London 13th October 2007
An excellent day attended by 150 of these 120 patients, carers or relatives who listened attentively to a range of speakers.
Helen Clayson Medical Director at the Hospice of St Mary’s in Cumbria chaired the event. Mick Peake Lead clinician for lung cancer at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester spoke about improving services for mesothelioma and stated that it is now included in the British Thoracic Society and Dept of Health Cancer advisory groups following the first Action Mesothelioma Day Campaign. He went on to explain the need for more Specialist Multi Discipline Teams (SMDT) made up of specialist doctors, surgeons, oncologists, histopathologists Along with physiotherapists, occupational therapists,physchologists, dieticians and other health professionals. The target is for every hospital to have such a team by 2008. Patients should ask where their local SMBT is.
Jeremy Steele Consultant in Oncology at St Barts Chair of Mesothelioma UK provided details of the chemotherapy drug Alimta ( pemetrexed) and its benefits to many.John Edwards Consultant Thoracic Surgeon in Sheffield urged people to contact their primary care trusts and ask for funding for research into the disease as a matter of urgency.
Helen Clayson talked about minimising symptoms of mesothelioma and maximising life.
Tony Whitson from the Greater Manchester Asbestos Victims Group advised on Benefit rights and hoped every mesothelioma sufferer claimed Constant Attendance Allowance which is available to anyone who claims Industrial Injury Benefit.
Other speakers included Laurie Kanz Allan a world wide campaigner asbestos spoke of the global affect of asbestos, Pictures of asbestos factories, schools and houses with people unaware of the dangers were shocking to all.
Graham Sherlock Brown was diagnosed with mesothelioma 5years ago and following an extra pleural pneumonectomy ( lung removal) still remains well. His look on life is so positive he shared with us his use of PETAL:
P – Positive Thinking
E- Eating well and Exercising
T – Targets
A- Adapting to change
L- Living your Life
The day concluded with Natalie Doyle a nurse consultant at the Royal Marsden who spoke on the psychological and emotional well being following a mesothelioma diagnosis. Her quotation “People first cancer second” was a good way to end the day.
