study day to anyone .”

“I found this study day extremely informative and beneficial even though over the last 16 years of my nursing career I have looked after patients with various cancer diagnosis this session was still informative and relevant to my clinical practice.  I feel all nurses…should have the opportunity to attend this session. The gentleman  [David] running the session made the day interesting and enjoyable.”

1990 is the year I started as a student teacher in radiotherapy, so this year marks my 30th year in teaching about cancer. I started O’Halloran Consultancy in 2002, 17 years ago, to help those working in the cancer field to access convenient and relevant cancer education and training. There are still many people employed in cancer services without a background in cancer or even science. I have made it my aim to demystify cancer and allow everyone to know more about this disease.

Recently I had the chance to visit St Anne’s Hospice in Manchester. They invited me to run my Introduction to Cancer study day. We had a great time and learned lots about cancer. Here are some of the comments:

• I just wanted to give you some positive feedback about the above course that I have just attended. I felt it was an excellent course and feel I have learnt so much from it.  Although I had a basic knowledge of cancer, I now know so much more on the physiology of cancer cells, the grading systems and the possible treatments.  David O’Halloran pitched the presentation at just the right level so that it was never too simple and boring nor too complicated and overwhelming. He was very knowledgeable about the subject and was able to answer everyone’s questions and didn’t mind going off on a tangent to answer queries that were raised.  I would thoroughly recommend this training to anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of cancer and its treatments and I am sure it will help me in my job in the future.
• The study day was excellent, well presented by a very knowledgeable facilitator. He able to get information across in an easy and understandable way . David was able to pack lots of information into the day I would recommend the study day to anyone . 
•  I found this study day extremely informative and beneficial even though over the last 16 years of my nursing career I have looked after patients with various cancer diagnosis this session was still informative and relevant to my clinical practice.  I feel all nurses at the hospice should have the opportunity to attend this session.The gentlemen running the session made the day interesting and enjoyable.

I am delighted with this feedback. Especially when I work hard to make my sessions accessible to people from all sorts of different backgrounds. Everyone attending my courses and webinars will move on in their cancer learning

January
Webinars. Lots of webinars to start your year, here are some examples
Wednesday 9th – Metastasis Explained.
Monday 14th – Staging & Grading
Wednesday 16th – Breast Cancer

February
More webinars, but also Introduction to Cancer in Birmingham.
Monday 8th – Cancer demystified
Monday 18th – Chemotherapy explained
Wednesday 20th – Introduction to Radiotherapy
Friday 22nd – Introduction to Cancer study day, Birmingham

March
Even more webinar, and remember these are just a selection!
Monday 18th – Breast Cancer
Wednesday 20th – Lung Cancer

Lots more webinars and lots more courses to be had over the next year. Find out more about the webinars here and more about what courses are coming your way here

You can download a webinar subscription brochure here.

Benefits of a subscriptions are:

• Staff can access the webinar anywhere.
• Maximum flexibility throughout the year.
• Cost effective, no travel time or overnight stays
• delivered by an renown expert in cancer education
• Saves TIME & MONEY and does not compromise on quality
• Certificate of attendance for each participant making CPD tracking easier