Nurse Debbie Critoph and Dr Luke Smith are healthcare professionals and researchers in clinical communication in young people with cancer. Here, they tell us about how they developed good practice guidelines to help peers effectively communicate with teenagers and young adults (TYA) with cancer to engage them in the level of communication they need.
Yami Moloteni was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in July 2021 aged 18. She explains the importance of good communication in teenage cancer care, what it looks like, and how having someone to talk to can have a huge impact on young people with cancer.
Ellie Philpotts was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2011 aged 15. She explains how she found support from other young people with cancer and how, through awareness raising, writing and advocacy work, she’s hoping to help those who are newly diagnosed.
Sarah Dransfield was diagnosed with bone cancer in March 2012 aged 16. Here, she tells us what helped her during and after treatment and how cancer has changed her outlook on life.
Claire Bailey's daughter, Poppy, was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma in July 2020 aged four. She writes on how the relationships she’s formed with other families have provided support both during and after Poppy’s treatment.
The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust (EMCT) takes young people aged eight to 24 years old on free sailing and outdoor adventures to help rebuild their confidence after cancer. Scott Wilson, of the Trust’s communications team, and Rebecca and Simran, two of the young people it’s supported, describe how the trips help bring people with similar experiences together and why that’s important.
Kelly Scott was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma when she was a teenager in 2001. Now working for Teenage Cancer Trust, she explains how this affected her relationships with her peers and how some simple acts of kindness helped support her.
Following a childhood cancer diagnosis, parents may find relationships with those around them change, while they may also develop a number of new relationships during their child’s treatment. Here, Dr Amandeep Samrai, Consultant Clinical Psychologist in Paediatric Oncology at Nottingham Children’s Hospital, talks about how relationships can be both helpful and challenging during childhood cancer treatment.
Penelope Hart-Spencer is a Health Play Specialist at the Proton Beam Therapy Centre at the Christie in Manchester and a member of the CCLG. In this role, she supports children undergoing cancer treatment who require CT/MRI scans, radiotherapy and proton beam therapy treatments, as well as other clinical procedures.
