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.
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.
Teens Unite Fighting Cancer brings together teenagers and young adults living with cancer and its lasting effects. Its CEO, Roxanne Lawrance, explains how surrounding yourself with others in a similar situation can often be helpful during cancer and in the years that follow, and how Teens Unite helps young people do this.
Sophie Hartley was eight years old when diagnosed with bone cancer in 2005. Now 27, she explains how this affected the relationship she has with herself.
Kay Lewis’ daughter, Maisy, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma in both eyes when she was nine months old. Kay explains what helped them after treatment, and how Maisy continues to inspire her.
