Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust Cancer Care

26/11/2025

November is recognised as Men’s Health Awareness month.

This annual event is to highlight the challenges men face including mental health and cancer awareness.

〰️ Movember is a campaign you might be aware of which raises awareness for men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer, su***de prevention and mental health.

More information can be found on their website:
https://uk.movember.com/

The Cancer Support Team have put together the following resource leaflet to show local and national support services for prostate cancer:

24/11/2025

November is Gastric Cancer Awareness Month.

Gastric Cancer is also known as Stomach Cancer. Around 6,600 people are diagnosed in the UK each year. Gastric cancer is more common in men than women.

Early gastric (stomach) cancer symptoms can include:

💜 Heartburn or acid reflux
💜 Having problems swallowing
💜 Feeling or being sick
💜 Feeling full very quickly when eating

Other symptoms can include:

💜Loss of appetite or losing weight without meaning to
💜 A lump at the top of your tummy
💜 A pain at the top of your tummy
💜 Feeling tired or having no energy

More information can be found on the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stomach-cancer/symptoms/

If these symptoms change, worsen or do not feel usual for you or if they do not get better after three weeks, please visit your GP. 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️

The Cancer Support Team have put together the following resource leaflet for local and national support services:

19/11/2025

📣 November is Mouth Cancer Awareness Month.

Spotting mouth cancer early can give you a better chance of treating it. 😀👀

Symptoms to look out for are:

💙 A mouth ulcer in your mouth that lasts more than 3 weeks
💙 A red or white patch inside your mouth
💙 A lump insider your mouth or on your lip
💙 Pain inside your mouth
💙 Difficulty swallowing
💙 Difficulty speaking or a hoarse (croaky) voice
💙 A lump in your neck or throat
💙 Losing weight without meaning to

More information is available on the NHS website:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/mouth-cancer/symptoms/

If you have any symptoms, please visit your GP.

The Cancer Support Team have put together the following resource leaflet for local and national support services:

17/11/2025

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month with World Pancreatic Cancer Day on Thursday 20th November.

Pancreatic Cancer UK have the useful poster below to help spot symptoms. Other symptoms can affect your digestion, such as:

💜 Indigestion
💜 Diarrhoea or constipation, or other changes in your poo
💜 Pain at the top part of your tummy and your back. This may feel worse when you are eating or lying down and feel better when you lean forward
💜 Feeling bloated

If you have another condition such as irritable bowel syndrome, you may get these symptoms often and you may get used to them.
It is important to be checked by a GP if your symptoms change, get worse or do no feel normal for you. Finding these symptoms early can mean it’s easier to treat.

More information can be found about symptoms of pancreatic cancer can be found at:
https://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/information/signs-and-symptoms-of-pancreatic-cancer/

13/11/2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

11/11/2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

07/11/2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

05/11/2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

More information can be found at:

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

29/10/2025

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

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

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

Presenters will be:

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

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

22/10/2025

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

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

Symptoms can be like other conditions but can include:

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

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

More information is available on the NHS website:

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

16/10/2025

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

Symptoms can include:

💜 Hot flushes
💜 Weight gain
💜 Needing to p*e more often
💜 Vaginal dryness
💜 Aches and pains.

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

More information can be found on the Macmillan website:

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

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

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

14/10/2025

🎉 Tuesday 14th October is National Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) Day!

AHPs make up the third largest clinical workforce in health and care across England, and we’re proud to celebrate the amazing AHP team working here in Cancer Services at Salisbury Hospital. 💙

Our AHPs support people with cancer to improve their physical and mental wellbeing before, during, and after treatment. Here are a few of the team members:

💪 David (Outpatient) and Jenny (ward based)– Physiotherapists
Offers advice, strategies, and exercises to help manage daily tasks, improve fitness, and get back to the activities you love.

🧩 Emma – Occupational Therapist
Provides practical support to help you with symptoms from your cancer treatment and to help you stay independent in everyday life through personalised goal setting and equipment provision.

🏋️‍♂️ Carl – Exercise Instructor
Creates personalised exercise programmes to help you prepare for and recover from treatment.

🥗 Patrick & Heather – Dietitians
Provide expert nutrition advice and support to help you stay strong during treatment and beyond.

We also run a range of groups and activities, including our Wellbeing Group, Exercise Group, and Hydrotherapy sessions, plus lots of digital resources to support your nutrition, physical activity, and mental health.

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

🎟️ There’s also a FREE 12-session Leisure Pass available for use at any Wiltshire Council Leisure Centre!

For more information, head to the Salisbury Hospital website. 🌐