This unique Conference brings together Health Professionals, Patients, Caregivers and Survivors of Head & Neck Cancers. The conference is held over 3 days – Tuesday 2nd November, Wednesday 3rd November and Thursday 4th November 2021.
James Carroll
Title of Talk: Reducing the Incidence and Severity of Oral Mucositis with Photobiomodulation
James Carroll is an engineer, founder CEO of THOR Photomedicine. THOR develops Laser and LED Photobiomodulation devices (PBM) that heal wounds, reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
James has co-authored 24 academic papers on PBM, 6 of them with Harvard Medical School and has co-authored 4 books.
He has presented on PBM at the United Nations Global Health Impact Forum, US Congress on solutions to the opioid crisis and to policy advisors at the White House.
James took PBM through the NICE guidance process and PBM is now recommended for preventing or treating oral mucositis.
POSITIONS HELD
Co-chair Biomedical Optics Soc. conference on Photobiomodulation mechanisms (2009 – to-date)
Fellow of The Royal Society of Medicine (2009 – to-date)
Editorial Board of Photomedicine and Laser Surgery (2008 to-2013)
World Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy (WALT) board member (2018 – to-date)
World Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy (WALT) industry rep. (2000 – 2004)
North American Association for Laser Therapy board member (2002 – 2006)
AWARDS
2020 – World Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy, Presidential Commendation for service and leadership in the field of Photobiomodulation
2021 – T.H. Maiman Award for excellence in medical laser research
For more information CLICK HERE
Emma Hallam
Seminar: Late Effects of Head & Neck Cancer
Sue has been an HCPC registered Dietitian for 47 years and has worked in Oncology dietetics for over 30 years, she is a fellow of the British Dietetic Association and a member of its specialist oncology group.
Sue is the oncology dietitian for Rutherford Cancer treatment centres at both Thames Valley and South Wales. Working within the MDT she provides nutritional support to patients during their treatment and beyond.
Her aim is to help patients meet their nutritional requirements and maintain their weight which helps improve outcomes and minimise their risk of developing nutrition-related complication
Arutha Kulasinghe
Seminar: Research Projects in Head & Neck Cancer
Dr Arutha Kulasinghe is a Peter Doherty NHMRC early career research fellow at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the Translational Research Institute.
Dr Kulasinghe completed his Bsc (Hons) in medical microbiology at the University of Pretoria (South Africa) in 2013 and his PhD in 2017 in the study of micro-metastatic disease in lung cancer. He now leads the “Spatial biology and liquid biopsy” group in the Cancer and Ageing Research Program (CARP) at QUT.
His research, through the use of state-of-the-art CTC isolation methodologies, has led to a number of significant advances in knowledge in the areas of head and neck cancers (HNCs).
More recently, Dr Kulasinghe has pioneered spatial transcriptomics research using digital spatial profiling approaches in the Asia-Pacific region, contributing to world-first studies for lung cancer, head and neck cancer and COVID-19, to map, cell by cell, the landscape of diseased tissues.
Dr Kulasinghe has published this research in 44 manuscripts (70% first, increasing number of senior/corresponding author publications) in Q1 Cancer/Oncology journals and presented this work at over 25 National and 26 International Conferences including 11 invited talks.
This research was showcased at the first Virtual Spatial Genomics Summit, Virtual Oncology Conference and the recent special meeting held by AACR in 2021 for COVID-19 and Cancer where he was an invited speaker and panellist.
Dr Kulasinghe has been supported by fellowships from the NHMRC (current), Advance Queensland, and project funding from the GPRWMF, MRFF, Cure Cancer, Ian Potter Foundation, Industry-linked spore funding and philanthropic sources.
Marianne Kooijman
Seminar: I am Voiceless but not Speechless
Born in 1962 as 4th child of 6, I had a happy childhood. My Dad was a math teacher and principal. Mom was a stay at home Mom. Married in 1982 and had 2 beautiful children.
My journey started in 1989 when I had breathing problems and slowly this got worse until I had to be hospitalized due to severe breathing problems. They found a T4 tumour under my right vocal cord and on Nov27th 1989 I had my laryngectomy.
6 weeks after surgery I spoke my first words and I never stopped speaking. I have served on the board of local clubs, The Dutch Association, The European Association as first female President and for the International Association for Laryngectomees.
I am a licensed laryngectomee trainee which means I am allowed to give voice lessons to other laryngectomees. I have done this many times in Germany and in the USA. I visit new to come laryngectomees before and after their surgery. I have worked for a company that makes tools to make the life of laryngectomees a lot better. I have also trained first aid groups, fire fighters etc how to give first aid to laryngectomees.
6 years ago I had a major burn out due to everything that happened to me after a divorce and adding a busy job as a security agent at the airport. I came out of it due to therapy but slowed down a lot.
I try to help others on internet but since my burnout I have not done any speeches. This will be my first again and I am confident it will all work out. I look forward to do it and to meet you all.
Jane Thornton
Seminar Chair: I am voiceless but not Speechless
Jane has been Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist for Head & Neck Cancer/Clinical Voice Disorders at Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust since 1996.
In that time, she has been involved with developing the service to adults across the entire Head and Neck cancer patient pathway. Sheffield hosts the regional and tertiary surgical and oncological centre for South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire, a population of 1.7m.
In addition to her day job Jane is also a Honorary Lecturer at Sheffield University, National Adviser for Royal College of Speech and Language Therapist, Expert Adviser for National Institute of Clinical Excellence and has contributed to the writing of numerous national documents and guidelines including NICE – cancers of the UADT, National Cancer Action Team – rehabilitation pathways and workforce planning documents.
She is a past recipient of the Sternberg award for Clinical Innovation. Her research activity has been in both the quality of life of individuals post laryngectomy and swallowing outcomes post radiotherapy.
Jane’s current area of interest is in the selection and use of appropriate outcome measures to not only show the impact of treatment but also for collation of data that is useful during discussion with the patient when there is a choice of treatment.
Data can be powerful when considering options for treatment where the ‘cure rate’ is similar but the functional impact of that treatment may be different. She has been involved in the design, pilot phase and use of the national data base for Therapy Outcome Measures and is collaborating with other cancer centres on the selection and promotion of outcome measures to be adopted nationally
DR Ali Khurram
Title of Talk: The Secret Agents behind your diagnosis and treatment
Dr Ali Khurram is a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Consultant Pathologist at the University of Sheffield, UK. He is involved in the diagnosis of Head and neck cancers on a daily basis and is the clinical lead for the oral pathology diagnostic service covering most of South Yorkshire.
Prior to his training as a pathologist, he worked as a junior doctor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and is aware first hand of the devastating nature of these cancers. He is extremely passionate about raising awareness to aid early detection and treatment.
Dr Khurram is also actively involved in research with numerous local, national and international collaborative ongoing projects investigating head and neck cancer and pre-cancer as well as the use of Artificial Intelligence in diagnosis and prediction of prognosis.
He has a number of local, regional and national roles including:
You can find out more about him using the links below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-khurram/
https://www.neopath.org.uk (Twitter @neopathology)
Freya Sparks
Seminar: Impact on Quality of Life
Freya Sparks is a Clinical Specialist Speech and Language Therapist at Barts Health, where she has led the speech therapy service for Head and Neck Oncology and ENT conditions and provides advanced clinical practice.
Freya was awarded an NIHR MRes studentship in 2014, and subsequently an NIHR pre-doctoral bridging award. She currently holds a Barts Charity AHP Doctoral Fellowship and is undertaking a PhD at City, University of London.
Her research interests are embedded in clinical practice and focussed on the rehabilitation of communication and swallowing after head and neck cancer treatment.
Freya’s doctoral study is the VITAL project, which centres on the development and feasibility testing of a novel voice therapy approach for people with total laryngectomy.
Paul Schiender
Title of Talk: Just one Journey amongst Millions
I’m a 45 dad to a beautiful 11 year old daughter, step dad to two great girls (11 and 8) and now fiancee to the most incredible girl I’ve ever met.
I have been working in sales across a few sectors since I was 17 including Retail, Fashion, Finance and technology and currently work in a great role for a UK Telecoms engineering business.
I have lead a colourful life with plenty of stories (good, bad and indifferent) that come with such a lifestyle. I beat Thyroid cancer at 21 and a parotid cancer diagnosis in December 2020 which lead to emergency major surgery in January followed by 6 weeks of radiotherapy.
Nowadays I have a lovely, happy, chilled, non dramatic life filled with laughter love and music. I have reignited my DJ hobby and regularly DJ online on the radio and soon to be playing in nightclubs and other venues again. I am a house music lover with a strong sense of family values.
Quality of Life after Hemiglossectomy
This session will be open and honest discussion about the last two years of the rollercoaster that is cancer, from the number of appointments, decision making, the wide range of emotions and a lot of medication.
It is the views of the three speakers and experience put into words and pictures with the aim to help others be informed of their own journey.
Quote from one of the speakers:
“Hi there, I’m Dizz and I am living a good life after having a total glossectomy two years ago.
In my session I will take you on the journey that I went through, including my life before and after a total glossectomy, the treatments I had, and what it was like in hospital after surgery.
I will talk about the things I found useful for me, including the help I received from many people – medical teams, family, and friends – in a time where I felt completely alone and frightened of the unknown future that I was facing.”
Showcase Head & Neck Services (Wales)
This is an opportunity for Wales to showcase the work they are doing in Head & Neck Cancer. We have selected three areas; the different teams will present a 20-minute insight to their work and at the end we will have an open 30-minute Q&A.
Research at the Velindre Cancer Centre : https://youtu.be/a_RwWYz-IRs
David Owen, our conference president will be chair of this seminar, he said “it will be an honour to chair this seminar and showcase the great work we are doing across Wales”
Psychological side of a Caregiver
This seminar will aim to address the emotional and psychological side of a Caregiver.
Whether you become a caregiver gradually or suddenly due to a partner, family member or friend diagnosed of cancer, many emotions surface when you take on this role.
Some of these feelings happen right away and some don’t surface until you have been care giving for a while.
Whatever your situation, it is important to remember that you, too, are important.
All your emotions, good and bad, about care giving are not only allowed, but valid and important.
Many feelings come up when you are caring for someone day in and day out. Many caregivers set out saying, “This won’t happen to me. I love my mother, father, husband, wife, sister, brother, friend, and “I’m FINE”.
After a while, the “negative” emotions that we tend to want to bury or pretend we aren’t feeling come up. Caregivers are often reluctant to express these negative feelings for fear they will be judged by others (or judge themselves) or don’t want to burden others with their problems.
If you don’t deal with ALL your emotions, they can be like a two-year-old who wants your attention: they will keep tugging at you until you stop and acknowledge them.
Not paying attention to your feelings can lead to poor sleep, illness, trouble coping, stress eating, substance abuse, etc.
When you admit to your feelings, you can then find productive ways to express them and deal with them, so that you and the patient can cope better in the future.
I am Voiceless but not Speechless
The seminar will deal with “The Emotional Side of a Laryngectomy or is it the Dark Side of a Laryngectomy.”
Many who have undergone a laryngectomy or other head and neck cancers often heal within the first year or so but the emotional aspects of surgery or cancer in general can last a lifetime. From pre-surgery education to post surgery counselling and other helpful resources, we will touch on some of the emotional issues, how to recognise them and a few ways to deal with the devastating life changing cancer cure.
Our speakers are all survivors and will share their stories, tips on coping and so much more.
Latest Technology in the fight against H&N Cancer
Learning that you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer can be one of the scariest moments in your life. It might be difficult to be optimistic. However, the develop of new technology in cancer treatment is helping more and more people effectively treat their cancer and live longer, fuller, healthier lives than ever before.
When most people think about cancer treatment, their minds probably go to radiation and chemotherapy. While these methods are still the primary types of treatment for various kinds of cancer, the technology used to administer them has changed a great deal. Every single person is unique, so it makes sense that every person’s cancer treatment should also be unique. When cancer treatment is personalised, specialised, and focused, a patient has a higher chance of overcoming their form and severity of the illness.
The seminar will investigate new technology and discover how this is making a difference to patient experience and outcomes.
Impact on Quality of Life
Health-related quality of life and survival are two important outcome measures in cancer research and practice. The aim of this seminar is to examine the relationship between quality-of-life data and the real survival experience of head & neck cancer patients.
This seminar will ask questions and explore the issues of Quality of Life during and post treatment, we need to remember the ‘Survivorship is not survivorship without Quality of Life.
Sandeep Berry
Seminar: Latest Technology in the fight against H&N Cancer
I am a consultant ENT head neck surgeon based at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff and Clinical director for ENT and OMFS and Cancer Lead for Surgical Board.
I undertook my head and neck surgery fellowship in Melbourne, Australia and training for Trans-oral Robotic surgery in head neck surgery.
I was instrumental in setting of the regional service for Transoral robotic (TORS) for head neck at University hospital of Wales, Cardiff and am one of the members of the team who deliver this service.
I am actively involved in research, have published several papers, written a book chapter on sleep apnoea and completed my MPhil from university of Swansea.
I am an honorary lecturer with Cardiff university.
Elaine Emmerson
Elaine graduated from The University of Liverpool in 2004 with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Genetics
Following that she worked as a research technician at the University of Manchester, before beginning a Ph.D. in wound healing in 2006, receiving her doctorate in 2010. Following this, Elaine worked for 2 years as a post-doctoral research associate, investigating the effect of ageing on cutaneous wound healing and how estrogen therapy elicits positive effects in postmenopausal women.
In 2013 Elaine moved to the University of California San Francisco to begin a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position. During this time she investigated the interaction between nerves and stem cells during organ development, using the mouse and human salivary gland as a model organ. Following this Elaine took the knowledge she had learned from her developmental studies and applied it to better understand regeneration of the adult salivary gland. In 2017 she was awarded a Chancellor’s Fellowship to initiate her independent research group within The MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine at The University of Edinburgh, to study salivary gland regeneration following head and neck radiotherapy.
In February 2018 she was awarded a UK Regenerative Medicine Platform Innovation Award to develop therapeutics to regenerate injured salivary gland in head and neck cancer patients. More recently she has been awarded funding from the Medical Research Council, Tenovus Scotland and The Royal Society to further investigate the cellular communication that occurs during salivary gland regeneration.
Elaine Emmerson
Seminar Chair: Research projects in Head & Neck Cancer
Elaine graduated from The University of Liverpool in 2004 with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Genetics.
Following that she worked as a research technician at the University of Manchester, before beginning a Ph.D. in wound healing in 2006, receiving her doctorate in 2010.
Following this, Elaine worked for 2 years as a post-doctoral research associate, investigating the effect of ageing on cutaneous wound healing and how estrogen therapy elicits positive effects in postmenopausal women.
In 2013 Elaine moved to the University of California San Francisco to begin a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position. During this time she investigated the interaction between nerves and stem cells during organ development, using the mouse and human salivary gland as a model organ.
Following this Elaine took the knowledge she had learned from her developmental studies and applied it to better understand regeneration of the adult salivary gland.
In 2017 she was awarded a Chancellor’s Fellowship to initiate her independent research group within The MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine at The University of Edinburgh, to study salivary gland regeneration following head and neck radiotherapy.
In February 2018 she was awarded a UK Regenerative Medicine Platform Innovation Award to develop therapeutics to regenerate injured salivary gland in head and neck cancer patients.
More recently she has been awarded funding from the Medical Research Council, Tenovus Scotland and The Royal Society to further investigate the cellular communication that occurs during salivary gland regeneration.
Barbara Reed-Fountain
Title of Talk: Empowering Peer Support for Uncommon Cancers
Although Tongue Cancer may be fairly common in the elderly population, getting diagnosed in your younger life makes you a bit of a rarity – so I found out when diagnosed at the ripe age of 31 in early 2019. As much as I love being “special”, the lack of peers really becomes apparent when looking for support.
As much as I appreciate the general cancer support provided by some incredible organisations, it often felt like something was missing. It was difficult for people to relate to the uniqueness of my diagnosis – after all having part of your tongue removed and replace with part of your arm is difficult to wrap your head around.
In the few instances I got to meet people who were going through a similar diagnosis, they were at a very different stage of their life. It’s hard for someone who is retired to relate to my challenges surrounding career ambitions, family plans or the financial implications of getting diagnosed at 31.
That’s why in early 2021, I created a peer support group called the Young Tongues, which since then has grown into a global community of young tongue cancer survivors and patients. This talk is about highlighting how patient needs differ within a cancer community where young patients are a minority and demonstrate the power of peer support.
Dizz Marston
Seminar: Quality of Life after Hemiglossectomy
In 2019 I was diagnosed with stage 4 advanced oral cancer. I had a 5.5cm tumour, which I named Larry, invading my tongue. He had to go, but with it he also took my tongue.
I was told that I would never eat or speak again, unless I used a machine to speak and a tube into my stomach for liquid nutrition to be pumped through. I refused to accept that my life would be that drastic, so I pushed myself to learn to swallow, speak and then finally eat.
After many long months of tears, frustration, anger, grit and determination, I did it – I achieved my objective!
In 2021 I launched ‘Eating with Confidence’, a dedicated cookbook to help others like me.
Kate Hulse
Seminar: Research Projects in Head & Neck Cancer
Kate is an ENT registrar working in the West of Scotland. Kate was an undergraduate at the University of Glasgow and has since trained in Manchester, Inverness and Edinburgh. She has recently started a part-time PhD with the University of Strathclyde alongside full-time clinical work at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Glasgow.
Her research is around health technology in the care of head and neck cancer patients. Her aim is to create an app which can monitor patients’ physical and mental well-being and feed back to the appropriate clinical teams, so patients get the right support at the right time.
Kate is also an active member of the Head and Neck division of INTEGRATE, a UK ENT trainee research network which runs national research and audit projects and committee member of Women in Surgery Scotland.
Chris Curtis
Seminar Chair: Impact on Quality of Life
I am the founder of The Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Support Group, how my life changed for the better after my diagnosis of Head & Neck Cancer.
“You have cancer.” Friday 13th May 2011 at 11am my life fell apart. Three words that changed my life forever. A treatment plan was currently being discussed with me, but I could not stop thinking “I am going to die”. Every piece of information I was given during this appointment went over my head and my mind had gone blank with shock.
My treatment started the following week after my diagnosis, which included 30 sessions of radiotherapy, chemotherapy once a week, peg feed and two neck dissection. I lost 12 stone during this time and not only did my body physically change, but I also mentally changed too. I spiralled into a depression which effected the relationships with those closest to me; my wife Sharon, my two children and my two stepchildren. I had not been re-married long and before the diagnosis I was enjoying my new life and had been making plans for our future, but I could not think to the future during my treatment, I’d lost all positivity and had started to lose hope. Sharon suggested that I could get involved with the cancer support network so in November 2011 I joined the group.
Being around others that shared my experience and understood my pain meant that we could heal together. The group brought my positivity back and offered me a new lease of life. I knew I wanted to help others who feel lonely, isolated and scared, to feel that they are part of a community of people that understand, because they have experienced this themselves.
By November 2012, with the help of my skills in sales and marketing from my previous career, I helped the group develop and built it from a support group, up to full charity status. We have since helped over 6,500 like-minded people and communities worldwide going through the same experiences that I personally went through. The charity helps patients and carers across the globe by supporting them through their journeys, as well as offering a 24/7 helpline for patients and carers to use for advice and round the clock support. We also run a charity shop in Blackpool where the charity was founded.
Niki Shaw
Title of Talk: Living and learning: a cancer journey through a global pandemic
Keynote Speaker, Niki Shaw, works in Adult Social Care as a Strategic Manager for a Local Authority.
Born in Zimbabwe, she moved to Devon, England, as a child and now lives on the west coast of Scotland with her husband. In her spare time she enjoys photography, travel, and spending time in nature.
In September 2020, after many months of tests, investigations, scans and biopsies, Niki was formally diagnosed with a T3 hypo-pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma at 38 years old.
She subsequently underwent an intensive six week course of radical chemo-radiotherapy as an inpatient within the renowned Beatson Cancer Centre (Glasgow) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Niki returned to work in February 2021 and, in April, a scan revealed a complete metabolic response to treatment.
Niki is passionate about using her experience of cancer diagnosis and recovery to support others facing challenges in life. Open and honest about the challenges and difficulties faced, during a time of enforced isolation and restriction, she promotes a positive message of ‘post-traumatic growth’ and hope through adversity.
Bristol Myers Squibb
To reflect the transformation of our company, we have evolved our company brand. At Bristol Myers Squibb, we’re inspired by a single vision–transforming patients’ lives through science. Passionate and precise, we aim to bring life-saving medicines to people around the world. And we work together with compassion to improve outcomes for the patients who need us most.
We bring a human touch to every treatment we pioneer. With great pride, we celebrate each time our patients take back their lives. Our symbol, the hand, is a simple, universal expression of healing, of giving and receiving care. It is a representation of humanity–the personal touch we bring to our work and the inspiration we draw from our patients and people.
THOR
THOR has over 5,000 customers in pioneering clinics and hospitals in more than 70 countries and is the only company with FDA, CE, TGA and NATO clearance, and we are also listed on GSA, and eCAT in the United States for government purchases. Since 1993 THOR has built an unprecedented and unparalleled Research and Development pedigree with many of the world’s leading Universities. Around the world these animal and human healthcare professionals have published over 700 Randomised Controlled Trials using LED and 3b Laser devices and over 7,000 publications altogether.
Photobiomodulation (PBM Therapy) previously known as Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is a laser or LED light therapy that improves tissue repair (skin wounds, muscle, tendon, bone, nerves), reduces inflammation and reduces pain wherever the beam is applied. Usually applied by a doctor, therapist or technician, treatments typically take 1 – 10 minutes and should be applied two or more times a week. Pubmed refs
PBM works predominately on a protein in mitochondria (cytochrome c oxidase) to increase ATP and reduce oxidative stress. A cascade of mitochondrial and intracellular downstream effects lead to improved tissue repair and reduced inflammation. Pubmed refs
For more information Click Here
"Our Vision: Photobiomodulation (PBM Therapy) in every department of every hospital, every doctor's office (clinic) and every home ...Drug free pain relief and better healing through 'best in class' photomedicine products and services."
Ben Sheard
Seminar Chair: Quality of Life after Hemiglossectomy
Stage 4 cancer survivor living life to the full with work, rest and play.
Covid may have slowed the world a little, but Ben continues to study having passed qualifications in Computer Security as well as in Fitness.
Ben works as a freelance security consultant helping companies understand their information assets and the technical controls needed to protect them. He does this alongside working as a Personal Trainer helping people achieve their wellness and fitness goals.
Ben is an advocate for the Swallows and still gives Chris concerns because he is never too sure what is going to happen next as Ben lives the message “Laughter is the best medicine”
Andrew Osafo
Seminar: New Medicine & Techniques for Head & Neck Cancer
Andrew graduated from Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry in 2003 and works in primary and secondary care.
He has a special interest in Minimally Invasive Dentistry, Facial Aesthetics, Pain free dentistry and Orthodontics.
Andrew is also passionate about health & aesthetics and enjoys helping people get a confidence boost.
Dr Osafo tests products, lectures and writes articles for various organisations.
Andrew is an ambassador for the Mouth Cancer Foundation.
Dr Andrew received the International Academy for Dental Facial Esthetics Fellowship.
Fellowship in the Academy for Dental Facial Esthetics is by invitation to those members of the dental industry who have distinguished themselves.
Stephanie Gayhart
Title of Talk: QoL after Glossolaryngectomy
In August of 2019, Stephanie was 37 years old and navigating her life as a divorced parent to her 6-year-old son and working as an RN when she found the lump on her tongue.
After being told a few times she was too young and healthy for the worst, an ENT ordered a CT scan and referred her the next day to a specialist at University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD, USA.
She was diagnosed with Stage III oral tongue cancer with no predisposing risk factors and underwent a hemiglossectomy with radial free-flap reconstruction (using cow collagen, Integra, in a two-step healing process for the flap donation site), partial neck dissection, and temporary tracheostomy placement.
About two months later she completed 6 weeks of IMRT.
She will speak about how the diagnosis and treatment side effects have affected her quality of life, including her mental and physical well-being and ability to work.
Supporting seminar – I am Voiceless not Speechless
Atos Care is the only integrated care and distribution service for people with a laryngectomy and tracheostomy in the UK.
Our mission is to help make life easier for people living with a neck stoma. We understand that after your operation, you need more than just products to help you live your life fully.
The Atos Circle of Care is our comprehensive support service, no matter where you are on your recovery journey. This includes the delivery of prescription products and a rich network of care and support services to help you adjust to life after a laryngectomy or tracheostomy.
We understand that after your operation, you may need more than just products to help you get back to living your life to the fullest. Trust, time and care are more important than ever.
“Everything is excellent. My Atos Customer Care representative takes care of all of my needs. Thanks to them, I am coping very well.” -Anonymous Feedback
To help support you in the community, we provide a complimentary CQC registered Nursing service in the comfort of your home. The service we offer is confidential, discreet and supported by the NHS.
If you would like to find out more about how Atos Care can help support you, please contact our freephone number on 0800 783 1659 or email us at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can visit our website www.atos-care.co.uk.
David Owens
CHAIR: Showcase of Head & Neck Services in Wales
It is our pleasure to welcome you to the 6th Virtual International Head and Neck Cancer Conference, organised by the Swallows and this year hosted by Cardiff.
We had hoped to see you in person but the ongoing medical crisis the organisers and ourselves did not see a way to make that possible.
As with 2020, 2021 has been a difficult year with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, its effects on services and the restricted movement and safety precautions required to help reduce its spread throughout the population. I hope with the ongoing vaccination program and real international solutions planned that next year’s conference can be Face-to-Face once more.
I am pleased that even during the heights of the pandemic that Head and Neck services including assessment, diagnostics, treatments and follow-ups continued without delays which is a testament to the determination and conviction of the teams involved but also the importance of Head and Neck Cancer and its management to the Health Boards and Assembly in Wales.
Head and Neck management in South East Wales relies on the teamwork of the health professionals involved working in Local and Regional Networks to deliver excellent care whether is in the major diagnostic and Surgical Therapy units in the Cardiff and Vale Health Board, Aneurin Bevan Health Board or Cwm Taff Morgannwg Health Board or the Non-Surgical Unit at Velindre Health board.
We hope that you find this year’s meeting as interesting and engaging as the precious events, both face to face and virtual and you get an overview of the current advances in head and neck cancer care, in all its aspects.
The programme, the range of topics and the speakers involved promise a fantastic experience and insight for all those involved.
I also hope the meeting gives participants a perspective on Head and Neck care in Wales and the journeys of some of the patients and carers.
Enjoy the conference and everything involved, and hopefully in the further come and see the beautiful city of Cardiff in real life.
If you feel you could help the Swallows or indeed have something to add to future conferences, please do let us know.
Yvonne McClaren
Title of Talk: Beyond Eat & Swallow
Yvonne McClaren is an author, coach and founder of The No Feeding Tubes movement & the Mind Food Body Program. A program specifically designed to assist others with dysphagia and a peg feed tube transition back to oral eating.
Working as an executive in the not-for-profit sector and with a love for travel, Yvonne has lived in Sydney, Melbourne, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and for a few months in Vietnam when she was diagnosed with Oropharyngeal Cancer (Tonsil Cancer) in November 2018.
Yvonne went on to have a third of her tongue removed, both tonsils, 30 lymph nodes and 30 chemoradiotherapy sessions. Yvonne also had a PEG* tube feed for 15 months.
A contributor to the publication “From Treatment to Table” for Student Dietitians at Griffith University of Queensland (Nutrition & Dietetics). A participant in “Soup for the Soul online cooking workshop” for Head and Neck Cancer Australia and the “Swallowing and Quality of Life study” with the University of Technology Sydney.
Yvonne is a passionate advocate for using real food to transition back to oral eating and shamelessly promotes her culinary framework & program to help others get off their feeding tube.
Visit her at yvonnemcclaren.com
David Owens
Conference President
I am a Consultant ENT surgeon and have been working at the University Hospital of Wales and as part of the South East Wales Head and Neck Cancer Network since 2011. I have a research interest and am involved in a number of trials aimed at improving treatment and have been involved in studies evaluating survivorship issue in people following treatment for head and Neck Cancer.
As part of my clinical role it has been a privilege to work with, and treat many people who have suffered with Head and Neck cancer assisting them through their whole journey from initial concern to diagnosis, treatment, post treatment care and survivorship. The journey is can be hard and is often difficult for the patient, the families and the health professionals to move forward but working together eases the burden and enhances care. One of the cornerstones of excellent care is shared decision making and shared responsibility, centred around the individual but involving clinicians and the many allied health professions of the multidisciplinary team. For this to succeed there must be mutual trust and respect with information passing amongst all the team in an open, honest and uncomplicated way, even when this proves challenging. This conference gives us an opportunity to learn from each other, to appreciate each other’s different opinions and experiences which, I believe will enhance all aspects of the care of people with Head and Neck cancer and the survivors of this disease.
We are immensely proud that Cardiff has been chosen as host for the event in 2021 and look forward to seeing you there.
Naseem Ghazali
Seminar: Latest Technology in the fight against H&N Cancer
Miss Naseem Ghazali is a Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, sub-specialsing in Head and Neck Oncology & Reconstruction, at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, East Lancashire, United Kingdom.
Miss Ghazali is a credentialed da Vinci Robot surgeon, and has pioneered minimally invasive surgery on the robotic platform for Head and Neck Cancer at her hospital.
She has successfully established the Transoral Robotic Head & Neck Surgery (TORS) Service for East Lancashire NHS Trust within the first year of her appointment in 2016.
This service is currently the only TORS service for the North-West of England. During this time, she has developed a novel approach for scarless, benign salivary gland surgery on the robotic platform.
Miss Ghazali is dually-qualified in Dentistry and Medicine.
She completed her Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery specialist training in London (Eastman Dental Hospital / University College London, King’s College and Guy’s Hospitals), Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, and Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead.
Miss Ghazali undertook a Clinical Research Fellowship in Head and Neck Oncology at Aintree University Hospitals, Liverpool, culminating in a Doctorate in Medicine degree at University of Liverpool. She completed an 18-months Surgical Fellowship in Head and Neck Oncology and Reconstructive Surgery at University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Miss Ghazali is the Head and Neck Cancer Lead, and also the Research and Development Lead of the Maxillofacial Department at East Lancashire NHS Hospital Trust.
Her research interest is in head and neck cancer, particularly outcomes research, i.e. functional and quality of life outcomes.
Miss Ghazali has received research grants for this area of work. She is widely published with over 35 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. She has been an invited speaker at several international surgical and robotic/engineering meetings.
She participates in multicentre clinical trials in areas relating to robotic surgery and oral precancer/dysplasia.
Supporting seminar – Research projects in Head & Neck Cancer
RMDM is a healthcare solutions provider with a focus on Oncology. Our scientific backbone is based on the ground-breaking work of Dr Johannes Coy, who is our partner and a world-renowned cancer research scientist.
Dr Coy is most notably known for being the discoverer of the TKTL1 gene, which explains the uptake of glucose from cancer cells when they proliferate and lead to metastasis (Warburg Effect). Our flagship Diagnostics Solution is called PanTum Detect.
PanTum Detect is a CE certified IVD blood test that can detect any cancer at any stage and which is based on the detection of epitopes in monocytes.
Activated monocytes (macrophages) phagocytose unwanted cells/cell fragments from the whole body including solid tissues. As they return to the blood, macrophages can be used for a non-invasive detection of biomarkers, thereby providing high sensitivity (97.5%) and specificity (99.05%), because the intracellular presence of biomarkers is due to an innate immune response.
Flow cytometry analysis of blood enables the detection of macrophages and phagocytosed intracellular biomarkers. In order to establish a pan-cancer test, biomarkers for two fundamental biophysical mechanisms have been exploited.
The DNaseX/Apo10 protein epitope is a characteristic of tumour cells with abnormal apoptosis and proliferation. Transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1) is a marker for an anaerobic glucose metabolism (Warburg effect), which is concomitant with invasive growth/metastasis and resistant to radical and apoptosis inducing therapies.
At present, in the United Kingdom, the test is available at the Centre for Health and Human Performance, located at 76 Harley Street in London.
Research projects in Head & Neck Cancer
Head and neck (H&N) cancers encompass cancers of the larynx, pharynx, oesophagus, trachea, mouth, tongue, nose, salivary glands and tonsils, and collectively are the 8th most common cancer in the UK with over 12,000 new cases diagnosed every year.
Treatment involves a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and in some cases, immunotherapy, and the success of such treatments has been due largely to extensive medical research.
While pioneering treatments have improved life expectancy, over 60,000 people in the UK are currently living with the after-effects of treatment, which often has a significant and lifelong effect on their quality of life.
Research into further advancing H&N cancer treatments in order to make treatment less challenging and lead to better outcomes, and improving quality of life post-treatment, is essential. In this session you will hear from four scientists/healthcare professionals on the crucial research they are doing to improve H&N cancer treatment and to improve quality of life in H&N cancer survivors.
NOTE: Photographer – https://louisekingphotography.co.uk/ Student – PhD student, John McKendrick
Tanja Båge
Seminar: I am Voiceless but not Speechless
On March 16th 2020 I was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. My cancer journey really began approximately 2 years before I was eventually diagnosed when I first started to notice subtle symptoms of breathlessness and wheezing. After 2 years of misdiagnosis I eventually received my diagnosis – adenoid cystic carcinoma in my sub glottis and trachea.
Most of the main symptoms I didn’t experience at all – such as a change in my voice, pain or difficulty swallowing, a lump or swelling in my neck, a long-lasting cough, a persistent sore throat or earache. I was a 38 year old woman, fit & healthy, exercised, did yoga, went running, I was a non smoker and didn’t drink excessively. I didn’t fit the criteria!
1 week later I was heading into major life changing surgery. I was so terrified it’s difficult even to put into words to describe exactly what I was thinking and feeling. It was the day we went into the first UK lockdown because of Covid. I was embarking on the scariest moment of my life and my partner literally had to drop me off at the hospital and I didn’t see him, our 2 young children or my family for 2 weeks. During surgery they did a total laryngectomy and neck dissection. I lost the connection between my nose, mouth and lungs and gained a permanent stoma to breathe through on my neck. I lost my natural voice.
Losing my voice has felt like losing a limb. It is a part of me that’s gone forever now. My new voice isn’t so bad, I’m learning how to use it, it still sounds like me but it’s unpredictable and sometimes it just doesn’t work or do what I want it to do. I’m here today though, living life and thankful for every single day.
John Davies
Seminar: Showcase Head & Neck Services (Wales)
Started my NHS career at Velindre Cancer Centre as a domestic
2006 became a Health care assistant on the inpatient ward
2009 Started Adult Nursing at University of Glamorgan
Qualified as a registered nurse 2012
October 2012 travelled to Australia for a year. (Worked in healthcare)
November 2013 Started as a registered nurse at Velindre Cancer Centre
June 2019 The Patient Support Unit opened. Band 6 role commenced
Vinod Patel
Title of Talk: Osteoradionecrosis (ORN)
Mr Patel is a consultant oral surgeon at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital with a specialist interest in the oral and dental management of cancer patients.
He currently leads the Bone & Jaw Necrosis clinic which has managed over 450 established osteonecrosis of the jaw cases.
Mr Patel has over 100 peer reviewed publications and completed his PhD assessing the impact and effect of radiotherapy in oropharyngeal cancer.
Supporting seminar – New Medicine & Techniques for Head & Neck Cancer
In the UK, approximately 12,000 patients are diagnosed with head & neck cancers each year.
The treatments for these patients are intense with a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The impact on the patients’ Quality of Life is immense, both during and after treatment. It is not only one of facial deformation, loss of voice or inability to produce saliva but also the 1-in-2 chance of recurrence.
Physicians and patients crave for a treatment that improves outcome and better preservation of Quality of Life. Hyperthermia (heating of a tumor) when in combination, is proven to make radiotherapy as effective as chemoradiation but with lower toxicity. Up till recently, technological limitations made regular clinical application nearly impossible.
Researchers from the Netherlands developed prototype technology to overcome these limitations by accurate and personalized treatment.
Together with four UK clinics (King’s College, Imperial College, Clatterbridge Liverpool and University of Birmingham) we apply for a grant to translate these prototypes into a commercial solution for thermotherapy: the next level of quality in hyperthermia.
This is done by an advanced method to enable accurate heating and protection of sensitive organs. The method easily fits in the existing clinical workflow. The patient is comfortable during treatment, and we aim to enable the oncologist to balance outcome and Quality of Life.
The Swallows Charitable Trust is involved in this project as the spokesman for the patients and safeguarding the Quality-of-Life aspect in this project.
Supporting seminar – Impact on Quality of Life
Dry mouth can affect as many as 1 in 4 people, especially those having undergone treatment for head & neck cancer, and can have a significant impact on oral health, as well as physical and psychological well-being.
Oralieve products are specifically designed and tested with dry mouth sufferers to help supplement the natural protective enzyme system in saliva and provide effective, lasting relief.
Free from strong flavours, alcohol and SLS, Oralieve products help maintain oral health and improve comfort for those patients who are suffering with dry mouth.
Discover how you can help manage your dry mouth at www.oralieve.co.uk
The Mouth Cancer Foundation
The Mouth Cancer Foundation are pleased to be involved in the seminar ‘New Medicine & Techniques for Head & Neck Cancer’ as a charity dedicated to raising awareness and support for those suffering from or at risk of mouth cancer, throat cancer and other head and neck cancers, as well as providing assistance and information on living with mouth cancer for families, friends and carers it is important we raise awareness around these subjects.
The promotion, protection and education of good health is key to raising awareness of mouth cancer. The charity aims to inform the public about the signs, symptoms, facts and figures and key causes of mouth cancer. Know what increases your risk of getting the disease including information on HPV, alcohol and smoking.
Find out more at https://www.mouthcancerfoundation.org/
The research teams are working in collaboration with health professionals, patients, and drug companies to learn more about head and neck cancer, ways to prevent it, how to best treat it, and how to provide the best care to people diagnosed with this disease.
The following areas of research may include new options for patients through clinical trials. Always talk with your medical team about the best diagnostic and treatment options for you.
New medications and techniques
Many studies are underway to learn more about new types of drugs that may help treat head and neck cancer.
Immunotherapy, Combined therapies, Radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFA), Gene therapy, Photodynamic therapy, Proton therapy, Proton therapy are all part of the future in Head & Neck Cancer.
Early Diagnoses is so important in head & neck cancer and in this session, we will be discussing Blood Screening techniques to identify cancer.
Questions will be asked “Will Proton Therapy be the end of Side Effects” & “Why is Proton not used as standard treatment in the Pathway”
UK Proton Therapy quote: “Proton therapy is a precise and gentle head and neck cancer treatment method with minimal side effects.
Proton therapy enables precise targeting of the proton beam at the target area (tumour or tumour bed) and minimises exposure of surrounding tissues and organs to radiation.”
Dr Jane Mathlin
Seminar: Late Effects of Head & Neck Cancer
I have been consultant radiographer for head and neck patients at Velindre Cancer Centre for 3 years.
One of the objectives of the role was to introduce a late side effects clinic for patients treated for head and neck cancers. The clinic has been running for just over 2 years and I see patients 6 months after treatment and then annually and whenever they need advice, collecting patient reported outcome measures at each appointment.
I have many years’ experience in the management of side effects of radiotherapy during after treatment and am an independent prescriber.
I have recently completed a Professional Doctorate looking at the experience of taste changes during radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.
Prior to my current role I set up the on-treatment review clinics at Velindre and developed them into a well-established service.
Steven Cooper
Seminar: I am Voiceless but not Speechless
I am a lifelong resident of the state of Maryland, USA. I’m married to my beautiful wife Robin, whom I met in high school over 49 years ago.
I had my laryngectomy in February 2019 and a secondary puncture with Tracheoesophageal Voice Prosthesis (TEP) placement in September 2019.
I own, and still actively work managing a wholesale food brokerage business. I’m a board member of the International Association of Laryngectomees (IAL), the Laryngectomee Club of Montgomery County Maryland (LCMC) and the Governor’s Advisory Board for Telecommunications Relay in Maryland as the “Limited Speech Representative”. I’m a Mentor for Imerman Angels Cancer Support Group. I was awarded the Hamilton Relay 2021 Better Hearing and Speech Month Recognition Award.
In May 2020 I launched our monthly LCMC virtual zoom meetings. Some meetings have drawn over 50 attendees from across the world. I was licensed in Real Estate and held the National Association of Security Dealers (NASD) Series 7, Series 63 and Series 65 securities licenses.
Because of the early help and ongoing mentoring that I received from many of the wonderful members of the Laryngectomee community, I have been instilled with a heartfelt desire to assist other Laryngectomees or family members in any way that I can.
I continually welcome the opportunity to meet with new patients, family members and others, and to be a staunch advocate in the Laryngectomee community. I have met with many new Laryngectomees or patients that are about to have this life changing surgery and always find this to be a very rewarding experience
Dr Anthony Kong
Seminar: New Medicine & Techniques for Head & Neck Cancer
Anthony read medicine at Barts and The London School of Medicine in London and undertook clinical oncology training at Barts and The Royal Marsden Hospitals after his general internal medicine training.
He did his PhD research at CRUK London Research Institute Lincoln’s Inn Laboratories and received a PhD from University College London. Following his PhD, he was awarded a clinical scientist fellowship and became a group leader at University of Oxford and an honorary NHS consultant at Oxford Cancer Centre in 2008.
He took up a clinical senior lecturer position at the University of Birmingham in January 2015 and was responsible in running many early and late phase immunotherapy trials in head and neck cancers.
Since July 2019, he has been a clinical reader at King’s College London and an honorary NHS Consultant in Clinical Oncology at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. His research interest is personalized medicine, immunotherapy and radiotherapy combination, translational research, and clinical trials.
MSD
For more than 125 years, MSD has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives.
MSD is a trade name of Merck & Co., Inc., with headquarters in Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships.
Today, MSD continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals — including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases — as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world.
For more information, visit www.msd-uk.com and connect with us @MSDintheUK on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook.
Catriona M Douglas
Seminar: Research Projects in Head & Neck Cancer
I am a Consultant Head and Neck Surgeon based at the Queen Elisabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
I undertook my clinical training in Glasgow and the West of Scotland before completing a 1 year fellowship in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology at the University of Toronto/Princess Margaret Oncology Hospital, in Toronto, Canada.
I have a research interest in Head and Neck cancer and completed my MD in “Biomarkers that predict treatment response in Head and Neck Cancer” at the University of Manchester.
I have a strong research interest in Head and Neck cancer, and have ongoing projects in translational research and quality of life.
Unfortunately, the West of Scotland has one of the highest rates of Head and Neck cancer in the UK.
However, I feel very privileged to work with and treat these patients, and by doing clinical research I hope that it will improve the quality of care and life that these patients have.
Debbie Eason
Seminar: Psychological Perspectives on Care-giving
I was born in London in 1966 and moved to Plymouth when I was 13 years old. It was there that I met Stuart and we married in 1988. Our daughter was born in 1990 and she is now 31 years old.
In 2002 we relocated to Spain and have thoroughly embraced the Spanish way of life, we enjoy speaking the language and are so glad that we have made Spain our home.
In February 2021 Stuart was diagnosed with floor of mouth cancer and then our lives changed dramatically.
He had major surgery which was then followed up with 33 sessions of radiotherapy.
A month after the treatment ended, Stu developed another cancerous tumour which then resulted in a second neck dissection and the removal of more lymph nodes.
His Oncologist recommended another course of radiotherapy along with chemotherapy, but having researched the benefits and also taking into consideration the side effects of both, he decided against the treatment.
He is now being monitored with regular CT scans and appointments with his Oncologist and Surgeon.
We are both retired which has meant that during Stuart’s surgeries, treatment and ongoing recovery, we have had time to slowly adjust to the different way of life and the challenges we face.
Our daughter lives locally and has been amazing throughout, so strong and supportive.
We don’t have any extended family here but have received support from our friends and a local Cancer Care organisation who have been amazing.
It’s been a tough year, but we’re getting there and are grateful to our medical team, family and friends for all their love and support.
Paul Burns
Seminar: Late Effects of Head & Neck Cancer
For over ten years, Paul has been working with The Swallows to improve the lives of patients who are undergoing treatment for head & neck cancer.
Currently, Paul is working for THOR Photomedicine to help bring a preventative treatment, which is recommended by NICE, into the NHS across the UK for patients who are at risk of Oral Mucositis.
Previously with Aspen Medical, Paul helped to introduce the PolyMem dressing to clinicians in the North West of England who were concerned with treating radiation dermatitis.
Isabel Hill
Seminar: Psychological Perspectives on Disease Impact and Coping
I worked in the Education sector – as a primary school teacher and later as an Adult Literacy Tutor.
Also spent some years in the Civil Service.
Now retired.
I have been a caregiver for my husband since 2013, and am a member of The Swallows Caregiver Project Group.
Andrew’s journey as a caregiver began when his wife was diagnosed with cancer on her tongue in 2015. She underwent surgery soon afterwards but a significant recurrence in 2019 resulted in a major operation (glossectomy). She then suffered an ankle fracture in hospital and was largely immobile during the radiotherapy and chemotherapy which followed.
She relied upon Andrew and he had to learn quickly. Having spent a full career in education, Andrew reflected upon these experiences as a caregiver to see what he could learn from them and, perhaps, how the system could have worked to make them easier for him to deal with. This has resulted in, through Swallows, Andrew becoming an advocate for caregivers.
Andrew says, “Patients often depend upon us, as caregivers, acquiring the necessary skills, deploying them effectively – and looking after ourselves so that we can undertake the tasks involved. Whilst this may seem peripheral to the situation of the patient, the importance of
the caregiver to the patient should never be underestimated.”
Dr Russell Banner
Seminar: Proton Therapy in the battle against Head & Neck Cancer
Dr Russell Banner is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist based in South Wales.
His undergraduate training was at Christ’s College, Cambridge and then at Guy’s, Kings and St. Thomas’ Medical School in London, qualifying in 2002.
He started his speciality training in Canterbury in 2007 and then transferred to complete his training in South Wales gaining Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists in 2010.
He undertook an Advanced Radiotherapy Clinical Research Fellowship at Velindre Cancer Centre in 2011 and completed his MSc with the Institute of Cancer Research in London in 2013 researching Human Papilloma Virus specific T-cell immune responses before and after chemoradiotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer.
Russell took up his post as a Consultant Clinical Oncologist in the South West Wales Cancer Centre in 2013.
He is enthusiastically research active with Principal Investigator roles in Swansea for a number of UK-wide randomised clinical research radiotherapy trials.
He has developed an interest in Radiotherapy Quality Improvement in his role as Radiotherapy Lead and collaborates with Philips, developing software to improve radiotherapy quality, workflows and decreasing time to treatment.
Russell currently specialises in tumour sites for head & neck and non-melanoma skin cancers.
He is trained in the use of proton beam therapy, treating patients in the Rutherford Cancer Centre, South Wales since it opened in 2018 and looks forward to further developing the evidence base for this, including within the ‘TORPEdO’ randomised clinical trial.
Russell was born in London, though his mother ensured that his first rugby shirt was Welsh!
Dr Kevin Chiu
Seminar: New Medicine & Techniques for Head & Neck Cancer
Dr Kevin Chiu is a Consultant Head and Neck Clinical Oncologist at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. He specialises specifically in complex radiotherapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy in the management of head and neck cancer.
Dr Chiu obtained his medical degree at the University of Manchester in 2005. He gained his FRCR qualification in clinical oncology in 2014 and went on to complete a senior head and neck clinical and research fellowship at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto in 2017.
Since 2019 he has been the Clinical Lead for all Radiation Services at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, working and collaborating with the London Radiotherapy Network to improve radiotherapy services. Dr Chiu’s own clinical practice covers a big geographical area with patients referred from Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Northwest London.
Dr Chiu is the Research Lead for head and neck research at Mount Vernon. His interests include optimising radiotherapy techniques to improve patients’ outcomes and quality of life, Artificial Intelligence and Clinical Trials.
Abdul Ahmed
Seminar: New Medicine & Techniques for Head & Neck Cancer
Mr Ahmed is a Consultant in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery specialising in Reconstructive Head and Neck surgery.
After completing both Medical and Dental degrees, Mr Ahmed completed his surgical training at The Royal London, University college, Great Ormond Street, and Northwick Park hospitals.
Mr Ahmed has a very innovative practice using the latest technologies in head and neck reconstructive planning, the use of sentinel node surgery in oral cancer and Trans Oral Robotic Surgery.
He has a strong interest in teaching and training. He is an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. Educational supervisor for the London School of Surgery, and runs regular courses in Reconstructive Surgery, ATLS, and Microvascular surgical techniques.
Mr Ahmed is part of the faculty for the Griffin institute for medical research, they provide a wide variety of course, all aimed at improving the skills and experience of healthcare professionals to advance patient care.
As a clinical researcher, he is involved in several clinical trials in oncology, and regularly presents in international meetings.
Mr Ahmed has published widely in his areas of interest including several book chapters. He has a keen interest in technological developments in surgery and it’s application to improving patient care throughout the world, as well as solving the problems of global surgical inequality with digital technology.
He’s contributed to a freely available app on IOS and Android called Touch Surgery which is an interactive surgical simulator for healthcare professionals.
Brian Pikkula
Seminar: Latest Technology in the fight against H&N Cancer
Brian M. Pikkula is the Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Forward Science.
He received his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Louisiana Tech University and his Ph.D. in bio-optics/bioengineering from Rice University.
Brian has more than 15 years of biomedical research and medical device development experience.
Brian’s career began at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center as Co-Director of a multi-center clinical study, where he investigated the optical biopsy, a technology used to detect cervical dysplasia in real-time using fluorescence and reflectance imaging.
He then went on to work as a Senior Development Scientist for Remicalm LLC, which had licensed much of the technology he previously worked with.
He also previously worked as a Manager at Medical Metrics (a firm that provides imaging and radiographic consulting services to medical device companies) before launching Forward Science with fellow engineer Robert J. Whitman in 2012, with the goal of changing patients’ lives through innovative cancer screening technologies.
Dr John Donohue, Chartered Clinical Psychologist
Seminar: Psychological Perspectives on Care-giving & Psychological Perspectives on Disease Impact and Coping
Dr Donohue gained his Undergraduate Degree in 1998 from University College Worcester, UK and Montclair State University, New Jersey, USA.
Following posts in forensic, learning disabilities and child mental health, he gained his master’s degree in Counselling Psychology with family therapy and primary care mental health settings experience.
Subsequent to this, he went on to manage a youth counselling service in the voluntary sector as well as gaining voluntary assistant psychologist post working in an older adult service.
In 2004, Dr Donohue was successful in his application to the clinical psychology course offered by the University of Coventry, and gained his doctoral accreditation as a clinical psychologist in 2007.
Upon qualification, he secured a post in Russells Hall Hospital UK, working primarily in the oncology and clinical haematology wards in the hospital.
As well as offing specialist support to both inpatients and outpatients he presented public lectures for Leukaemia Care UK, developed survivorship programmes in conjunction with local stakeholders and promoted the importance of psychological within a very medial setting.
In 2018 he returned to his native Ireland and following a short phase in private practice, became employed as senior clinical psychologist and centre lead for Cancer Care Wests’ satellite service in Co. Donegal.
Dr Donohue is an avid explorer having travelled as far as Antarctica, Kilimanjaro, Base Camp Everest and Peru.
He is also a ‘reasonably decent’ landscape photographer, hiker, and wild camper and as such is very much ‘at home’ in the west of Ireland.
Supporting seminar – Quality of Life after Hemiglossectomy
Kapitex was founded in 1991 and is a leading manufacturer and distributor of laryngectomy, tracheostomy and dysphagia medical devices, based in Wetherby, West Yorkshire UK.
Daniela Esteves
Seminar: I am Voiceless but not Speechless
Daniela has been an Intensive Care Nurse within the NHS for several years before setting up a community service with Atos Care for patients with laryngectomy and tracheostomy stomas.
Daniela has worked as a field Nurse in London and the southeast. She has supported patients at home following surgical treatment of laryngeal cancer (laryngectomy) and patients who required a tracheostomy tube as part of their treatment and recovery.
Daniela now leads a team of specialist Head and Neck Nurses who care for patients with a neck stoma in the community, covering most of England and Wales. Daniela’s team works closely with NHS clinicians to support each patient’s transition from hospital to home with managing their neck airway.
Dr. Lauren V. Wood
Seminar: New drugs in the fight against head & neck cancer
Dr. Wood joined PDS Biotech as Chief Medical Officer in February 2019.
She has overall responsibility for clinical development of the novel, immune activating Versamune® platform product pipeline targeting HPV-related pre-cancer and advanced cancers as well as a broad spectrum of solid tumors.
With 30 years of extensive clinical research experience at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Wood most recently was the Clinical Director of the Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI).
While there she oversaw the translational development of immune-based therapies for both cancer and HIV infection and was a co-inventor of two patented therapeutic cancer vaccine platforms targeting the TARP and HER tumor antigens.
Prior to joining the Vaccine Branch, Dr. Wood was a Senior Clinical Investigator from 1992-2009 in the NCI Pediatric Oncology and HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branches, overseeing teams investigating antiretroviral, anti-infective, and immunomodulatory therapies for HIV-infected children, adolescents and young adults.
Trained in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics with subspecialty training in Allergy and Immunology from NIAID, Dr. Wood received her M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine and B.A. in Biology from Oberlin College.
Sue Acreman RD MSc FBDA
Seminar: Proton Therapy in the battle against Head & Neck Cancer
Sue has been an HCPC registered Dietitian for 47 years and has worked in Oncology dietetics for over 30 years, she is a fellow of the British Dietetic Association and a member of its specialist oncology group.
Sue is the oncology dietitian for Rutherford Cancer treatment centres at both Thames Valley and South Wales. Working within the MDT she provides nutritional support to patients during their treatment and beyond.
Her aim is to help patients meet their nutritional requirements and maintain their weight which helps improve outcomes and minimise their risk of developing nutrition-related complication
Psychological side of a Eating
This seminar will aim to address the psychological side of your patient not eating and the impact this has on the Caregiver.
Unlike professional caregivers such as physicians and nurses, informal caregivers, typically family members, or friends, provide care to individuals with a variety of conditions following diagnoses of Head & Neck Cancer.
This experience is commonly perceived by health professionals as a chronic stressor, and caregivers often experience negative psychological, behavioural, and physiological effects on their daily lives and health.
The refusal of food by their patient, and the lack of understanding of the causes of rejection to the meal starts the caregiver on a road of frustration, annoyance, anger, and many caregivers also feel guilty that they are feeling these.
Our Psychologist, Nutritionist and caregivers will tackle the above and try to get some ‘Coping mechanisms and strategies’ to help caregivers.
Mark Lawler
Talk Title: Turning Data into Intelligence and Action in the Fight against Cancer
Prof Mark Lawler is Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor of Digital Health and Chair in Translational Cancer Genomics at Queen’s University Belfast.
His patient centred research and policy work has had international impact, recognised by a number of national and international awards, including the prestigious European Health Award.
He is Scientific Director of DATA-CAN, the UK’s Health Data Research Hub for Cancer.
DATA-CAN’s work on Covid-19 and cancer first highlighted the significant impact of the pandemic on cancer services and cancer patients and received the Royal College of Physicians Excellent in Patient Cre Award.
He co-chairs the European Cancer Organisation’s Special Network on Covid-19 and Cancer and leads their TimeToAct Campaign to ensure that Cancer doesn’t become the Forgotten C in the Fight against Cancer
Many studies are underway to learn more about new types of drugs that may help treat head and neck cancer.
Our seminar will discuss a few and pose the questions like “Why does it take so long to get a new drug within the pathway?” “What is Immunotherapy?” “What are Combined therapies?” “Will new drugs improve treatment effectiveness and the patient’s quality of life?” and lots more.
We have three of the leading pharmaceutical companies on the panel talking about these questions, it’s an opportunity to post questions to the panellists
Late Effects of Head & Neck Cancer
Our seminar will deal with the Late Effects of Head & Neck Cancer, there are different terms used to describe side effects that develop after treatment for head and neck cancer, or side effects that you still have after treatment is over. The two most used terms are:
Long-term effects & Late effects.
Long-term effects begin during, or shortly after, treatment and do not go away in the 6 months after treatment. They may go away eventually on their own. Symptoms may slowly get better over 1 or 2 years after treatment ends, or even longer. Sometimes long-term effects are permanent.
Late effects are a delayed response to treatment. They do not appear during treatment but can happen months or even years later.
Dr Tripat K Mahajan
Seminar: New Medicine & Techniques for Head & Neck Cancer
Tripat studied dentistry at King’s College London and graduated in 2018.
She is currently in a Dental Core Training pathway, gaining further experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery, restorative and orthodontic dental specialties.
She enjoys keeping up to date with the latest research and has regularly presented at and attended a variety of dental conferences.
Whilst working in maxillofacial surgery, she saw how mouth cancer can have a huge effect on oral wellbeing and the impact it can have on quality of life.
She has always been passionate about oral health promotion and oral wellbeing and was appointed as a clinical ambassador for the Mouth Cancer Foundation in January 2021.
She has worked on a number of projects for the Foundation and is keen to continue spreading awareness and education for health care professionals and patients alike.
Maulik Darji is a Consultant Therapeutic Radiographer specialising in Head and Neck Cancer, passionate about compassionate, patient-centred and holistic care.
He champions innovation, evidence-based practice and service development to improve outcomes and shape the future of radiotherapy.
As his department’s first Independent Prescriber, he advances personalised care and expands the role of therapeutic radiographers.
In 2025, he was named Professional of the Year at the Asian Achievers Awards, recognised as the youngest Consultant Therapeutic Radiographer in his field.
He was also a National BAME Awards Clinical Champion finalist and a 2026 British Asian Who’s Who Awards Professional of the Year finalist.
Andrew has worked through his entire nursing career in Head & Neck Cancer since qualifying.
He has worked at local, regional and national level, and has served as President of the British Association of Head & Neck Oncology Nurses (BAHNON) and currently serves as Conference Secretary. Andrew has presented papers at many local, national and international conferences. He teaches regularly at the University of Salford on the pre-registration and MSc nursing degrees.
Andrew believes in a healthy work/life balance and in his spare time he enjoys a busy family life, photography, and unaccompanied sacred music from the Renaissance.
Derek Lewthwaite is a passionate advocate for caregivers within the head and neck cancer community, drawing on his own deeply personal experience of supporting his wife following her diagnosis with mouth cancer in October 2018.
Derek spent much of his professional career working in sales and marketing, holding roles across a range of manufacturing and distribution businesses in the UK.
His life changed significantly when his wife was diagnosed with mouth cancer and he suddenly found himself navigating the complex world of head and neck cancer as a caregiver.
Sadly, Derek’s wife lost her battle with cancer in May 2019. Although their cancer journey was relatively short, it was filled with the emotional, practical and communication challenges that many caregivers experience while supporting someone through diagnosis, treatment and end-of-life care.
Those experiences motivated Derek to become a strong advocate for caregivers, using what he learned to help improve the recognition, communication and support given to families and caregivers throughout the head and neck cancer pathway.
James W. (J.W.) Snider, III, MD, is a radiation oncologist and Chief Medical Officer of Proton International and Partners in Healthcare Technology.
He has clinical and research expertise in head and neck cancer, proton therapy, and advanced radiation techniques.
He has served as a principal investigator in prospective proton therapy trials, including the MD Anderson randomized Phase III trial of proton versus photon therapy for oropharyngeal cancer.
His work focuses on translating emerging technologies and clinical evidence into practical strategies that improve treatment outcomes, reduce toxicity, and expand access to advanced radiation therapy.
Emma has many years’ experience in dental nursing and oral health care, having qualified from Manchester Dental School.
She was at one point the only Sponsored McMillian Oral Health practitioner working for the Pennine Trust and supported patients at all stages of their treatment of oral cancers.
Emma led nurse led clinics and was the DCP member of UKomic.
Her work has seen her present and write both nationally and internationally and allowed her to present at the Mouth Cancer Awareness event in Parliament.
Emma is also a clinical advisor for MCF.
She has throughout the pandemic worked closely with care homes and was proud to contribute to the COP26 event which put oral care for the older person under the spot light.
Emma is currently supporting The Christie NHS Foundation Trust with training around oral health working closely with the Quality and Standards team.
Toby Edwards-Lunn (BDS Hons, MFDS RCS Eng) is Principal Dentist and Clinical Lead at West Terrace Dental Practice in Eastbourne, part of the Portman Dentex group.
Qualifying from Guy’s Hospital in 2000, he undertook formative maxillofacial training at the Royal Sussex County Hospital and Eastbourne DGH, fostering a longstanding interest in head and neck disease.
With around 25 years’ clinical experience spanning restorative, implant and cosmetic dentistry, he is a committed advocate for early detection and the dental team’s central role in oral cancer screening.
He brings a practical, patient-centred perspective to chairing today’s Q&A discussion.
I am a Head & Neck Consultant Therapeutic Radiographer dedicated to delivering compassionate, patient-centred care for individuals undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment.
My role spans advanced clinical practice, leadership, service improvement, education, and research, with a focus on enhancing outcomes and experiences for patients with head and neck cancer.
My passion is supporting patients through treatment-related side effects and complex decision-making.
What motivates me most is the opportunity to make a meaningful difference during one of the most challenging periods in a person’s life, helping patients feel supported, informed, and in control throughout their cancer journey.
Ali Khurram is a consultant pathologist and Professor at the University of Sheffield, specialising in diagnosis of conditions affecting the mouth, head, and neck.
He is also the Dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Sheffield. His research focuses on diagnosing complex diseases and researching how digital tools and artificial intelligence can improve early cancer detection.
Dedicated to patient-centred care, he collaborates closely with clinical teams to ensure accurate diagnoses guide the best possible treatment decisions.
He is a Trustee of The Swallows and is passionate about improving diagnostic pathways and patient outcomes.
I’m Matt a tracheostomy specialist nurse from The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital supporting both paediatric and adult patients in the acute and community setting.
I support both laryngectomy and tracheostomy patients and families throughout their journey and I am passionate about providing education and spreading awareness within my role.
Within my role I have provided education and support to areas across the UK.
Emma Hallam is a national leader in cancer survivorship and late effects management.
In 2013, she established the award-winning Macmillan Nottingham Radiotherapy Late Effects Clinic, the first dedicated service of its kind in the UK, supporting patients with the long-term physical and psychological consequences of cancer treatment.
Clinically and academically, her work focuses on Radiation-Induced Fibrosis (RIF) and the development of innovative interventions, including Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy.
Through research, service innovation, education, and guideline development, Emma is committed to improving outcomes for cancer survivors and ensuring patients can live well beyond treatment and diagnosis.
I, together with my wife Jo (who had major surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy for cancer on the tongue in 2019), have coordinated the Lincolnshire Swallows group since 2021.
Over the intervening years we have also become involved in many of wider activities undertaken by The Swallows to support head and neck cancer patients.
I am honoured to currently be leading the campaign to ensure that NHS dentistry is available to all head and neck cancer survivors.
I also run the regular international football competitions to raise much needed funds for the charity.
Sean is a former National Clinical Director for Cancer with NHS England and is considered one of the world’s leading oncologists.
Previously the Programme Director for the Leeds Cancer Programme, Professor Duffy was also a Consultant Gynaecologist.
Professor Duffy supports PinPoint’s program of research to develop tools that will actually get deployed to help doctors make better, faster decisions whilst simultaneously improving the patient journey.
Sabina has over a decade of specialist experience in head and neck cancer, working across radiotherapy, proton beam therapy, and survivorship.
She leads the first UK therapeutic radiographer led head and neck late effects service, reshaping how long term care is delivered.
She consistently challenges the status quo, pushing the field to rethink traditional definitions of survivorship and embed personalised, equitable care.
Sabina’s work highlights the profound disparities faced by marginalised groups, ensuring that innovation in head and neck oncology is grounded in compassion, curiosity, and a commitment to meaningful change.
Trying to navigate life’s new path, post Throat Cancer. Treatment was exceptional, but post treatment has been the toughest battle I’ve ever encountered.
Wanting to champion the treatment & dialogue around the mental health scars that I’ve personally found so extremely difficult to manage.
Michael Heffernan is a Specialist Prosthodontist.
He graduated from Guy’s Hospital, London, and completed his Master’s in Prosthodontics at the University of Iowa, where his research won the John J. Sharry Research Prize from the American College of Prosthodontists.
He was awarded an implant fellowship at the University of Florida before returning to clinical practice in the UK.
Michael has lectured internationally on implant dentistry and co-founded Dr Heff’s Remarkables, a dental supplement.
His interest is optimising oral health including oral microbiome and hyposalivation, spreading the message of preventive dentistry.
I work for SpeakUnique, an AI healthcare technology start-up which has the aim of providing personalised synthetic voices to people who use communication aids.
I co-founded SpeakUnique from initial concept to spin out company after managing the Voice Bank research project through the University of Edinburgh.
I support patients with a wide range of conditions such as motor neurone disease, head and neck cancer, cerebral palsy, ataxia, and apraxia to determine whether our services are suitable, and support them to access our service.
I work collaboratively with healthcare professionals, running monthly training webinars, and maintain strong relationships with charities to offer funding and support to people to access our services.
I am passionate about assistive technology and in particular AAC.
Hazel qualified as a dietitian in 2014 from Hertfordshire University, driven by a passion for food and supporting people to optimise their health through nutrition.
She began her career at Nottingham University Hospital Trust, where she spent 10 years specialising in oncology, with a particular focus on head and neck cancer.
She now works at The Royal Marsden Hospital, where she supports people with head and neck cancer to optimise their nutrition and quality of life before, during and after treatment.
Alongside her clinical role, she is a member of the working group developing the Best Practice Guidelines for the Management of Late Effects Following Head and Neck Radiotherapy and is leading the development of a late effects nutrition service at The Royal Marsden Hospital.
Dr. Sumira Riaz is a Chartered Psychologist and Registered Health Psychologist.
She specialises in patient engagement and behavioural science.
She brings over a decade of experience translating psychological insights into strategic healthcare solutions.
Dr. Riaz leads initiatives that drive meaningful patient outcomes through evidence-based, human-centered approaches.
Dr Riaz has worked in the NHS for 5 years as a psychologist, working directly across psychological health
Hi I’m 53, love my garden, love my job as an NHS children’s nurse coming up to 30 years service.
I am a partner, and I am a father of two boys, Matthew age 26 and James 24 who I love dearly and want very much to be around a long time for.
I am a person who loves to laugh, and enjoy life. Life was good.
August 2019 I was diagnosed with supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.
Over a 5 year span I had numerous surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, August 2024 I underwent a total salvage laryngectomy.
After surviving both redundancy from Big Pharma and a battle with tongue cancer, life took an unexpected but rewarding turn.
Honest feedback to his Clinical Nurse Specialist team helped inspire the creation of the Worcestershire Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Support Group.
When Covid reshaped support services and meetings moved online, he remained actively involved and now chairs The Swallows’ national online support sessions when needed.
As a key worker during the pandemic, he contributed to data used by the NHS and Government to inform lockdown decisions.
Today, as a part-time Director of Healthwatch Worcestershire and Clinical Trials Ambassador for The Swallows, he uses his lived experience to champion patient voice, improve care and increase access to life-changing research opportunities.
Alison is a Senior Macmillan Speech & Language Therapist, NIHR Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellow (University of Liverpool), and Certified Lymphoedema Therapist.
She specialises in head and neck Lymphoedema, dysphagia and late effects of radiation.
She is an Institute for Applied & Translational Technologies in Surgery Member and is working on a feasibility pilot study for acceptability of a tailored head and neck lymphoedema treatment.
Sha also has an amazing dog called Paul!
2021- Present, Vice President and Head of Salivary Gland Therapeutics, MeiraGTx (NASDAQ:MGTX).
MeiraGTx is a global gene therapy company with corporate headquarters in New York City, and primary manufacturing facilities in London and Shannon, Ireland.
MeiraGTx develops and manufacturers and develops gene therapy vectors in inherited retinal diseases (partnership with Janssen), central nervous system disorders and salivary gland dysfunction.
My role encompasses oversight of clinical drug development and research for the company’s lead candidate, AAV2-hAQP1, a gene therapy agent intended to treat radiation-induced xerostomia and Sjogren’s disease, as well as other undisclosed therapeutic candidates.
AAV2-hAQP1 completed a Phase 1 clinical trial in March 2023, and the company is currently dosing a Phase 2 in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Formerly 13 years at Allegheny Health Network, Drexel University College of Medicine, Pittsburgh Campus (Allegheny General Hospital).
Retired as full Professor, Drexel University CoM, in 2021.
BA in Chemistry/Bible – Cedarville University
PhD (Neuroscience) – University of Miami
Post-doctoral fellowship – University of Alabama at Birmingham
Dr Keval Chavda is an award-winning dentist in Derbyshire with a strong focus on patient care, education, and community impact.
He has built a respected social media presence (@kevthedentist) where he shares dental knowledge with thousands of followers and inspires patients to feel confident about their smiles.
Passionate about giving back, Keval supports his local football team and regularly leads community initiatives.
In 2024, following the loss of his father to cancer, he dedicated a £5,000 patient giveaway to honour his memory, helping five cancer patients access dental treatment that improved their quality of life.
Alongside his clinical work, Keval lectures nationally, mentors young dentists, and advocates for raising awareness around oral health and cancer.
His work combines clinical excellence with compassion, aiming to improve both smiles and lives.
Gemma is 32 years old and a devoted mum to her young children. In 2024, her life took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.
Following extensive surgery and radiotherapy, Gemma is now navigating the challenging path of recovery and adjustment.
The journey however doesn’t end when treatment does and for Gemma, the psychological impact of her experience has proven to be as significant as the physical changes she’s living with.
Gemma is supported by the Nottingham Late effects Service however her courage and resilience in facing these challenges head-on are truly inspiring.
Radiation Oncologist, Chief Medical Officer, Proton International, Partners in Healthcare Technology
J.W. Snider, M.D., is a Radiation Oncologist and the Chief Medical Officer for Proton International, LLC and Partners in Healthcare Technology, LLC.
He specializes in the management of patients with Head and Neck Cancers, Sarcomas, Prostate Cancer, and others.
Dr. Snider’s research and leadership focuses center on cutting edge technologies including Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy and Spatially Fractionated Radiotherapy.
Dr. Snider completed his Medical Training at Georgetown University School of Medicine; his residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center; and his Clinical/Research Proton Fellowship at the world-renowned Paul Scherrer Institute Center for Proton Therapy in Switzerland.
Dr. Snider has led the Proton International Consortium of centers since its inception.
He has given numerous national/international talks and published widely in peer-reviewed journals, especially regarding Proton Therapy.
Dr. Snider was also an institutional Primary Investigator for the Phase III randomized trial comparing IMRT and Proton Therapy for oropharyngeal cancer.
ENT and Head and Neck Trained in Edinburgh Scotland supplemented by head and neck fellowship in Melbourne.
Further robotic head and neck training in Michigan, USA. Providing head and neck treatment including robotic surgery at NGH
Laura completed her PhD 2024 titled: Enabling coping in people living with cancer and severe mental illness.
This research explored how individuals with severe mental illness perceived their needs when diagnosed with and treated for cancer.
Laura is a Professional Officer at the Society and College of Radiographers and a Health Services Research Fellow at York St John University.
She previously held academic, research and strategic roles including leading health research at a Think Tank, delivering projects that addressed key healthcare challenges and shaped health policy through research informed insights.
Laura’s academic experience includes a role as Associate Professor, where she combined teaching in Allied Health Professions with research, business development, and civic engagement activities.
Laura has also worked with Public Health England, Cancer Research UK, and Sheffield Hallam University.
Laura will be speaking at this event to share her experiences of cancer in her personal circumstances, with a professional background in the field.
Dr. Sam Whitehouse is the CEO of LightOx, a company working to make cancer treatment safer and more effective.
LightOx is developing new medicines that use light to target and treat mouth cancers, helping patients avoid the harsh side effects of traditional therapies.
With a background in chemistry and a passion for turning science into real-world solutions, Dr. Whitehouse leads a team focused on improving lives through innovation.
He believes that everyone deserves access to treatments that are not only powerful but also gentle and precise.
Through LightOx, he’s helping bring hope to people affected by oral cancer, offering new ways to treat the disease with less pain and more care.
Mr. Rohan Bidaye is a highly accomplished Consultant ENT Surgeon with expertise in Laryngology and Head & Neck Surgery.
With an impressive background encompassing prestigious institutions in the UK, the US, and India.
He is currently associated with the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire at Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital for his NHS work.
His exceptional skills shine in Voice, Airway, and Thyroid surgeries.
Professor and Head of the Pathology department, and Consultant Pathologist at Antwerp University Hospital / University of Antwerp (Belgium), where she mainly focuses on Head and Neck pathology and Dermatopathology.
Within Head and Neck pathology, she works intensively on improving surgical-pathological communication and correlation of information for better diagnosis, surgical results and patient outcome.
She is a clinical pathologist-PI within a multidisciplinary research group including the Departments of Pathology, ENT and Head and Neck surgery, Maxillofacial and Head and Neck surgery, Dermatology. She furthermore coordinates close collaboration with other academic Head and Neck centers and affiliated non-academic institutes, to facilitate design and execution of large multi-center studies.
Her Ph.D – thesis focused on clinical application of Raman spectroscopy. Her department of Pathology has an open door policy for developments in photonics and optical spectroscopies and is a bridge between clinical practice and Photonics, to enable improved diagnosis and treatment of different diseases.
Research is translational with focus on medical applications of Photonics in general, and in particular applications of Raman spectroscopy-based tools in Head and Neck surgery (Raman-guided surgical resections facilitating safe surgical margins in oral cancer) and in characterisation of pre-neoplasia for its’s early diagnosis.
With over 30 years in the hospitality industry and a second career in telecommunications engineering, Paul brings a unique blend of service, precision, and resilience to everything he does.
Following his diagnosis and recovery from mouth cancer, Paul has now retired and turned his creativity and experience toward a new passion: chocolate.
As a chocolatier, he crafts soft-centred confections specifically designed for people with swallowing difficulties—offering both comfort and indulgence to those navigating similar challenges.
His work is a testament to recovery, adaptability, and the power of thoughtful design in food.
Paul now shares his journey to inspire others, demonstrating that life after cancer can be not only meaningful but deliciously rewarding.
Jane has worked across the NHS, the Local Authority and academic sector for nearly 30 years and has held a number of senior leadership roles in that time.
This has included working as a Consultant in Public Health in the NHS and Local Authority settings, and as an Associate Professor of Public Health at Leicester Medical School.
She is currently Director of Public Health, Communities and Leisure at North Northamptonshire Council and an Honorary Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Nottingham.
Professor and Head of the Pathology department, and Consultant Pathologist at Antwerp University Hospital / University of Antwerp (Belgium), where she mainly focuses on Head and Neck pathology and Dermatopathology.
Within Head and Neck pathology, she works intensively on improving surgical-pathological communication and correlation of information for better diagnosis, surgical results and patient outcome.
She is a clinical pathologist-PI within a multidisciplinary research group including the Departments of Pathology, ENT and Head and Neck surgery, Maxillofacial and Head and Neck surgery, Dermatology.
She furthermore coordinates close collaboration with other academic Head and Neck centre’s and affiliated non-academic institutes, to facilitate design and execution of large multi-center studies.
Her Ph.D – thesis focused on clinical application of Raman spectroscopy. Her department of Pathology has an open door policy for developments in photonics and optical spectroscopies and is a bridge between clinical practice and Photonics, to enable improved diagnosis and treatment of different diseases.
Research is translational with focus on medical applications of Photonics in general, and in particular applications of Raman spectroscopy-based tools in Head and Neck surgery (Raman-guided surgical resections facilitating safe surgical margins in oral cancer) and in characterisation of pre-neoplasia for its’s early diagnosis.
Sabina is a Macmillan Consultant Head and Neck Therapeutic Radiographer at UCLH, who has spent her career working in Radiotherapy, Proton Beam therapy and Acute Head and Neck Oncology.
A proud Allied Health Professional, she advocates for holistic treatment of patients and addressing their “un met needs” in their survivorship journey.
As of 2023, Sabina now specialises in the Late Effects of cancer treatment and runs the first solely Head and Neck cancer, radiographer led late effects clinic in England.
She is passionate about personalised care, health inequality, cancer survivorship and improving quality of life outcomes.
Age 69, retired managing Director of Engineering businesses.
Diagnosed with Cancer of the larynx in 2022 had radical radio therapy but cancer returned in June 2023.
Then had a partial laryngectomy in November 2023. Most recent treatment was microlaryngoscopy and injection of renu in April 2025.
I work at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital as a specialist tracheostomy nurse.
I work across the acute setting and the community of Norfolk and Waveney providing support to both tracheostomy and laryngectomy patients.
Over the past 2 years I have aided in setting up a first of its kind community service for people with complex airways.
I have a passion for education and provide a lot of training to professionals and care givers throughout the region and have also presented at educational events throughout the UK.
John has delivered medical aid to orphanages and hospitals across the globe, including Romania during the revolution, across South America, Bosnia during the war and recently into Ukraine.
His novels are based on the characters he encountered during his perilous missions.
He has written three trilogies: The Rogues Trilogy; The Lochran Trilogy; and The Lenka Trilogy.
He has also written his autobiography, The Benevolence of Rogues, and a short, humorous play, The ‘Pane’ of Rejection, based on a fictitious interview between a wry author and an acerbic critic.
His latest novel, Death Sentence, a stand-alone novel to be published in December 2025. It’s lead protagonist, having received a cancer diagnosis, embarks on his final medical aid mission into Ukraine.
Churchill’s Rogue, the first in the Rogues trilogy, was shortlisted for the inaugural Wilbur Smith adventure writing awards. Heartbreak, the first in the Lenka trilogy, won the Page Turner Spectrum Award.
Born too many years ago in Scotland, Derek was diagnosed and treated in Nottingham for cancer of the larynx in 1995. He was the founder chair of the Cancer Forum working within cancer research.
He currently works as a strategic adviser for the Health Research Board, Trials Methodology Research Network in Ireland; is a member of CRUK and a Board Member of the UK Trials Registry – ISRCTN.
He enjoys reading, walking and the arts.
In 2013 Emma, developed and now leads the award winning Macmillan Nottingham Radiotherapy Late Effects Clinic. This bespoke service, the first if its kind within the UK helps patients with any physical or psychological late effects that patients experience as a consequence from their radiotherapy treatment.
Emma has a keen interest in the impact of radiation induced fibrosis and the development of novel treatments in managing this debilitating , life long condition.
Emma is also an associate lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University where she enjoys providing education around late effects and supportive care.
Offering a holistic personalised care approach, helping patients live well with and beyond cancer and providing education on late effects to both patients and health professionals is Emma’s key focus and area if interest.
Professor Daniel Kelly has held the Royal College of Nursing Chair of Nursing Research at Cardiff University since 2011.
For almost 40 years his career-long interest has been in cancer care research and education.
He worked clinically at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre and then taught for several years at the Royal Marsden Hospital/institute of Cancer Research before moving into academic roles.
Formerly President of the European Oncology Nursing Society (2015-17) he has co-chaired the ECO’s HPV Action Network since 2019 and is currently co-chairing the steering group of an EU co-funded HPV project ‘Protect Europe.’
He was awarded the OBE in the 2021 New Year Honours for his national and international contribution to research and education in cancer care.
He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing in 2016.
He is currently visiting professor at Edinburgh University, University College London & Oxford Brookes University.
He is the Lead Governor at Kings College London NHS Foundation Trust and is also a Trustee at St Christopher’s Hospice, where he chairs the Education, Policy and Research committee.
Austen SMITH has been a full-remit NHS-only Head & Neck Surgeon in South Yorkshire for 26 yrs as Consultant , having been trained in Wales, Manchester, Leeds, London and India.
His main areas of interest are oncological surgery and free tissue transfer reconstruction in the oral cavity face and neck, Laser Surgery and advanced post treatment correction. He has lectured extensively at regional, national and International levels and is a BAOMS Presidents Prize Winner for work on arterial flow in free flap reconstruction.
As a past Training Programme Director for E Midlands for OMFS in the 2000s his involvement in the training of surgeons started in the late 1980s and he has been a regular national Selector for candidate Trainees in his Specialty of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery for 2 decades, a member of the Specialist Advisory Committee of the Royal College of Surgeons, and a named and acknowledged contributor to the OMFS “Getting It Right First Time” national improvement initiative.
He rewrote the syllabus for the GMC covering superspecialist Training interface Group Fellowships – designed to take the best surgeon Trainees from ENT, Plastic Surgery and OMFS , and take them on to excellence in Head & Neck Surgical Oncology.
A past President of the British Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons (2021) he recently completed 3 yrs directing and Chairing the Interface Fellowship Committee of the Royal College of Surgeons of England – the Training of the best of our Head & Neck Surgeons for the United Kingdom’s National Health Service provision of Cancer care for Head & Neck patients.
Tongue cancer thriver, now food writer and published author.
Dizz is also an advocate for patients with
tongue cancer, or those with eating difficulties.
Not only is she working with several head and neck cancer
charities, but she is also on several patient panels for future changes in the head and neck cancer world
Ceri Robertson is the Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) for Head and Neck Oncology at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
She specialises in complex swallowing and communication assessment and rehabilitation for people with head and neck cancer, working closely with people, their families and the rest of the multidisciplinary team.
Ceri is a Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) Clinical Advisor for Head and Neck Cancer which involves contributing to national policy and guidance.
She was the Lead Author of the RCSLT Head and Neck Guidance, Laryngectomy Competency Framework and Laryngectomy Position Paper in 2023.
This involved collaboration with ‘The Swallows’ and other head and neck cancer patient groups to ensure the guidance and resources were relevant to service users.
She is a RCSLT Head and Neck Clinical Excellence Network committee member which includes organising national training days for SLTs working with head and neck cancer.
She is involved in national SLT head and neck cancer research and clinical trials, including participating in the National Institute for Health and Care (NIHR) Research Associate Principal Investigator scheme and NIHR research internship.
She trains other speech and language therapists to develop their skills in working with people with head and neck cancer.
She teaches qualified SLTs and students about laryngectomy and swallowing anatomy and physiology at The University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University and Imperial College, London.
She was involved in an NHS England patient collaborative project and development of the Sheffield Head and Neck Cancer app, and cares about improving services, rehabilitation and access to information for people who have had a head and neck cancer diagnosis.
Mr Ricardo Mohammed-Ali is a Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon based at The Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. His area of interest is facial reconstructive surgery and he is one of the leading experts in the UK providing treatment for facial nerve injuries that includes nerve repair, nerve grafting, dynamic and static reconstructive procedures, and the use of botulinum toxin to treat facial asymmetry, synkinesis and eye spasms.
Following the completion of his higher specialist surgical training, Mr Mohammed-Ali completed a Fellowship in Reconstructive Cosmetic Surgery. He is a member of the Joint Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery Team that treats patients with facial weakness and deformity after trauma, Bell’s Palsy, cancer surgery or strokes. He is also part of the multi-disciplinary team that treats patients with facial deformity.
Mr Mohmmed-Ali’s area of research interest is in using technology to improve the movement of the paralysed face.
Mike Morrissey joined the European Cancer Organisation as Chief Executive in 2019, having previously worked at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) as their Chief Operating Officer. He is also President of the European Society of Association Executives (ESAE), having been elected to the position in June 2021, and became Executive Director of the European Cancer Community Foundation in March 2023.
Mike has a respected track record in leading and re-energising international not-for-profit organisations in the health and other sectors. He has served in various leadership roles and brings with him over 20 years of experience in association management. Mike is recognised for developing and managing global collaborations, as well as for supporting strategic leadership and operational implementation.
Prior to joining the ESC in 2016, Mike was Executive Vice President & Chief Global Officer at the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) and Managing Director of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA). Mike’s early career was as one of the leading tennis officials in the world when he worked for the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and umpired many finals at Grand Slam and Davis Cup events.
Mike is a British and Irish citizen and in 2019, set up his own management company ‘Morrissey Global Management’ based in Cannes, to provide his services as CEO of the European Cancer Organisation, as well as to advise and support other international organisations.
My professional background is 27 years working a RGN in Neurosurgery, here in Sheffield. From 2020 to present day I have worked in General Practice.
However, I am here at the conference to talk to you about my Daughter Molly.
Molly died in February 2024 aged 27 due to an Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of her lacrimal gland.
She died 13 months after diagnosis and there are some elements of her care that I hope we can all learn from.
I graduated in 2007 with a BSc (Hons) degree in Speech and Language Therapy. Since qualifying I have always had a passion for working with people with Head and Neck Cancer and their caregivers.
I have been the clinical lead for the Head and Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapy service at Torbay Hospital in South Devon since 2018.
My role is to provide assessment and rehabilitation of communication and/ or swallowing difficulties associated with head and neck cancers and their treatment. I specialise in surgical voice restoration in laryngectomy rehabilitation and specialist instrumental swallow assessments including videofluoroscopy and fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES).
I am honoured to have taken part in a transatlantic collaboration with The Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Support Group and the head and neck cancer team at the Lowell General Hospital in Boston, USA. Our aim is to twin the two hospital trusts and continue to develop our overseas partnerships.
I am proud to support The Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Support Group in Torbay and have recently been given the honour of patron for which I am truly grateful and humbled.
Dan Lambert is Interim Dean of the School of Clinical Dentistry, the University of Sheffield.
For nearly 20 years he has been researching the impact of the cells surrounding tumours on the behaviour of head and neck cancers.
He is particularly interested in a type of cell called a fibroblast; while long thought of as a harmless part of the structure of tissues, it is now clear that these cells can help cancers grow, become resistant to therapy and avoid attack by the immune system.
He has worked with many talented junior researchers over these years to make discoveries about what happens to fibroblasts to make them ‘noisy neighbours’, and how this might identify new ways to treat and diagnose head and neck cancer.
Otolaryngologist/Head and Neck Cancer Surgeon
Medical Director of the Lowell General Hospital Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Center
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Dr. Lauretano is a head and neck cancer surgeon in Greater Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
He completed his medical school training at Boston University at age 24 and his head and neck training at Harvard Medical School, completing residency in 1993.
He was on full-time staff at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Beth Israel Hospital in Boston from 1993 through 1996, remaining on the part-time staff from 1997-2001.
In 1997, he started practice at Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts, an urban area northwest of Boston with a high indigent and immigrant population. In 2006, he created the Lowell General Hospital Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Center, modelled after the clinic in which he served as a head and neck surgeon at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Dr. Lauretano performs robotic and reconstructive head and neck surgery as well as thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
He also performs vocal reconstructive and professional voice surgeries.
He has a keen interest in survivorship and quality of life initiatives for head and neck cancer patients and their carers.
Dr. Lauretano teaches at Harvard Medical School, Tufts Medical School, and the Boston University School of Medicine, as well as teaching students from University of Vermont School of Medicine and New England College of Medicine.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Lauretano is a professional guitar player and also has his United States National Soccer (football) coaching license.
BSc MSc PGCertNMP
Emma, a Macmillan Consultant Therapeutic Radiographer at The Nottingham Radiotherapy Centre developed and now leads the award winning Macmillan Nottingham Radiotherapy Late Effects Clinic. This bespoke service, the first of its kind within the UK helps patients with any physical or psychological late effect that patients may have as a consequence from their treatment.
The service includes prospective follow up of head and neck radiotherapy patients using patient reported outcome measures and digital technology and it is here where Emma helps to provide rehabilitation, identify early lymphoedema and other late effects with the intention of providing help and support before these consequences have a negative impact on the patient’s quality of life.
Emma is an Associate Lecturer at Sheffield University providing education and expert clinical guidance on late effects, personalised care and living with and beyond cancer.
For the past two years, Emma has been successfully using Photobiomodualtion therapy to help reduce the late effects from radiotherapy and is applying for funding to research this area further.
Offering a holistic approach, helping patients live well with and beyond cancer and education on late effects to both patients and health professionals is Emma’s key focus and area of interest.
Sarah has a background as a project manager specialising in marketing and events worldwide.
Sarah’s experience with Head & Neck cancer began at the end of 2017 when her husband Ben was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer located in his left tonsil, roof of mouth and lymph node. At the time he was only given a 50% chance of survival but thankfully, following treatment of radio and chemotherapy, and with his incredible determination and zest for life, Ben smashed these odds.
She lives in a quiet rural village where she also a trustee for a dog rescue charity raising awareness and much needed funds. Her “home” time is split between looking after her two crazy dogs and even crazier husband.
The opportunity to try and reduce the likelihood of other patients and caregivers experiencing the same challenges with getting the initial appointments, and information throughout treatment, is why she has great pleasure in supporting the Swallows
Having suffered with a sore throat and squeaky voice for 6 months, was diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer in August 2018 and was prescribed 30 radiotherapy sessions.
Following radiotherapy I began to exercise in order to help with recovery – I entered and completed a Duathlon and a 10k race, unfortunately I began getting breathless and suffering severe earache. In the June I was re-diagnosed and told a total laryngectomy with a radical neck dissection was required.
Post surgery I began to run and cycle to get fit and assist with my recovery and three months after the operation I ran the Cardiff half marathon, followed by a 50k ultra 3 months later.
Then came Covid and I started getting interested in bigger challenges 100k ultra and Duathlons, I then heard about the special snorkel provided by Clare at the The Royal Devon – then came my interest in becoming the first Laryngectomee to complete a triathlon(swim 400mtrs; cycle 12 miles; run 5km) and half Ironman( swim 1.2 miles; cycle 50 miles and run 13 miles), I have now completed 3 triathlons and a half Ironman( although didn’t quite finish due to hypothermia)
Civilian Consultant in OMFS – The British Army
Honorary Chief Executive – Saving Faces-The Facial Surgery Research Foundation
Director – The National Facial, Oral and Oculoplastic Research Centre (NFORC)
Honorary Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon – Barts Health
Professor Iain Hutchison treated patients with diseases, deformity and injuries affecting the most socially important part of our bodies – the face.
He funded the Saving Faces art project which has toured the world demystifying facial surgery for the general public and participated in many programmes about facial surgery including a TED talk entitled “Saving Faces
He founded the surgical research charity Saving Faces 24 years ago which leads international multi-centre clinical trials improving the prevention of and treatment for facial disease and injury.
Just one of Saving Faces research projects was the first ever, and still the only, nationwide surgical prospective trial of any head and neck cancer. The trial (SEND) compared two standard treatments for early mouth cancer evaluating which had the highest cure rate. We found that both treatments were very successful in curing early mouth cancer without any need for chemotherapy or radiotherapy. However one method, taking out the neck glands as well as the cancer, cured 30% more patients. This means that every year 30,000 more patients worldwide are cured as a result of the SEND Study.
Since the results were published in 2019, all the world guidelines have changed to recommend the better of two good treatments and save the lives of 30,000 patients around the world every year. You can read the full paper here.
We succeeded where many other studies failed because of our collaboration between 68 UK surgeons treating 614 patients at 26 UK hospitals. This national collaboration is still the only nationwide multi-centre study comparing two different surgical treatments for any head and neck cancer. Our findings are applicable for all surgeons worldwide because of the large numbers of surgeons from different backgrounds who operated on the patients.
Saving Faces is now running a campaign to fund the Alan Rickman Professorship of Facial Surgery. Alan was a founding Patron of Saving Faces and when he launched their National Research Centre (NFORC) said “I believe Saving Faces next project is to appoint an outstanding surgical Professor”.
This campaign has two aims, firstly, the Professor’s research will improve the faces and lives of thousands of people worldwide. Secondly, keeping the name and voice of Alan alive, forever associating him with this Professor’s research and great advances in treating facial disorders. Millions of people loved Alan and miss him. We are giving them an opportunity to honour him.
Emma Riley
Title of Talk: Look, Listen and Observe for Mouth Cancer in the elderly
Emma has many years’ experience in dental nursing and oral health care, having qualified from Manchester Dental School.
She was at one point the only Sponsored McMillian Oral Health practitioner working for the Pennine Trust and supported patients at all stages of their treatment of oral cancers.
Emma led nurse led clinics and was the DCP member of UKOMIC.
Her work has seen her present and write both nationally and internationally and allowed her to present at the Mouth Cancer Awareness event in Parliament.
Emma is also a clinical advisor for MCF.
She has throughout the pandemic worked closely with care homes and was proud to contribute to the COP26 event which put oral care for the older person under the spot light.
Simon Erridge,
MBBS BSc (Hons)
Head of Research & Access, Sapphire Clinic
Panel Session Title: Alternative medicine
Title of Talk: Latest Research for the use of medical cannabis in cancer pain
Simon is a medical doctor, based in London, who leads on the conduct and development of research on medical cannabis at Sapphire Medical Clinics.
He combines this with a role at Imperial College London, where he also studies the effects of components from the cannabis plant on pancreatic cancer cells in pre-clinical models.
Dr Naomi Cole
MB BcH MRCP FRCR
Panel Session Title: Collaboration outcomes
Title of Talk: The Torbay 14-day pathway – Aiming to improve outcomes by working together and streamlining care
I did my Oncology training in South Wales, and became a consultant, treating Head and Neck and Skull base tumours, in 2013.
In 2017 we moved down to the South West and I started working in Torbay Hospital treating people with Head and Neck cancer and with lung SABR.
I work with a fantastic team in Torbay and we continually aim to provide great care for our patients.
Richard Andrews
Panel Session Title: Laryngectomy my voice
Title of Talk: Living with a Laryngectomy
Having suffered with a sore throat and squeaky voice for 6 months, was diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer in August 2018 and was prescribed 30 radiotherapy sessions.
Following radiotherapy I began to exercise in order to help with recovery – I entered and completed a Duathlon and a 10k race, unfortunately I began getting breathless and suffering severe earache.
In the June I was re-diagnosed and told a total laryngectomy with a radical neck dissection was required.
Post surgery I began to run and cycle to get fit and assist with my recovery and three months after the operation I ran the Cardiff half marathon, followed by a 50k ultra 3 months later.
Then came Covid and I started getting interested in bigger challenges 100k ultra and Duathlons, I then heard about the special snorkel provided by Clare at the The Royal Devon – then came my interest in becoming the first Laryngectomee to complete a triathlon(swim 400mtrs; cycle 12 miles; run 5km) and half Ironman( swim 1.2 miles; cycle 50 miles and run 13 miles), I have now completed 3 triathlons and a half Ironman( although didn’t quite finish due to hypothermia)
Samantha Gregory
Macmillan Speech and Language Therapist
Title of Talk: Collaboration of Outcomes
I graduated in 2007 with a BSc (Hons) degree in Speech and Language Therapy. Since qualifying I have always had a passion for working with people with Head and Neck Cancer and their caregivers.
I have been the clinical lead for the Head and Neck Cancer Speech and Language Therapy service at Torbay Hospital in South Devon since 2018.
My role is to provide assessment and rehabilitation of communication and/ or swallowing difficulties associated with head and neck cancers and their treatment. I specialise in surgical voice restoration in laryngectomy rehabilitation and specialist instrumental swallow assessments including videofluoroscopy and fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES).
I am honoured to have taken part in a transatlantic collaboration with The Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Support Group and the head and neck cancer team at the Lowell General Hospital in Boston, USA. Our aim is to twin the two hospital trusts and continue to develop our overseas partnerships.
I am proud to support The Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Support Group in Torbay and have been recently been given the honour of patron for which I am truly grateful and humbled.
Fahida Rehman
Lead Head & Neck/Thyroid Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist
Title of Talk: Collaboration of Outcomes
Fahida is the Lead H&N Cancer Specialist Nurse at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, providing holistic care for cancer patients undergoing investigation and treatment throughout their entire patient pathway, maintaining a high standard of person-centred care through clinical expertise.
As a result of collaborative work with The Swallows Charity, she was instrumental in pioneering the region’s first patient-led support group in the South-West, as well as developing a partnership and direct linking with the Lowell General Hospital in Boston, USA. The aim being to twin and refine best practice for both head and neck cancer service departments; this successfully resulted in the continuing development of an equivalent role there.
She is also deeply honoured and humbled to accept the accolade becoming a charity patron, as it’s a privilege to support and champion the incredible work The Swallows does, and she is committed to making a positive impact on their mission. Together, they hope to continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those they serve.
She also has a passion for health inequalities, committed and dedicated to improving outcomes for patients who are most vulnerable to cancer and its associated health disparities; most recently reflected in being a member of the advisory panel for the Macmillan Torbay Equity Project, which aims bridge the gap in cancer care and promote equitable access to treatment.
Philip Reece, ENT/Head & Neck Consultant
MBBS, FRCS (ORL-HNS), BSc
After leaving school I studied medicine at University College London, qualifying in 1992, in the middle of which I undertook an intercalated BSc in Cellular pathology.
I was attracted to ENT Surgery while a medical student and my postgraduate training involved jobs at the Royal Marsden, Great Ormond Street, Royal Throat, Noise and Ear, St Mary’s and Addenbrookes Hospitals.
The bulk of my senior surgical training was at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford. At the end of my training I spent time in Tanzania and then a Fellowship in Head and Neck Surgery at the Royal Brisbane Hospital in Australia.
In 2007 I returned to the United Kingdom to take up my post as ENT/Head & Neck Consultant at Torbay Hospital in South Devon.
I have been active in training surgeons of the future as an Assigned Educational Supervisor for the Royal College of Surgeons, I am the South Devon “Ambassador” for the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) and the Head and Neck Cancer Lead for South Devon.
We were the first surgeons in the UK to perform Trans Oral Robotic Surgery (TORS) for cancer and today continue to innovate cancer treatment including laser and advanced airway surgery.
On a personal level my wife and I are raising four children and umpteen animals.
Vladimir Vondracek
Medical Physics
Panel Session Title: Head & Neck Cancers latest technology
Title of Talk:Benefit of protons for H&N treatment
Vladimír Vondráček, MSc. in theoretical physics at Charles University, Faculty of mathematics and physics, Prague in 1998
Professional accreditation in medical physics (medical physics expert) since 28th November 2001,
registration number 025-0081-9288
Accreditation as a radiation protection officer in field of radiotherapy and radiodiagnostics
Work record:
Medical physicist in Thomayer´s Memorial Hospital since 1997, since 2005 head of medical physics
department
Head of medical physics department in University hospital Na Bulovce, Institute of radiation
oncology, 2003-2012
Head of medical physics department in Proton therapy center in Prague since 2012, special
accreditation for radiation protection in proton therapy facility, accreditation for commissioning of
proton beam for clinical treatment
Project on collaboration with Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia, since 2004, in using
proton beams and/or hadron beams for treatment
Teacher at Institute for Postgradual Education in Medicine, 2006-2022, Faculty of medical physics.
Participation in research projects with Institute of Radiation Dosimetry, Czech Academy of Science
(RBE measurement of proton beam, LET measurement) and Czech Metrological Institute
(measurement of unwanted doses during radiation therapy)
Jon Organ
Panel Session Title: Laryngectomy my voice
Title of Talk: Stage 4 laryngeal cancer my journey
My name is Jon Organ I am 57 and I am a Laryngectomee.
I have been married to Nicky for 34 years and have 4 children and 11 grandchildren.
Up until November last year life was ticking along very nicely, and cares were few and far between.
I ran my own building company, as well as consulting on Health and Safety in the construction industry (i still do)
A two week rule visit to ENT at hospital after many months of a hoarse voice, found cancer of the voice box. Initially staged at 3, soon after stage 4.
The cancer had grown through the thyroid. An urgent total laryngectomy, plus removal of thyroid gland and 84 lymph nodes followed.
Shortly after 6 weeks of radiotherapy, at the Royal Marsden hospital London and two doses of chemotherapy.
I am now classed as NED, No evidence of disease at a recent PET scan.
During my short but intense journey, the one thing I have learnt is that people out there feel alone just as I did.
Nobody should feel alone, and everybody should be helped wherever they can.
If possible, I would like to help make a painful situation a little less painful.
Arthur M. Lauretano, MD, MS, FACS
Medical Director, Lowell General Hospital Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Center
Clinical instructor in otology and laryngology, Harvard Medical School
Assistant clinical professor in otolaryngology, Boston University School of Medicine
Board Certified – American Academy of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery
Board Certified – American Academy of Preventive Medicine
Title of Talk: Collaboration of Outcomes
Dr. Lauretano is a head and neck cancer surgical oncologist from Boston Massachusetts.
A graduate of the Boston University Six-year Accelerated Medical Program, he trained at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.
He was a full-time academic surgeon at Harvard Medical School, including the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and then moved his cancer practice to the urban area of Lowell, Massachusetts.
There he established the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Center, which sees patients from throughout the United States.
Arthur is a proud International Patron of the Swallows.
Alexandra Langstaff,
BSc, BNurs, Msc, NMP
Title of Talk: Photobiomodulation (PBM): Using light therapy for the prevention and treatment of radiation induced oral mucositis. Quality improvement for the patient, purse and planet!
Trained for BNurs Adult Nursing and MSc Specialist Practice Cancer at The University of Manchester.
Current ward manager for Head and Neck, Brachytherapy and Molecular Radiation at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. Holding previous roles within the same unit as a Registered nurse and Sister.
Symptom control and end of life care interest led to previous role as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Supportive and Palliative Care.
Attempting to regularly alleviate symptoms for a variety of disease groups, ongoing issues with patients experiencing severe mucositis as a result of head and neck radical radiation were noted leading to completion of research project during 2022.
Clinical innovation research completed on alleviation of radiation induced mucositis for head and neck patients via use of Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBM).
Green Team Award received January 2023 from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.
Strong passion for staff mental health and wellbeing – MSc research project focused on the impact of end of life care on nurses within the oncology setting.
Additional role of clinical supervisor held within current NHS trust.
Shyam Singam
MBBS, DLO, FRCSI (ENT)
Panel Session Title: Looking Beyond H&N Cancer
Title of Talk: The Role of Acupuncture in Post Radiotherapy Xerostomia
Undergraduate and ENT Postgraduate training (Coimbatore and Madras medical Colleges respectively) in India.
Then trained in the Republic of Ireland and got my ENT Fellowship. Subsequently, after a stint of free lancing around the UK, caught the Hogwart’s Express, to Torbay!
Special interests include BAHA, Obstructive Sleep Disordered Breathing, Coblation surgery and Acupuncture.
The Acupuncture Clinic for Post Radiotherapy Xerostomia, was set up back in 2003 (Julie Hewitt and I).
Outside of work, a little golf, gardening (includes hard labour in an allotment that churns out Rhubarb gin and Cherry vodka!) and cooking keeps me tied up!
Sarah Pearce
Director of Services and Operations, Fifth Sense
Panel Session Title: What we Eat “An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Title of Talk: A Fifth Sense Fruit Bowl: Health, Wellbeing and Safety
Having originally trained as a nurse, I later studied in my spare time to acquire the qualifications to study full time as an undergraduate Law student before going on to successfully complete a master’s degree in law.
I then commenced employment within the third sector, including setting up a citizens advocacy charity in Kent for people with learning disabilities and their families.
Following on from this I commenced working in various roles for physical and mental health charities. These were both large and small, established, and new.
My roles over the years have included national senior management, advocacy and writing policy documents for a government minister on advocacy for adults with learning disabilities.
I have worked for Fifth Sense, the smell and taste charity, for over a year and enjoying working in an area which, prior to joining the organisation, was something of which I had very little experience except with my late father when he had mouth cancer and lost his sense of taste.
Michael Caines MBE DL
Chef Owner Michael Caines Collection
Title of Talk: Michael Caines – The Art of Flavour
Michael Caines MBE, chef patron of Lympstone Manor, is known as one of Britain’s most celebrated and acclaimed Michelinstarred chefs.
Having grown up in the South West of England, Michael has earned a global reputation for his distinctive modern cuisine,
which champions the finest local produce and suppliers, combined with influences from his global travels.
After attending a local Catering College in Exeter Michael’s talent was evident and this was followed by three years at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons with Raymond Blanc. He then furthered his experience travelling to France to study under Bernard Loiseau and Joël Robuchon.
In 1994 Michael returned to the UK to take up the position of head chef at Gidleigh Park in his home county of Devon. It was at Gidleigh that Michael achieved two Michelin stars. Both of which he retained for 18 years and earned within just four After 21 years at Gidleigh, in April 2017 Michael struck out on his own, opening Lympstone Manor – the luxury 21- bedroom country house hotel in a Grade II Georgian mansion in East Devon.
Lympstone achieved its first Michelin star within six months of opening. The hotel now holds 5 AA Rosettes as of the AA Hospitality Awards 2020. Keen to keep Lympstone fresh, Michael has built a vineyard on site, overlooking the Exe estuary and featuring approximately 17,500 vines. Lympstone is also the home to motoring festival – Celebration of Speed- an annual event commemorating Michael’s love of all things motoring.
In 2006 Michael was awarded an MBE for contributions and services to the hospitality industry and made a Freeman of the City of Exeter for his work impassioning the hospitality industry in the local area. Michael also created the Michael Caines Academy at Exeter College – of which he is alumnus – as well as The Michael Caines Foundation which supports numerous charities including Families for Children, Farms for City Children, The Exeter Foundation, One for the Boys, WESC and Devon Wildlife Trust.
Firmly rooting himself in the South West, Michael’s other projects include The Cove Restaurant and Bar at Maenporth, The Harbourside Refuge in Porthleven and 2021 will welcome a fourth site, Mickeys Beach Bar and Restaurant on the Exmouth shoreside.
Michael is a familiar face on television, appearing regularly on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, Great British Menu and MasterChef and has authored a cookbook, Michael Caines at Home. He is an AA Chef’s Chef of the Year and has cooked at 10 Downing Street as well as being partner and ambassador for the Williams Formula 1 Motor Racing team, overseeing catering for the Grand Prix across the globe. Michael is also the co-founder of UK hotel chain, aBode and the Chef Representative of luxury hotel group, Relais & Chateaux, of which Lympstone is a proud member. More recently, Michael created a selection of all-natural flavours for premium US-based CBD soda brand, Isca.
www.michaelcaines.com
Media enquiries:
For further information please contact [email protected]
Professor Ali Khurram
Panel Session Title: Pathologists, the invisible companion in your cancer journey
Title of Talk: Digital technologies for head and neck cancer diagnosis
Ali Khurram is a Professor and Consultant Pathologist at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. He is passionate about raising the profile of Pathology as a specialty and raising awareness of head and neck cancers. He is a Patron for The Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Charity.
Professor Khurram has a number of local, regional and national leadership roles including Clinical lead for the local/regional Diagnostic Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Service, Secretary of the British Society for Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (BSOMP), Digital Advisor for the Pathological Society of Great Britain & Ireland and Deputy Chair of the NCRI’s Salivary Gland working group. He is also the Training Programme Director for the specialty in Yorkshire and was awarded the 2022 Golden Microscope Medal for his contribution to pathology training and education.
Professor Khurram is actively involved in research with numerous ongoing projects investigating head and neck cancer and pre-cancer as well as the use of Artificial Intelligence in diagnosis and prediction of prognosis.
You can find out more about him using the links below:
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dentalschool/our-people/academic-staff/syed-ali-khurram
Catherine Holborn
MSc; BSc (Hons); PGCert
Panel Session Title: Acute and Late Effects of Radiotherapy
Catherine is professionally registered as a Therapeutic Radiographer and worked clinically, within
Radiotherapy, between 1998 and 2003. In 2003, she joined Sheffield Hallam University as a senior lecturer within their Radiotherapy & Oncology team.
The majority of Catherine’s workload is in the post-registration/post-graduate setting, delivering education to qualified practitioners, from a range of professional backgrounds, working within the cancer setting. The focus of her education predominantly focuses on topics related to cancer survivorship and personalised cancer care.
She is passionate about using education to promote best practice in this field. She has a particular interest in strategies that help people to manage, and cope with, the long-term impact of cancer and its treatment. In 2022, Catherine also took on the role of
Training & Education Lead at Sheffield Hallam’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) where work is undertaken to develop innovations that help people to move and improve their quality of life.
Peter Cousens
Panel Session Title: Laryngectomy my voice
Title of Talk: Joining the club
I was born in South West London in 1946, attending Battersea County School.
I have spent most of my working life in the dairy industry. First in London managing a Distributive Retail Depot in Shepherds Bush, then after meeting Chris and moving to Devon in 1979, I worked for St Ivel/Daws dairy as a Territory Manager covering Devon and Cornwall.
I took early retirement in 2001. As I owned an old 1951 London Bus I decided to go part time bus driving which I did until I was made a member of this club in 2013.
I was diagnosed with Cancer of the Larynx November 2011 and was given laser and radiotherapy over the Christmas and New year 2011/12 but unfortunately the Cancer returned in July 2013 when I had a full laryngectomee.
Tommy Walsh
TV Presenter/DIY Expert
Title of Talk: My Personal Experience of Throat Cancer
Tommy is best known for his presenting role in Ground Force alongside Charlie and Alan. Educated at Parmiter’s School, then a grammar school in Bethnal Green, Walsh became a builder and first came to public attention after appearing in the BBC television gardening programme Ground Force. He stayed with the show for the rest of its run, from 1997 to 2005.
His hard landscaping and building knowledge and skills led him to go onto film Fix It Yourself” for Discovery Real Time in 2010 and his series, “Fix Your House for Free” made in 2009 for Discovery Real Time was another successful series. In 2007 Tommy and his team pushed their talent and dexterity right to the edge, going beyond anything he has previously attempted on TV, with the task of building a new home in 60 days for £60K. It was built in the most eco and cost-friendly manner as possible, with construction materials which take into account eco benefits, cost, availability and ease of use. Recently Tommy Walsh was back on our screens on BBC1 presenting “Cowboys & Angels”.
His book DIY Survival on publication made it into the UK’s bestsellers list and he subsequently published 4 project books; Kitchen DIY, Bathroom DIY, Outdoor DIY and Living Spaces DIY.
He presently lives in South Hackney, with his wife and three children and in addition to his television work runs his own building business.
Tommy had a small acting role in the film One. He is Patron of the “Stairway to Heaven Memorial Trust”, and is the subject of the song “Tommy Walsh’s Eco House” on the 2011 album 90 Bisodol (Crimond) by the band Half Man Half Biscuit. He has also appeared on Lily Savage’s Blankety Blank amongst other TV guest appearances
Miss Tamsin Longley
Senior Occupational Therapist, The Royal Marsden Hospital
Panel Session Title: Looking Beyond H&N Cancer
Title of Talk: Time to talk about cognition
Tamsin Longley is a Senior Occupational Therapist The Royal Marsden Hospital Foundation trust (RMH).
She works as a clinical member of the Occupational Therapy department and is also committed to quality improvement and patient-centred care.
In 2018, she was awarded the Churchill Fellowship in order to gain a better understanding into the research and therapeutic interventions available for individuals experiencing cancer related cognitive impairment (CRCI) following cancer and cancer treatment.
As a result Since 2021 and with support from the Royal Marsden cancer charity, Tamsin has now been running an adapted UK version of the ‘Emerging from the HazeTM’ programme for patient’s experiencing CRCI, initially built by Dr Arash Asher at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, with promising results so far.
Emma Kinloch,
Director, Salivary Gland Cancer UK
Title of Talk: Meeting the unmet needs for Salivary Gland Cancers in the UK and beyond
Emma Kinloch is the founder of Salivary Gland Cancer UK (SGC UK), a unique collaboration between a patient advocate and medical oncologist. SGC UK is focussed on building a network of those affected by, treating and researching rare salivary gland cancers in the UK and beyond, pushing forwards research and providing reliable information.
Internationally Emma represents salivary gland cancers as a Patient Advisor to the EURACAN rare head and neck cancer domain, a member of the International Rare Cancer Initiative (IRCI) and a Non-Executive Director of a US based Research Foundation.
In all these roles she is focussed on collaboration, co-production and ensuring the patient/public voice is fully integrated into research from strategy and priority setting, through delivery, to output, evaluation, and dissemination.
Emma studied Experimental Psychology at Corpus Christi Oxford, holds an MSc in Criminology and Masters in Organisational Psychology.
Michael J Passineau, PhD
Vice President and Head of Salivary Gland Therapeutics
MeiraGTx
Title of Talk: Results of a phase 1 open-label, dose escalation study of gene therapy with AAV2-hAQP1 as treatment for radiation‑induced xerostomia and parotid gland hypofunction
2021- Present, Vice President and Head of Salivary Gland Therapeutics, MeiraGTx (NASDAQ:MGTX). MeiraGTx is a global gene therapy company with corporate headquarters in New York City, and primary manufacturing facilities in London and Shannon, Ireland. MeiraGTx develops and manufacturers and develops gene therapy vectors in inherited retinal diseases (partnership with Janssen), central nervous system disorders and salivary gland dysfunction. My role encompasses oversight of clinical drug development and research for the company’s lead candidate, AAV2-hAQP1, a gene therapy agent intended to treat radiation-induced xerostomia and Sjogren’s disease, as well as other undisclosed therapeutic candidates. AAV2-hAQP1 completed a Phase 1 clinical trial in March 2023, and the company has begun dosing a Phase 2 trial in June, 2023.
Formerly 13 years at Allegheny Health Network, Drexel University College of Medicine, Pittsburgh Campus (Allegheny General Hospital). Retired as full Professor, Drexel University CoM, in 2021.
BA in Chemistry/Bible – Cedarville University
PhD (Neuroscience) – University of Miami
Post-doctoral fellowship – University of Alabama at Birmingham
2021- Present, Vice President and Head of Salivary Gland Therapeutics, MeiraGTx (NASDAQ:MGTX). MeiraGTx is a global gene therapy company with corporate headquarters in New York City, and primary manufacturing facilities in London and Shannon, Ireland. MeiraGTx develops and manufacturers and develops gene therapy vectors in inherited retinal diseases (partnership with Janssen), central nervous system disorders and salivary gland dysfunction. My role encompasses oversight of clinical drug development and research for the company’s lead candidate, AAV2-hAQP1, a gene therapy agent intended to treat radiation-induced xerostomia and Sjogren’s disease, as well as other undisclosed therapeutic candidates. AAV2-hAQP1 completed a Phase 1 clinical trial in March 2023, and the company has begun dosing a Phase 2 trial in June, 2023.
Formerly 13 years at Allegheny Health Network, Drexel University College of Medicine, Pittsburgh Campus (Allegheny General Hospital). Retired as full Professor, Drexel University CoM, in 2021.
BA in Chemistry/Bible – Cedarville University
PhD (Neuroscience) – University of Miami
Post-doctoral fellowship – University of Alabama at Birmingham
Sid Platt
Title of Talk: “Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs”
75 years young East Ender – former (un)civil servant, public sector Trade Union bureaucrat (Nalgo/Unison), Midlands TUC Chair, and Local authorities chief executive (West Midlands Local Government Association WMLGA).
My future careers are behind me as my work avoidance programme is proceeding well! (with the exception of my commitment to the Swallows cancer recovery groups).
Now living in Cornwall on grandparenting duties, boating, travelling and playing golf enthusiastically (and often referred to as “Lazarus” when I win)
Nicola Freeman
BSc (HONS) RADIOTHERAPY & ONCOLOGY, MSc ADVANCED CLINICAL PRACTICE RADIOTHERAPY & ONCOLOGY
Panel Session Title: Managing acute side effects of radiotherapy treatment
I qualified as a therapeutic radiographer in 2003, and progressed up to superintendent radiographer in 2015 incorporating H&N specialist duties as part of my role.
This involved supporting service users and their families throughout, and beyond their treatment journey providing specialist advice and care.
Throughout this time, I have acquired knowledge and skills to further my expertise and developed networking skills with the wider multidisciplinary team to ensure our service users receive the best possible holistic care appropriate to their individual needs.
In 2021 I completed my master’s degree, with my dissertation focussing on prehabillitation for HNCa, following a service user evaluation about their needs and the service provisions.
Following on from this, I was fortunate to be appointed to H&N consultant radiographer, and for the past year and a half I have been working to reduce the oncologist time, and improve efficiency of the pathway throughout our service.
I am passionate about enabling service users to optimise their health and well-being pre-, and during treatment, and highly motivated to facilitate a better quality of life post-treatment.
Richard Cave
Speech and Language Therapist
Panel Session Title: Head & Neck Cancers latest technology
Title of Talk: Using technology to be better understood when speech has changed
Richard Cave is a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) based in the UK, PhD candidate at UCL, national adviser to Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists for voice banking, Ambassador to the Mouth Cancer Foundation and recipient of the 2022 Allied Professional award from the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations.
Richard works with Google, providing specialist SLT consultancy to the Relate, Euphonia, Look to Speak, Activate projects.
He also works with the MND Association, providing training and practical support for voice banking and communication technology.
Prior to qualification as a SLT, he worked in the IT industry for 18 years.
Dr Paul Hankinson, BDS, BMedSci, MFDS RCPSG, PGCert MedEd
Panel Session Title:Pathologists, the invisible companion in your cancer journey
Title of Talk: Pathologists, with you from the first step of your journey
I am an academic clinical fellow in oral and maxillofacial pathology with research interests in discovering saliva tests for head and neck cancers and precancers.
I graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2017 before working in a general dental practice for one year followed by two years in an oral and maxillofacial (head and neck) surgery team. During that time, I assisted in theatre and managed patients with head and neck cancers on the ward and in clinics after discharge.
I am now in training in pathology, the specialists who look at patients tissue (for example from a biopsy) to diagnose head and neck diseases. I lead a clinical study recruiting patients to see if we can develop a saliva-based test for head and neck cancers and pre-cancers.
As well as my clinical and research roles I teach dental students, postgraduate dental/medical trainees and general dentists about head and neck cancer.
James Leinhardt
Title of Talk: The Goldilocks sleep conundrum
James Leinhardt, has a wealth of knowledge in night-time postural care and has designed class-one medical devices to manage the posture for clients suffering with complex neurological illness and injury.
He works with NHS trusts and social care throughout the UK and his nighttime system has reached clients as far as the Middle East and Australia.
Working with client groups such as catastrophic brain injury, MS, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke survivors, James feels a social obligation and strong sense of purpose to care and improve the lives of patients in medical difficulty and the wider public.
You can also find him public speaking and on the TV (most recently on Channel4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch) to spread the message of the importance of sleep posture, or on TikTok, where his sleep positioning tips have amassed a loyal following.
James also guest lectures at Universities across the UK and US and is a Honorary Lecturer at the School of Sport and Health Sciences within the University of Central Lancashire.
He is passionate about spreading the message of the importance of sleep posture as a clinical intervention to the next generations of nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
Emma Hallam, Macmillan Consultant Therapeutic Radiographer
Title of Talk: Acute & Late Effects of Radiotherapy Treatment
In 2013 Emma, a Macmillan Consultant Therapeutic Radiographer at The Nottingham Radiotherapy Centre developed and now leads the award winning Macmillan Nottingham Radiotherapy Late Effects Clinic. This bespoke service, the first if its kind within the UK helps patients with any physical or psychological late effects that patients may have as a consequence from their treatment.
In 2019 she developed the service further to include the follow up of head and neck radiotherapy patients using patient reported outcome measures and digital technology and it is here where Emma helps to provide rehabilitation, identify early lymphoedema and other late effects with the intention of providing help and support before these consequences have a negative impact on the patient’s quality of life.
Emma is also an Associate Lecturer at Sheffield University providing education and expert clinical guidance on personalised care and living with and beyond cancer
Offering a holistic approach, helping patients live well with and beyond cancer and education on late effects to both patients and health professionals is Emma’s key focus and area if interest.
Denise Rudgley,
Retired RGN, RHV, MSc in Public Health
Title of Talk: ‘Head and Neck Cancers Matter’
Qualified in 1975 from the Royal Air Force as a State Registered Nurse and went on to specialise in Intensive Care Nursing which I did for approximately 20 years around the UK and in the Middle East (Sultanate of Oman) where I was also Matron of a military hospital for head and spinal injuries. I was a practising Health Visitor for approximately 10 years, which included running a Health Visiting Service in the Middle East for 3 of those.
On return to the UK, I was professional lead/advisor to other agencies in respect of health and homeless issues and seconded to the UK Public Health Association for 1 year to co-ordinate the ‘Health Visiting Matters’ national project. After gaining my MSc in Public Health, I have been involved in a variety of research and evaluation projects, including a collaboration with Plymouth and Exeter Universities as a visiting lecturer for the Specialist Community Public Health Nurse Courses, and Southwest Public Health Trainee programme.
Alongside my working life I also been Mayor and Chair of our local Town Council.
Happily married to Andy who I met over the bonnet of a rally car which continued to fuel a lifelong love of motorsport.
Chris Lewis, CEO of Chris’s Cancer Community and COO of SimPal
Title of Talk: The unseen discrimination of cancer
Chris was a self-employed Business Consultant for many years until being diagnosed in 2007, with a stage IV Mantle Cell Lymphoma, with a 6-month prognosis.
He received a donor stem-cell transplant but was unable to work regularly afterwards, due to frequent bouts of differing GvHD. He decided to spend the rest of his life empowering people going through what he had experienced. Chris is now one of the most influential cancer patients in the world.
Having seen the many challenges for people living with cancer, Chris works with numerous global organisations to aid better collaboration in the sector. He runs his own very successful website (www.chris-cancercommunity.com) and his innovative charity, (www.yoursimpal.com) Enabling people in the UK affected by cancer, long term health issues, and poverty, to stay digitally connected for free.
Successful collaboration is key to this work, and Chris is a frequent keynote speaker and writer across the world. He also has a powerful presence on Twitter @christheeagle1
Dr. Eliska Rotnaglova, PhD
TITLE OF TALK: Head and neck cancer treatment in the PTC Prague
Eliška is working as an ENT consultant for head and neck cancer patients treated in Proton Therapy Centre in Prague.
She worked for many years at The Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of the 1st
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Faculty Hospital Motol in Prague. There she gained most of her experience with head and neck cancer patients.
At the clinic she also completed her postgradual degree focused on the role of HPV in oropharyngeal carcinogenesis
Her task at the conferrence is to give an overview of the care of head and neck cancer patients at Proton Therapy Centre in Prague.
Denise Hardy
TITLE OF TALK: Lymphoedema
With a background in palliative care, lymphoedema has been a focal point in my nursing career for the last 33 years.
Having set up numerous clinics within the NHS, I have more recently established Kendal Lymphology Centre (KLC) – an independent clinic, providing NHS care for 2 Health authorities.
We have seen over 4000 patients since it opened in 2005 and see patients suffering from all types of lymphoedema, lipoedema and children if necessary.
Receiving numerous awards over the years, the Chronic Oedema Nurse of the year award in 2019 was very special – as was the rating of “outstanding” following the recent Care Quality Commission inspection.
I have also written work for publication – the latest in conjunction with the Lymphoedema Support Network (LSN) entitled “Your Lymphoedema – taking back control”.
Providing training and education is also important to me locally, nationally, and internationally – Kenya particularly, educating Health Care Professionals to manage breast cancer related lymphoedema.
And with an interest in advancing the successful treatment of lymphoedema patients who have cancer, I have a particular interest in helping those associated with head and neck cancer which so often negatively impacts on patients’ quality of life.
More information about our service can be found on our website: www.kendal-lymphology.co.uk
Nahuel Villegas, CSO
PANEL SESSION: Discover the unknown
TITLE OF TALK: Identification of tailored anti-cancer treatments using patient’s specific avatars coupled with in vivo high-throughput drug screenings
Dr. Nahuel Villegas is Chief Scientific Officer at Vivan Therapeutics.
He obtained his PhD in Biological Sciences from University of La Plata (Argentina). Afterwards, he trained in embryonic stem cells and developmental biology at the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine (University of Edinburgh, UK), and later in cancer research at the Institute for Neuroscience (CSIC-University Miguel Hernandez, Spain).
He has broad expertise modelling human tumourigenic processes in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to study druggable conserved oncogenic targets.
His work bridges basic and translational science, combining cancer genetic analysis with in vivo high-throughput drug discovery strategies aimed to find novel pharmacological anti-cancer cocktails for personalised therapy.
Catherine Holborn
PANEL SESSION: Survivorship & Late Effects in Head & Neck Cancer
Catherine is professionally registered as a Therapeutic Radiographer and worked clinically, within Radiotherapy, between 1998 and 2003.
In 2003, she joined Sheffield Hallam University as a senior lecturer within their Radiotherapy & Oncology team.
The majority of Catherine’s workload is in the post-registration/ post-graduate setting, delivering education to qualified practitioners, from a range of professional backgrounds, working within the cancer setting.
The focus of her education predominantly focuses on topics related to cancer survivorship and personalised cancer care.
She is passionate about using education to promote best practice in this field.
She has a particular interest in strategies that help people to manage, and cope with, the long-term impact of cancer and its treatment.
In 2022, Catherine also took on the role of Training & Education Lead at Sheffield Hallam’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) where work is undertaken to develop innovations that help people to move and improve their quality of life.
Louise Rogerson
PANEL SESSION: Innovation “Pillow Talk”
Louise is a Chartered Physiotherapist who specialises in neurology with over 25 years clinical experience.
Louise now runs her own physiotherapy business working with people in their own homes to maximise recovery and maintain function in the face of progressive neurological diseases.
Louise has a particular interest in posture and the use of sleep posture to improve function and outcomes for her patients.
Louise worked as a commissioner within the NHS in Greater Manchester which included the development of cancer pathways at a system level.
During this time Louise developed an interest in the long-term effects of cancer and the impact on an individual and their families.
Louise is working as the Clinical Lead on the Sleep Posture Campaign seeking to develop a range of products and support materials to help people achieve a good posture in bed, investigate the potential for treating postural disorders through sleep positioning, and bring sleep posture management into standard healthcare pathways.
Sarah Sheard
PANEL SESSION: Caregivers Educating the Health Professional
Sarah has a background as a project manager specialising in marketing and events working across languages and borders.
Sarah’s experience with Head & Neck cancer began at the end of 2017 when her husband Ben was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer located in his left tonsil, roof of mouth and lymph node. At the time he was only given a 50% chance of survival but thankfully, following treatment of radio and chemotherapy, and with his incredible determination and zest for life, Ben smashed these odds and is now a proud Advocate for the Swallows.
She lives in a quiet rural village where she also a trustee for a dog rescue charity raising awareness and much needed funds. Her “home” time is split between looking after her two crazy dogs and even crazier husband.
“The opportunity to support The Swallows and reduce the likelihood of other patients and caregivers experiencing the same challenges we did with getting the initial appointments, and information throughout treatment, is why it gives me great pleasure to support this amazing charity”
Isabel Hill
PANEL SESSION: Caregivers Educating the Health Professional
Now retired – I worked in the education sector as a Primary School teacher in Scotland and then East London, and later as an Adult Literacy tutor. Also worked in the Civil Service.
I have been a caregiver for my husband since 2013. He is a Trustee of Swallows and I have recently been a member of The Swallows Caregiver Project group.
Derek Lewthwaite
PANEL SESSION: Caregivers Educating the Health Professional
Derek is 67 years old and retired, having spent most of his working life in sales and marketing roles for various manufacturing and distribution companies in the UK. His wife was diagnosed with mouth cancer in October 2018, and it was at that time he became aware of The Swallows Charity as well as the start of his journey as a carer.
It was a relatively short journey as his wife lost her battle against the cancer in May 2019, but it was packed with highs and lows and good and bad experiences of a typical head and neck cancer carer in the UK.
It is from those experiences that he decided to become an advocate for carers in an effort to try to improve both communication with and acceptance of head and neck cancer carers within the treatment system.
James Leinhardt
PANEL SESSION: Innovation “Pillow Talk”
TITLE OF TALK : A good night’s sleep: fact or fiction?
James Leinhardt is a Sleep Posture Expert, with a wealth of knowledge in nighttime positioning in healthcare.
James has designed class-one medical devices to manage the posture for clients suffering with complex neurological illness and injury.
Most recently, he developed a Conscious Patient Proning Kit and Guide, in partnership with the Intensive Care Unit at Lancs Teaching Hospital and University of Central Lancashire.
He works with NHS Trusts and local authorities, all the way through to professional sports clubs and large multinationals, in line with his mission to educate the world about the importance of sleep posture and giving people the tools to improve it.
Crystal Coe
PANEL SESSION: Laryngectomy “Hear My Voice”
Hi, I’m Crystal I am the University of Derby and Burton Hospital’s first ever Tracheostomy and Laryngectomy nurse.
I have a big passion for Head and Neck and have worked alongside patients with Head and Neck cancers for 10 years now.
I qualified in 2012 as a registered nurse started out on the Head and Neck ward, became ward sister in 2017 and in 2022 got the secondment post to set up a brand-new service to care for patients with a Tracheostomy or a Laryngectomy within the acute setting, with hopes to branch off into the community as this is where patient’s feel most vulnerable and alone.
I want to be the support system for not only my patient’s but their families/careers.
I have lots of plans for going into the future and can’t wait to develop a new service and ensure patient safety and experience is at the forefront.
Ben Sheard
PANEL SESSION: Laryngectomy “Hear My Voice”
Ben is a stage 4 cancer survivor and has been an advocate for the Swallows for several years.
Having worked for many years in IT, and more latterly Cyber Security,
Bens’ visits to the gym weren’t as frequent as they once were. However, using cancer as a force for good, he restarted at the gym to regain, strength, mental balance and general fitness and soon made such an impression he was invited to train and become part of the personal training team.
Taking this to the next level he is now a fully qualified fitness professional as well as a qualified massage therapist and helps people on their journey towards a healthier happier life and does this alongside the day job of Cyber Security.
Ben is no stranger to chairing these forums and is a regular at the Swallows Head & Neck Cancer Conference.
“I have known Chris since the early days of my cancer journey, and chance to help support this fantastic charity and the speakers is always an honour and a pleasure, however, never forget laughter is the best medicine and lets see where this goes.”- Ben Sheard
Lauren V Wood, MD
PANEL SESSION: New Drugs & Techniques in Head & Neck Cancer
TITLE OF TALK : VERSATILE-002: PDS0101 plus Pembrolizumab for Treatment of Recurrent/Metastatic HPV16 Positive HNSCC
Dr. Wood is an immunology expert with over 30 years research experience in the development of novel immune-based oncology and infectious disease vaccines and therapeutics.
She joined PDS Biotechnology as Chief Medical Officer in February 2019 and oversees clinical development of the novel, immune activating Versamuneâ and InfectimuneÔ technology platform for oncology and infectious disease indications, respectively.
Prior to joining PDS, Dr. Wood was most recently the Clinical Director of the Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute.
While there she oversaw the translational development of immune-based therapies for both cancer and HIV infection and was a co-inventor of two patented therapeutic cancer vaccines targeting the TARP and HER2 tumor antigens.
During her extensive tenure at the National Institutes of Health she conducted clinical research investigating antiretroviral, anti-infective, oncologic and immunomodulatory therapies in both adults and children.
Trained in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals with subspecialty training in Allergy and Immunology from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Wood received her M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine and B.A. in Biology from Oberlin College.
Pillow Talk
There are a million things that can ruin your sleep when you’re battling cancer: radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, a dry mouth, nerve damage, anxiety and/or pain.
Optimising your sleep posture is the simplest way to improve your sleep quality, giving your body the best chance of recovery and allowing you a decent night’s rest.
Learn how to significantly improve your sleep with simple and practical tips.
Chris Curtis, Swallows’ founder, says: “Not sleeping properly for over 10 years, it was fantastic to find Levitex. Now I sleep throughout the night, every night”.
Join this session to listen to more Pillow Talk.
Mike Nugent
PANEL SESSION: Discover the unknown
PANEL SESSION: Patient & Health Professionals in collaboration
I’ve been an Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon based at Sunderland Royal Hospital since 2013.
I am originally from Liverpool having moved to the Northeast in 2009.
I developed an interest in Head and Neck cancer while I was a trainee working at Sunderland and was delighted to be offered a job there at the end of my training.
Head and neck cancer treatments take a high toll on patients and their carers.
Head and neck cancer clinicians also face challenges.
There is quite rightly much focus on ways to avoid, reduce or mitigate some of the troublesome effects of head and neck cancer care.
In the Northeast we have made a number of contributions to this.
We hope we can follow in the footsteps of previous hosts, contributing to a conference which informs, inspires and engages.
Mike Nugent
I’ve been an Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon based at Sunderland Royal Hospital since 2013.
I am originally from Liverpool having moved to the Northeast in 2009.
I developed an interest in Head and Neck cancer while I was a trainee working at Sunderland and was delighted to be offered a job there at the end of my training.
Head and neck cancer treatments take a high toll on patients and their carers.
Head and neck cancer clinicians also face challenges.
There is quite rightly much focus on ways to avoid, reduce or mitigate some of the troublesome effects of head and neck cancer care.
In the Northeast we have made a number of contributions to this.
We hope we can follow in the footsteps of previous hosts, contributing to a conference which informs, inspires and engages.
Val Bryant
Val spent 37 years in education initially as a nursery schoolteacher and later as a deputy head teacher in a primary school. During this time, she took extra courses and qualifications, always looking to improve her own experience and that of her pupils.
Val had to take early retirement in 2010 after treatment for Head and Neck cancer left her with several difficulties such as swallowing, difficulty eating and speaking dry mouth and fatigue making teaching young children all but impossible.
After two years and feeling like she wanted a new challenge she took part in a study involving H&N cancer patients and their altered eating experience. This led to her attending a short course in qualitative analysis and working on more head and neck cancer studies in subsequent years. She is co-author on several papers and currently a co applicant on 4 more studies.
In 2017 she was presented with a Giving Voice award by the Countess of Wessex on behalf of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists for her work around dysphagia.
In 2020 she was invited to be a member of a newly formed PPI strategy group at the Policy Research Unit in Behavioural Science at Newcastle University.
She is a Research Champion at her local NHS foundation trust supporting the Research and Innovation team.
Val leads a small group of head and neck patients who like her are interested in improving future prospects for patients during and after their treatment. They have continued to meet online during the pandemic, when necessary, to support head and neck studies, giving the patient voice.
A mum of 3 and granny to 7 she enjoys going on long walks with her husband and their labradoodle. She likes to spend time with her grandchildren including the 3 who live in USA and also enjoys days out with her friends.
She feels very fortunate to have been able to replace the passion she had for teaching young children with a new passion for helping future head and neck patients.
Early detection tools in the fight against Head & Neck Cancer
This session will bring together innovation and latest blood testing to help with Early diagnoses, helping the NHS to achieve their goal of 75% of all Head & Neck Cancer being diagnosed at stage 1 or 2 by 2028
‘Laryngectomy ‘hear my voice’
Feedback we had last year was that we needed to bring in the voice of our Laryngectomy family and we have listened.
This year we have two great speakers, a survivor all the way from the USA and a nurse from the UK who will be talking about her new role and the benefit it brings to her patients.
Patient & Health Professionals in collaboration
Our Keynote speaker focuses on patient centred decision making, informed consent and functional outcomes after cancer treatment. His clinical work centres on developing safe processes of care, reducing inequality and developing the roles of Allied Healthcare Professionals and trainee surgeons.
Latest Research in Head & Neck Cancer
It is important that every year at the conference we look to showcase new research and this year is no exception.
Dr Linda McCabe-white will be talking about her work in head & neck cancer and the impact on the sexuality.
New Drugs & Techniques in Head & Neck Cancer
Dr Lauren V. Wood (USA), Dr. Wood joined PDS Biotech as Chief Medical Officer in February 2019.
She is responsible for clinical development of the novel, immune activating Versamune®platform-based product pipeline that address a broad spectrum of solid tumours, including PDS Bio’s lead clinical candidate PDS0101 targeting HPV-related cancers.
Dr Sam Whitehouse will be talking about light activated target therapies in the fight against Oral Cancer using a drug that is activated by a specific wavelength of light.
Caregivers Educating the Health Professional
The purpose of training and educating you the health professional is to ensure both individual understanding and a team approach with real life caregiver shared knowledge, issues, and thoughts towards the approach of dealing with a caregiver.
Quote
‘Housewife, partner, mother, family day before diagnoses then overnight on diagnoses needing to become a nurse, take on other roles as well as looking after his/herself.’ Caregiver
Survivorship & Late Effects in Head & Neck Cancer
Survivors may experience a mixture of strong feelings, including joy, concern, relief, guilt, fear, and a number of side effects that have an impact on Quality of Life.
In this session we will explore what side effects can have a long term impact to the patient and caregiver and how to deal with these.
Quote:
“Survivorship is not survivorship, without quality of life” Chris Curtis, H&N cancer survivor
Steve Cooper
PANEL SESSION: Laryngectomy “Hear My Voice”
I am a resident of the state of Maryland, USA. I’m married to my beautiful wife Robin, whom I met over 49 years ago.
I underwent a Total Laryngectomy in February 2019 and my Tracheoesophageal Voice Prosthesis (TEP) placement in September 2019.
I own, and manage a wholesale food brokerage business. I’m a current or former board member of; The Governor’s Board of Telecommunication Relay (Maryland), Lary’s Speakeasy Laryngectomee Cancer Support Group,
The Laryngectomee Club of Montgomery County Maryland,
The International Association of Laryngectomees, WebWhispers and I’m a mentor for Imerman Angels Cancer Support Group.
I was licensed in Real Estate, and held the National Association of Security Dealers Series 7, Series 63 and Series 65 securities licenses.
Because of the early help and ongoing mentoring that I received from many of the wonderful members of the Laryngectomee community, I have been instilled with a heartfelt desire to assist other Laryngectomees or family members in any way that I can.
I continually welcome the opportunity to meet with new patients, family members, Speech Pathologists and others, and to be a staunch advocate in the Laryngectomee community.
I have met with many new laryngectomees, pre or post operatively and always find it to be a very rewarding experience
Dr Ali Khurram
PANEL SESSION: Caregivers Educating the Health Professional
PANEL SESSION: Innovation “Pillow Talk”
Dr Ali Khurram is a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Pathologist at the University of Sheffield, UK and a patron of the Swallows.
He is the Clinical lead for his speciality in Sheffield and Training Programme Director for Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology for Yorkshire.
He also holds numerous National leadership roles including the Secretary of the British Society for Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and a Digital Advisor for the Pathological Society for Great Britain and Ireland.
In addition to his clinical work and expertise, he is an active academic and researcher working on multiple national and international multi-centre collaborative projects related to head and neck cancer.
Sam Whitehouse
PANEL SESSION: New Drug Techniques in Head & Neck Cancer
TITLE OF TALK : Early Treatment Pathways for Oral Epithelial Dysplasia
Sam is the CEO of LightOx Ltd who are developing light activated targeted therapies for oral cancer treatments.
The treatment can be applied topically to the area of interest and the drug is activated by using a specific wavelength of light similar to those used in dental fillings.
Sam is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a history of working in the medical technologies, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing.
Working across a range of industrial applications including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, and life sciences, he is also a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Iain Nixon
PANEL SESSION: Early Detection in the Fight Against Cancer
Iain is a head and neck surgeon in Edinburgh.
He trained in Glasgow and went on to complete training in Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital London and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York.
Since joining the team in Edinburgh, Iain has developed an interest in clinical trials and has opened a number of studies investigating outcomes from surgical treatment of head and neck cancer to prevention of dry mouth during radiotherapy and treatment of end stage disease.
Most recently, Iain has led a national trial of liquid biopsy for patients with head and neck cancer in an attempt to define the role of monitoring circulating DNA before during and after treatment of head and neck cancer.
David Hamilton
PANEL SESSION: Patient & Health Professionals in Collaboration
David is a consultant ENT, head, neck and thyroid surgeon at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.
His research focuses on patient centred decision making, informed consent and functional outcomes after cancer treatment.
His clinical work centres on developing safe processes of care, reducing inequality and developing the roles of Allied Healthcare Professionals and trainee surgeons.
He is currently setting up and running the MRC and NIHR funded Laryngeal Cancer Cohort (LARCH), which will open throughout the North of England.
LARCH collects routine tumour, patient and outcome data and uses this to analyse treatment effectiveness and outcome in cancer of the larynx.
Linda McCabe White
PANEL SESSION: Latest Research in Head & Neck Cancer
TITLE OF TALK : “This one is a bit of a taboo subject” A mixed methods investigation into the Impact of Head & Neck Cancer upon sexuality
I am a Clinical Psychologist working in the NHS.
For my doctoral research, I spent three years conducting research investigating the impact of Head and Neck Cancer upon sexuality.
I found this to be an incredibly rewarding experience.
I now work with children but am still passionate about sharing the results of my research with those who it affects the most.
Alex Fraser
PANEL SESSION: Discover the Unknown
TITLE OF TALK : Medical Cannabis in the UK
Alex was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2010 at 19 years old. Whilst few traditional therapies were helpful, he found relief for his symptoms in consuming cannabis.
In 2014 he joined other patient advocates to campaign for law change to allow prescribing of cannabis medicines.
He has featured on national TV and has taken delegations of patients to give testimony in parliament on numerous occasions.
In Nov 2018, on the back of patient-lead campaigns, the law was finally changed to enable access via private prescription.
After setting up his own consultancy, Alex was hired by Grow Pharma in February 2019.
He uses his expert knowledge of medical cannabis and patient experience to provide clinical education, improve patient services and develop Grow’s range of medicines.
In 2017 Alex underwent gastro-intestinal surgery, leading to remission of his Crohn’s Disease and life with a colostomy bag.
Now recovered, Alex works hard to ensure that the UK’s medical cannabis systems work for patients.
He is passionate about expanding awareness of this most misunderstood plant and its potential in healthcare and sites “wider access to cannabis medicines on the NHS” as a personal goal.
