RTUK TALKS - New Webinar series for the RT workforce

Welcome to RTUK Talks resources – recordings and links from our series of webinars for the radiotherapy workforce.

Our theme for 2024 is ‘Enhancing Patient Experience.’

This series has been developed for the radiotherapy workforce, and welcomes patients and professionals from the wider oncology community. 

AstraZeneca has provided financial sponsorship towards this independent Programme and has had no involvement in its creation or organisation.

RTUK Talks 2024, sponsored by AstraZeneca

Table of Contents

Enhancing patient experience and late effects of radiotherapy

For the next RTUK Talks we welcome Samantha Bostock, Macmillan Radiotherapy Late Effects Lead Radiographer. Samantha will talk about how she approaches support and advice, and how a late effects service must address more than just the effect itself.

We will also welcome Karen Liesching-Schroder, who was diagnosed with tongue cancer in her early forties and is now living with the late effects of her treatment. Through her own health struggles she has become an enthusiastic and positive advocate for others in the same situation.

Further resources

Mouth Cancer Foundation | Helpline: 01924 950 950

Mouth Cancer Foundation Support Group

Certificate of Attendance 

Understanding the late effects of cancer treatment | Macmillan Cancer Support 

Pelvic Radiation Disease Association (prda.org.uk)

Prostate Cancer UK | Prostate Cancer UK

Life after treatment | Breast Cancer Now

Long term side effects of radiotherapy | Cancer treatment | Cancer Research UK

late effects | Mouth Cancer Foundation

Life after Cancer | In-person and online post cancer support | UK (life-aftercancer.co.uk)

What Matters to Patients? Important conversations about life, death and everything in between

Jean Fisher – Lead facilitator in Advanced Communication Skills Training and experienced palliative care nurse – talks about how even a five-minute conversation can be a game changer for people with cancer. Jean shares her years of experience in spotting when people want to talk and what about, offers some surprising insights into what matters most when we are approaching death and explores how the workforce can be of service when it comes to important conversations. Jean works with senior clinicians, helping them to deepen their communication skills.

We also welcomed Debbie Donnison, who shared her own experience of a Stage 4 diagnosis and her thoughts on meaningful conversations, our reluctance to talk about death and advanced care, and the wider patient perspective. Debbie offered many practical insights around mirroring language, acknowledging patient expertise and the mental strain of appointments. 

Further resources

Dying for Beginners | Dr Kathryn Mannix (youtube.com)

Why Don’t We Talk About Dying? 

Certificate of Attendance 

Sexual wellbeing and Cancer: with Holly Masters, Dr Lisa Ashmore and Lorraine Grover

Our April RTUK Talk is titled Sexual Wellbeing and Cancer. 

Holly Masters was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2021 at the age of 23. She is an accomplished actor and patient advocate, devoting her time to working with the NHS as co-chair of the East of England Cancer Alliances patient partnership group; and as a patient voice with the National Cancer Programme.

Dr Lisa Ashmore is a senior lecturer in social sciences at Lancaster Medical School, associate dean for engagement in the Faculty of Health and Medicine and a clinical academic therapeutic radiographer based at the Rosemere Cancer Centre. Her current research focuses on understanding how radiotherapy impacts on the sense of sexual self and on social and personal lives, improving patient experiences of living with the social and personal impacts of radiotherapy, and looking at developing key competencies and guidance on talking about sexual wellbeing for practitioners working in radiotherapy.

Lorraine Grover is a psychosexual nurse specialist, registered general nurse and qualified as a sex therapist. She is also a trustee and treasurer of the Sexual Advice Association and specialist advisor to Macmillan Cancer Support and Prostate Cancer UK.

Download a certificate of attendance here

The Whole Picture: preparing and caring for radiotherapy patients and professionals

Jo McNamara, award-winning Therapeutic Radiographer and co-host of oncology podcast Rad Chat, kicks off our RTUK Talks series 2024.

In this one-hour session, the senior oncology lecturer explores the do’s and don’ts of preparing patients for treatment and life afterwards: and opens up the critical conversation needed around professionals caring for themselves in testing times.

Jo will also share a special Rad Chat update about the upcoming Oncology Professional Care conference. RTUK director, Sarah Quinlan, will introduce Jo and share news from the wider work of the charity.

Access all of the links included in the webinar can be viewed here

Download a certificate of attendance here 

MR-Guided Radiotherapy 

For our fifth and final RTUK Talks of 2023 we welcomed Erik Geerlof of Elekta for a fascinating talk on MR-Guided Radiotherapy. The talk yielded lots of great sessions and ended the series on a real high note. We look forward to returning in 2024 when we will be focusing on patient experience. 

Useful links

Download your certificate of attendance here

Register your support for our Christmas Appeal by contacting us here

Adopting Adaptive – Concepts, Workflows, and initial experience of Advanced Cone-beam CT Technologies

For the Fourth webinar in our series we were honoured to welcome Dr Luca Cozzi – Clinical Research Scientist with the Radiotherapy and Radiosurgery department at Humanitas research hospital and cancer center, in Rozzano: Adjunct  Professor in Medical Physics at Humanitas University, also in Rozzano; and Clinical Physics Innovations Director for the Medical Affairs Division of Varian Medical Systems International AG, in Steinhausen, Switzerland

Useful links

Help us make our webinars work for you! Complete a short feedback survey here 

Make your voice heard and sign our petition for the Secretary of State here

Download your certificate of attendance here 

Rebalancing Radiotherapy Skin Reaction Assessments

For the third webinar in our series we were honoured to welcome Naman Julka-Anderson, SoR Therapeutic Radiographer of the Year, talking about his ongoing research into radiation induced skin reactions and what this looks like in daily practice. 

Useful links

Follow the RadChat podcast here

Help us make our webinars work for you! Complete a short feedback survey here 

Join our summer challenge #Miles4Radiotherapy here

Make your voice heard and sign our petition for the Secretary of State here

Download your certificate of attendance here

Radiotherapy and upright patient positioning

For the second webinar in our series we were very excited to be joined by CEO of Leo Cancer Care – Stephen Towe, presenting on the innovative developments in upright patient positioning and radiotherapy.

Useful links

Leo Cancer Care 

Sign up for the next RT:UK Talks with Naman Julka-Anderson here

Help us make our webinars work for you! Complete a short feedback survey here 

Join our summer challenge #Miles4Radiotherapy here

Make your voice heard and sign our petition for the Secretary of State here

Download your certificate of attendance here

A Vision for Radiotherapy in the UK: What could 2033 look like? 

To kick off the series we had the inspirational Professor Pat Price – internationally renowned clinical oncologist, co-founder of the Catch Up With Cancer campaign and Chair of Radiotherapy UK.

Professor Price shared her expert insights into developments in radiotherapy practice and the need for a national radiotherapy plan to ensure all cancer patients throughout the UK have equal access to innovative radiotherapy advances. 

Useful links 

Help us make our webinars work for you! Complete a short feedback survey here 

Join our summer challenge #Miles4Radiotherapy here

Make your voice heard and sign our petition for the Secretary of State here

Download your certificate of attendance here