Head and Neck Cancer Support Group
Calvary Mater Newcastle’s Head and Neck Cancer Support Group was established in July 2010 as a means of providing further support to head and neck cancer patients in the Newcastle and Hunter area.
The group meets on the 4th Wednesday of every month and is facilitated by Allied Health Professionals working within this area, and provides both education and peer support.
Next Support Group
Dear Head and Neck Cancer Support Group attendees
Due to COVID-19, head and neck cancer patient support groups like ours across Australia are currently unable to meet face-to-face. This may leave people feeling disconnected and anxious. To help fill the gap, Beyond Five is hosting a free Head and Neck Cancer Webinar.
Beyond Five is an Australian organisation that provides education and support for head and neck cancer patients, their carers and health professionals working in the area. The webinar will bring together healthcare professionals from across Australia to present the latest information and advice about COVID-19 as well as topics of interest for people affected by head and neck cancer. The program includes two music therapists joining the webinar from Melbourne and Sydney to speak about the benefits of music therapy and share a live musical performance.
Details of the webinar:
Date: Friday 15 May 2020
Time: 1:00pm–2:45pm
Where: Online
Cost: Free
Host: Julie McCrossin AM, head and neck cancer survivor, broadcaster and Ambassador for Beyond Five, Targeting Cancer and TROG Cancer
To register:
- Go to http://www.eventbrite.com.au
- Type ‘Head and Neck Cancer webinar’ in the Search events tab (top left hand corner).
- Click on link to Beyond Five Head and Neck Cancer webinar.
- Click ‘Register’.
We will keep you updated about any further online events and when we are able to resume our normal group. In the meantime we hope you are staying safe and well and please feel free to contact us if you are having any issues we may be able to help with.
Kind regards,
Cathy, Laurie-Anne, Talisha and Noelle
Contact details:
Cathy Odelli (Dietitian) 40144776
Laurie-Anne Minslow (Speech Pathologist)
Talisha Varoxis (Dietitian) 40144776
Noelle Gallant (Social Worker) 40144806
The group runs for two hours every month. The first hour focuses on an invited speaker with relevant education/information, while the second hour is for more informal group socialising and facilitated group sharing.
The group is an ‘open’ group that allows a person to move in and out of it depending on their needs at the time. This ‘open’ group also allows for a cross section of experience across a person’s cancer journey – from diagnosis, treatment, recovery and long term survivorship.
To date, the group has heard from a variety of different speakers including: Radiation Oncologists, Medical Oncologists, Dentists, Audiologists, Psychologists, Dietitians, Physiotherapists, Speech Pathologists and Social Workers. The group has also participated in a variety of events, such as ‘Relay for Life’, and members have undertaken Head and Neck Cancer Awareness activities including the selling of head and neck badges, wrist bands and magnets.
The group is open to any person with a diagnosis of head and neck cancer and their carers/family.
