Cancer charity unveils patient ‘buddies’ plan

By KATE FOSTER
Published on Sunday 19 February 2012 00:55

PATIENTS who have survived cancer will be trained to help other sufferers fighting the disease under a groundbreaking new scheme.

Volunteers who have battled cancer will advise patients on how to cope with the distressing effects of the disease and its gruelling treatments in the first project of its kind in Scotland.

The scheme will see dozens of cancer survivors – to be called Macmillan Supporters – go through formal training to support patients embarking on treatment.

In a pilot project, they will offer help with nutrition and diet, and eventually they will give guidance on going through chemotherapy and radiotherapy and claiming benefits.

The £500,000 project is funded by the cancer charity Macmillan, and a formal training course has been developed by Queen Margaret University (QMU) Edinburgh.

The first phase is about to begin in Glasgow and experts hope it will be extended across Scotland over the next few years.

Cancer remains one of the biggest killers in Scotland. One in three Scots will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, with 28,600 new cases a year.

The project is part of a general move in the NHS towards “self care”, which encourages patients to take more control and frees up funds and staff to concentrate on the sickest cases.

The person leading the project is Rosemary Richardson, professor of dietetics at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, and an honorary professor at the School of Health Sciences at QMU.

She said it offered patients the chance to speak to someone who had gone through similar problems in much the same way as patients chat to each other in the waiting rooms of outpatient clinics.

Richardson said: “Here at the Beatson we have a huge number of patients and half of them have problems with malnutrition.

“But we only have a small number of staff and they can’t keep up with it. Nutrition problems suffered by cancer patients include weight loss, which is very distressing and can create a lot of family tension.”

The initiative reflected a “cultural change” in the health service towards helping people help themselves, Richardson explained.

“So we began to look at this in a different light. This is formalising the kind of things that patients already do in the waiting rooms of outpatient clinics.”

She added: “Training people to become accredited Macmillan Supporters offers patients what we call supported self-management, leaving us to deal with the highest-risk patients.”

Under the scheme, patients are matched up with a volunteer from a similar background and with a similar type of cancer.

If the patient is not eating, the Macmillan Supporter can offer suggestions on what helped them to overcome the problem, such as such as trying smaller meals.

Volunteers are given around eight hours of training. The only criteria is that they must have gone through cancer treatment themselves.

Most of the contact is by phone and kept anonymous, though there can be personal contact if the patient and volunteer want it.

The aim is not for volunteers to give medical advice, but to share their own experiences in a way that will be helpful to the patients.

Alex Curran, a retired builder from Glasgow, is one volunteer who is looking forward to embarking on the project in the next few weeks.

Now a grandfather, he was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus and stomach in 2008 and has undergone two operations.

He said: “I thought this was a good idea because when I was going through my treatment I couldn’t really talk to someone who had gone through the same experience. I can’t give medical advice but I can help with practical problems.

“When I had my first operation I was in hospital for three months without eating anything and it was horrendous.

“A lot of people panic in these situations, so if you can sit and talk to someone who has been there, that can help.”

Alan Gow, the involvement co-ordinator for Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “A cancer diagnosis brings with it all kinds of questions and uncertainty.

“Being able turn to someone for guidance around everyday issues such as diet and lifestyle can help to reduce the sense of isolation and enable those patients who can, to have more control over their treatment.”

The move will be announced on Wednesday at a lecture by Richardson at QMU in Edinburgh.

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Charles Linskaill

Monday, February 20, 2012 at 01:29 AM

Better the case to have the help of the public who have suffered from cancer, than no help atall, It is an utter disgrace we have to use these methods, when we have so called "professional counseling serves" payed for by our NHS,

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Bonnie Lass

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 07:30 PM

#5 I was very interested in what you said about your wife being cured in this way which is amazing. When I first saw an oncologist after my surgeon had removed a 2 inch tumour he gave me a choice and time to consider whether I wanted the offered chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He told me about a lady who had decided to take the natural therapy course but who had later gone back to him for the medical treatment. Given the circumstances at the time, I have to say that I took the chemo and radiotherapy as I was not brave enough to hold out any longer and was grateful to take the next steps. I did come through and am now in remission. A buddy would have been very welcome at the time.

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FTH22inarow

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 04:57 PM

5 Dangerous, I'd rather trust the medical profession than medieval supernatural mumbo jumbo thanks.

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Laz

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 04:23 PM

A good move by Macmillan. For men with prostate cancer in Edinburgh this has been happening for a while in an informal way. Check out www.elprostatecancersupport.co.uk

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6

antiparasite

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 03:54 PM

5.. Your right about Gerson and food.... " What if cannabis cured cancer" is also worth watching.

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5

Robert12345

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 03:18 PM

My wife had cancer of the Liver a 18 months ago. After being told it did not look good because it was in with all the tubes and that she should take the sleeping pills on offer to her because she was going to need them. After seeing the two and a half inch tumour on the Dr's computer screen, we have now had the final MRI scan which has confirmed that the tumour has gone and is now only scar tissue. This has bee done totally by Prayer and nutrition. You need to get a book called 'why We Are Still Dying To Know the Truth about Cancer' by Philip Day of Credence Publications. Veiw the DVD 'Food Matters' to see what is happening to our nation of fast foods and processded dead food. My wife no longer has cancer and I do not have to prove anything to anyone, Tap in Gerson therapy into Utube or Philip Day into Utube to discern for yourself. You can stack the odds well in your favour if you have an understanding of what cancer actually is and then wreck the environment in which it flourishes, nutritionally. God bless you, Robert

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Bonnie Lass

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:24 AM

This is a great move forward. While one perhaps has a lot of support from family and friends there is a huge need to communicate with someone who has had personal experience of cancer and its treatments. The biggest need is for reassurance that you are going to survive and speaking to someone who has is the best way to give this. I think this is a great idea.

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rens01

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:19 AM

this is a great idea. my daughter has breast cancer and we went through a terrible time the last 2 years. had to go to glasgow for all her under wear which was a long journey, no one tells you edinburgh has very little shops that cater for this, all the main st ores said there head store caters but guess where they are glasgow. so to be able to speak to someone would have been a god send. Good luck in your conquest thankyou rena

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Maggie B

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:07 AM

Having lost several family members to cancer, I feel heartened by the new cancer patient "Buddie" plan. Only people with a similar background can truly understand what a patient with any illness experiences - and fears. This is a brilliant idea and deserves the funding which has been allocated. Top marks to the Macmillan charity for embarking on this project and to Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, for developing the formal training course.

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keithlj

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 06:29 AM

A real buddy would be to go to www.apfn.com and see "Cure for Cancer" written by Duke Dr. William Mount or just Dr. Mount for the solution to cancer.

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