Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust Cancer Care

13/11/2025

📣 Transgender Awareness Week (13th-19th November) is an opportunity to highlight the barriers that transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse people often face when accessing healthcare.

🏳️‍⚧️ Individuals from these communities may experience challenges such as fear of discrimination, misgendering, a lack of inclusive care, or not being invited to routine screenings- factors that can delay diagnosis and treatment.

Macmillan Cancer Support provides dedicated resources for transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse people:
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/transgender

There is more information on OUTpatients, the UK’s LGBTIQ+ cancer charity website. OUTpatients, the UK’s LGBTIQ+ cancer charity, offers further support, education and bespoke resources, with the aim of transforming cancer care to a more inclusive environment for everyone:

https://outpatients.org.uk/trans-and-nonbinary/

Read our information for transgender (trans) and non-binary people with questions about cancer screening, cancer risk or cancer treatment.

11/11/2025

🤍 🫁November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. It is one of the most common types of cancer with more than 43,000 people diagnosed every year in the UK.

Symptoms can be hard to spot in the early stages but will eventually develop symptoms including:

🤍 A persistent cough
🤍 Coughing up blood
🤍 Persistent breathlessness
🤍 Unexplained tiredness and weight loss
🤍 An ache or pain when breathing or coughing

There is more information on the NHS website for symptoms of lung cancer:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lung-cancer/symptoms/

The Lung Cancer team here at Salisbury District Hospital are on hand to support our patients.

📣 Meet the team below– Lung pathway Navigator Chris Harrison CNS Ramya Giby, CNS Megan Haggerty, CNS Yam Thapa, and Lung Cancer admin Nisha Kugan who say; ‘We are all passionate about Lung Cancer and we work to ensure that we are there as a support system for our patients and their families’.
The service has gone through a lot of changes over the last few years, but we are all focused on ensuring we develop our service to improve the care and treatment our patients receive".

📚📖🎓As part of the team’s development and learning, CNS’ Megan and Ramya have recently successfully completed their PgCert in Cancer Care through Bristol University, and CNS Yam has successfully completed her master level module in The Principles of Lung Cancer Care through the Royal Marsden. 🥳

A recent patient experience survey has shown positive responses from patients about the service including feedback about the care patients have received from our team, such as one from a patient which said, “they were thankful for all the support that they had received and felt reassured that they felt they had someone there when they needed”.🤍

07/11/2025

🧡 ☀️ Shine Young Adult Support is a group for those diagnosed with cancer aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s to meet others with similar experiences in a relaxed environment.

They host regular meet ups with the next one on happening on Saturday 15th of November 2025. If you are interested in attending, the next event will be playing board games and having a drink, meeting at the Tabletop Tavern at 7pm. 📍

You can meet for a drink (first one is on Shine!) and some food and then join in with playing board games. 🍻🥂🍔🎲♟

If you are interested in attending, you can let Renee know by completing the form below so a table can be reserved:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4gmrQtuVgnLG8bs200_6Rim9vy3BHgEouBYZsBCVzhSHLVg/viewform

You can drop her an email for more information at wiltshire@shinecancersupport.org

For more information on SHINE, please visit:
https://shinecancersupport.org/

05/11/2025

📣 This week (3-9th November) is Occupational Therapy week!

Meet one of our Occupational Therapists with The Cancer Therapy Team, Emma Gregory who says:

"I'm Emma Gregory and I am a Senior Occupational Therapist with The Cancer Therapy Team at Salisbury District Hospital based with our team at the Wessex Rehabilitation Centre.
My work with our cancer patients involves a holistic assessment on the functional impact of their cancer and the formulation of personalised care/what matters to me rehab goals from this assessment".

"Many cancer patients describe ‘falling of the radar’ after cancer treatment. I am passionate about supporting patients regain quality of life and return to meaningful activities.
This supports patients to ‘live well with their cancer’, to maintain independence and to stay connected with their family and friends. It is a privilege to be able to support patients in this way and to be able to ‘make a difference’ in patients’ lives".

The main areas of Occupational Therapy intervention to address this impact on occupational performance and function are:

💚 Symptom management advice – specifically fatigue, breathlessness, lymphoedema and pain.
💚 Equipment assessment and provision – to maintain functional independence and quality of life.
💚 Provision of support to achieve goals to return to and maintain ‘what matters to me’ activity – wide-ranging from dog walking to gardening.
💚 Support patients’ emotional needs whilst adjusting to living with cancer and signposting to additional support as appropriate.

More information can be found at:

https://www.salisbury.nhs.uk/wards-departments/departments/cancer-services/for-cancer-patients-families-and-carers/

29/10/2025

📣On Tuesday 4th of November 2025, we would like to invite you to attend a forum on Hormone Therapy in Prostate Cancer Treatment.

📍This will be held at The Community Room at Tesco Southampton Road between 2-4pm.

There will be a presentation with a team of experts followed by opportunities to ask questions.

Presenters will be:

🩵 Dr Ken Oguejiofor, Oncology Consultant
🩵 Sr Emma Huckle, Metastatic Prostate Clinical Nurse Specialist
🩵 David Cabrini-Back, Specialist Physiotherapist

If you would like to attend, please contact Jo Broom at sft.cancerengagment@nhs.net

22/10/2025

25th of October is MDS World Awareness Day. Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a type of blood cancer.

Although rare, it affects your bone marrow which helps make blood cells.

Symptoms can be like other conditions but can include:

❤️ Feeling tired or weak
❤️ Bleeding more than usual (frequent nosebleeds, bleeding gums or heavier periods)
❤️ Bruising or a rash that looks like small bruises
❤️ Feeling breathless when doing light exercises
❤️ Bleeding under the skin that does not fade when you roll a glass over it

Symptoms can begin mild at first but if they are unusual to you or go on for a long time, please contact your GP.

More information is available on the NHS website:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/myelodysplastic-syndrome-mds/

16/10/2025

October is Menopause Awareness month. Cancer treatment may trigger menopause or menopausal symptoms.

Symptoms can include:

💜 Hot flushes
💜 Weight gain
💜 Needing to pee more often
💜 Vaginal dryness
💜 Aches and pains.

These symptoms can vary from person to person and can last for many years. Symptoms can be worse of the menopause was triggered by cancer treatments.

More information can be found on the Macmillan website:

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/menopausal-symptoms-and-cancer-treatment

If you are receiving cancer treatment here at Salisbury Hospital and experiencing menopausal symptoms, contact your Clinical Nurse Specialist if you have any questions or concerns.

Cancer treatments may cause early menopause or menopausal symptoms. Learn about symptoms and treatments and get practical tips to help you cope.

09/10/2025

📣 Friday 10th of October is World Mental Health Day.

Being diagnosed and living with cancer can affect your mental health. From fear and anxiety to stress and loneliness. Not only can it affect patients but also friends and family.

It’s very important to look after your mental health and recognise if you are experiencing any changes in your mood.

This day is aimed to raise awareness and encourage everyone to look after their mental wellbeing. ❤️

Macmillan Cancer Support have lots of information on their website:

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-awareness/world-mental-health-day

The Cancer Support Team here at Salisbury are on hand to provide support to patients and their families.

They have put together the following resource leaflet of local and national support services for patients with cancer:

06/10/2025

🧡 Shine Young Adult Support is a group for those diagnosed with cancer aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s to meet others with similar experiences in a relaxed environment.

They host regular meet ups with the next one on happening on Friday 10th of October 2025. If you are interested in attending, the next event will be a ghost walk meeting at the Haunch of Venison at 6:30 pm. 👻

You can meet for a drink (first one is on Shine) and some food and then join in on the Salisbury Ghost Walk which begins at 8pm from the Visitors Centre at £12pp.
If you are interested in attending, you can let Renee know by completing the form below. 🍻🥂

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkyAI181LMLNcOvSxoeylX4x2DZLq0Dv41MGQfJhS_xMCkOw/viewform

02/10/2025

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is cancer that starts in the breast. It is the most common cancer in women with around 55,000 diagnosed each year in the UK.

In aid of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Cancer Support Worker Dani and Cancer Services Engagement & Experience Coordinator Jo (pictured below) will be available at Salisbury Market on Tuesday 7th of October between 10 and 2pm.

They are on hand to:

🩷 Raise awareness of prevention with leaflets to hand out
🩷 Signpost people if needed
🩷 Get feedback from the community

Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nickie Westlake will also be at Springs restaurant at the Hospital on Friday the 10th of October from 9am handing out information on breast cancer awareness so drop by to learn more.