While Wellington gears up for the Rugby Sevens final on 4 Feb, here at the Cancer Society we’re also taking some time to promote World Cancer Day 4 Feb. World Cancer Day is an initiative of the UICC, an international non-government organisation working towards global cancer control. The UICC has developed a World Cancer Declaration which they invite the public and organisations to sign online at www.worldcancerday.org.

The Declaration is a tool to help bring cancer to the attention of government leaders and health policymakers in order to significantly reduce the global cancer burden by 2020.

The Declaration outlines 11 targets to be achieved by 2020 including: significantly reducing tobacco consumption, obesity and alcohol intake; universal vaccination programmes for hepatitis B and human papilloma virus (HPV) to prevent liver and cervical cancer; dramatic reductions in the emigration of health workers with specialist cancer training; universal availability of effective pain medication; and dispelling myths and misconceptions about cancer. UICC 2012

Overall the aims are to:

·         place cancer on the political agenda

·         improve cancer prevention and early detection

• enhance access to and treatment for cancer patients

At the Cancer Society we are involved in ongoing work which supports these aims with our range of support services, health promotion activities and funding cancer research

Coming up:

·         In Wellington watch out for Mates Paddle for Life. For this event a waka crew will paddle from Porirua to Wellington Harbour on 3 March with the aim of highlighting cancer prevention and early detection and in particular men’s health issues.

·         Our men’s health toolkit is being updated with the launch very soon of some new video clips of men’s stories www.getthetools.org.nz

Seek Support

Talking to someone about your feelings can reduce feelings of distress and isolation.Family and friends can be a good source of support.

If you need to talk to someone anonymously, the cancer nurses on our helpline can listen to your concerns and put you in touch with support services. Call 0800 CANCER (226 237)  to speak to a cancer nurse today.

Helpline Support

The Cancer Information Helpline, 0800 CANCER (226237) and email a nurse at info@cancersoc.org.nz, will be available at the following times over Christmas and the New Year:

Friday     23 December  Closed 

Saturday 24 December: Closed

Sunday   25 December: Closed

Monday   26 December: Closed

Tuesday  27 December: Closed

Wed/Thurs/Fri 28/29/30 December  9am - 5pm

Saturday      31 December  Closed

Sunday          1 January:  Closed

Monday         2 January : Closed

Tuesday        3 January : Closed

Wed/Thurs/Fri 4/5/6 January 9am- 5pm

Answering machine messages and emails will be checked on the days we return to the office. To have your call returned, please leave your name and phone number.

Other support services:

Lifeline (24hr/365 days per year) ph 0800 543354

Wishing you a festive season from Julie,Sue and Naena.

December 2011.

Men – get out the razors Movember is almost done for 2011. What a success this has been this year. We’ve seen some sporting heroes with magnificent moustaches – the entire Wellington Phoenix football team and the wonderful triumph of Kris Gemmell winning the 2011 Men’s Triathlon World Cup. Kris dedicated his win to everyone affected by cancer.

Movember is an international campaign and while fun (see the website http://nz.movember.com), has a serious message. Funds raised in New Zealand go to the Cancer Society and the Mental Health Foundation to support initiatives raising awareness and improving the health of NZ men.

The Cancer Society has received funding from Movember to help us get our men’s health virtual toolkit www.getthetools.org.nz , and our workplace men’s health programme CanWork off the ground.

Thanks to all the men who took part this year, and the women who supported you and endured the month and the mos!

Writing Your Way Through Cancer

I recently attended a wonderful workshop on writing therapy. I was amazed at how powerful the techniques we were taught were in encouraging reluctant writers and allowing the words to flow! An example is ‘moon writing’ (the mind ‘free-wheeling’  or  ‘stream of consciousness’ writing). Just pick a word, an image, a phrase or a topic and just start writing anything that comes to mind. Don’t lift the pen and don’t worry about grammar, accuracy or sense. Stop after a few minutes and review what you’ve written – look for significant words or themes. It may be a key to understanding more about what is going on for you at a more subconscious level.

We looked at sentence starters – “I will always remember..” or  “when I was little I wanted…”or “I’m not ready yet, but eventually I need to.. and so on – a good way to start to bring your ideas and words to life.

Many people have written about their experiences with cancer - we have several great books in our library – Phil Kerslake’s  Life, Happiness and Cancer,  It’s Not about the Bike by Lance Armstrong and others. We’ve just ordered Gwendoline Smith’s book Breast Support reviewed in a recent Listener. These books can be an excellent way of connecting with others through reading of their experience, often along the way validating how you may be feeling as a person with cancer. A personal favourite Writing My Way through Cancer by UK writer Myra Schneider has gone missing – I’ve just made a note to replace that book!

Journaling can be a good way to start your writing and has well-recognised as being therapeutic. There’s something about the power of naming how you’re feeling. Writing it down transfers jumbled thoughts and fears whirling around in your head, and releases them onto the page of your journal. Suddenly things may seem clearer and this may enable you to process and integrate difficult experiences.

Stephanie Dowrick’s Creative Journal Writing – the art and heart of reflection is a good guide to journaling (available in the Cancer Society Wellington library).

There are many outlets now for writing about your cancer without having to publish a book,  for example, we welcome your blogs and posts on CancerChatNZ www.cancernz.org.nz. We’d love to hear from you.

Julie Holt

Cancer Information Nurse

Look out for these exciting lectures happening in August ‘Beyond cancer - living longer, living better after treatment’ with the Cancer Society Wellington’s guest speaker Professor Bogda Koczwara from Adelaide. Professor Koczwara is a medical oncologist with special interests in breast cancer, cancer survivorship, supportive care and bioethics.

The dates and venues are as follows:

Blenheim - Tuesday 16 August 6.30pm - 8pm Wishart Room, Marlborough Civic Centre

Nelson  - Wed 17 August, 12 noon - 2pm, Suburban Club, Tahunanui Drive

Masterton - Thursday 18 August, 12.30pm - 2pm, Boddington Room, Masterton Club

Wellington Thursday 18 August 6pm - 7.30pm, Spectrum Theatre, cnr Johnston St and Customhouse Quay. 

There are approximately 30 million cancer survivors around the world today with numbers increasing each year thanks to earlier detection of cancer, better treatments and the aging population.

While many cancer survivors are well, it is estimated that almost 70% may have on-going symptoms and late effects after treatment that may affect their daily life.

As readers of this blog will know most cancer survivors have concerns about their cancer recurring and many experience effects on their family and relationships and sexuality. Many face an increased financial burden as a result of cancer treatment and changes to their employment. Others report difficulties they face when friends, their employer or colleagues expect they will be back to ‘normal’ as soon as treatment finishes.

There are many things that can be done to improve the health of cancer survivors and reduce risk of cancer returning. The strategies needed to achieve these do not include what we usually consider a “cancer treatment” but focus on lifestyle changes, exercise and diet and are thus often not considered as important as ‘medical’ treatment.

We urgently need more research into effective cancer rehabilitation services, and late effects of treatments.

As countries like US, UK, Canada, Australia and the European Union are developing strategies to manage this emerging challenge (effectively, the result of our success in treatment of cancer), the question is, what will NZ do?

Come along and hear Professor Koczwara speak if you can  - we will put her talk on our website soon after the lecture (we’ll put the link on the blog) so check this if you are unable to attend.

Julie, Cancer information Nurse.

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