In distress with head and neck cancer patients seven years ago I was treated for stage 4 throat cancer oropharyngeal it's called but it's in my throat tonsils in the back of my tongue and I was treated with radiation and chemo and I'm still here and this video on managing distress is one of a series of videos looking at Innovations in treatment for head and neck cancer patients to both improve survival but equally important the quality of life and these videos are hosted by Saint Vincent's Hospital Sydney and the Kinghorn cancer center and before we begin I'd like to acknowledge that we're broadcasting today on Aboriginal land and to acknowledge the radical people of the Eora nation the elders past and present and emerging leaders and also to acknowledge that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately affected by these sort of head and neck cancers that we're talking about today so

in just a moment you're going to hear just a little bit of the story of three very different head and neck cancer patients and then we'll meet clinicians three of whom are working daily with patients and families and one of whom is doing important research so welcome and thanks for joining us Rune Judaism from his neck cancer support the hotel Royal New Zealand again Julie has asked me to talk about Mental Health and hitting that cancer and I could go on about this for ages because I've had three bouts of head and neck cancer getting more disfigured and disabled its time but still here and I have boiled down my thoughts as a long-term patient on mental health issues and come up with three things I think are important for me as a patient...

In that sense just in a nutshell for someone who might be a new member of a clinical team and they're just beginning to work with head and neck cancer patients just in a nutshell why is it considered a rough treatment well I mean I I think both the the level of obvious disfigurement or potential for obvious disfigurement in the surgery is probably disproportionately high in head and neck cancer and I think also the changes in function both from surgery and from radiotherapy District disproportionately High they're just a lot of things going on in your head and there's a lot to be affected so eating breathing talking swallowing communicating there's just a lot that happens in there and and it's very hard to spare the remaining bits the non-cancerous B you know I visited your hospital...

welcome back to our second segment on Innovations in surgery for head and neck cancer patients this is part of a series looking at Innovations in treatment and Care to improve survival but equally important quality of life to reduce side effects you may have already heard our interview with ENT surgeon dr. Richard Gallaher and he's talked about the robot the trans are all robotic surgery well I'm now meeting another member of a multidisciplinary team working with head and neck cancer patients and she has worked as a nurse coordinator so let's meet her now Susie tell us what job you're doing right now can you introduce yourself and tell us your current job and then your history, particularly with head and neck my name is Susie Flynn...

Awesome and it's my pleasure to welcome you to this video on Innovations in radiation therapy for head and neck cancer patients it's one of a series of videos all about Innovations to improve quality of life and to improve survival and these videos are hosted by Saint Vincent's Hospital Sydney and the Kinghorn Cancer Center as I said my name is Julie and seven years ago I was treated for stage 4 oropharyngeal and that's cancer in my tonsils tongue and throat and that's an example of a head and neck cancer and I'm here today I was treated with radiation and chemo our purpose is to raise awareness about head and neck cancer and also to give you high-quality evidence-based information and I'd like to acknowledge that we're Broadcasting...

Awesome and it's my pleasure to welcome you to this video on Innovations in radiation therapy for head and neck cancer patients and it's one of a series of videos all about Innovations to improve quality of life and to improve survival and these videos are hosted by Saint Vincent's Hospital Sydney and the Kinghorn Cancer Center as I said my name is Julie and seven years ago I was treated for stage 4 oropharyngeal and that's a cancer in my tonsils tongue and throat and that's an example of a head and neck cancer and and I'm here today I was treated with radiation and chemo our purpose is to raise awareness about head and neck cancer and also to give you high quality evidence-based information and I'd like to acknowledge that we're Broadcasting sting to you today on Aboriginal land the land of the gadigal people of the eora nation and to pay my respects to Elders past and present and to emerging leaders and I want to acknowledge that Aboriginal people and some Torres Strait Islander a disproportionately affected by the head and neck cancers that we're talking about in this video so our focus is radiation therapy and I've got a radiation oncologist a dietitian and a speech pathologist and we'll tell you about what's the good news about what's improving our survival and lessening the side effects and also what's on the horizon hi I'm hands Eve from Camden South or soon 2011 and 2013 I had surgeries and extensive radiations to my track to all the surgeons oncologists and nurses to you I'm forever grateful and thank you for saving my life and making...

Showing them one of these things and then there are some very useful videos like on the targeting cancer website that you've done Julie to help educate patients so they aren't surprised when they turn up on day one what this is about and in a way what you're saying is that that mask which is made for each individual we all have our own personal mask is part of the price we pay for much more precise treatment and fewer side effects it's just part of what we have to manage and that you'll help us man that that's right and I think you know about the work being done by groups like image X you know that's the way we going we know already we've breast cancer patients we can now treat them without the tattoos they used to need to have to make sure they are in the right position but it is a very significant...