Taking Control of Cancer

In this episode, host Steve Bland and Femi Odewale, the MD of the North East London Cancer Alliance, take the pod on the road as they visit Maggie's Barts and explore the fantastic free support that is available for cancer patients to help them both prepare for, and recover from, their cancer treatment.
 
Guest speaker: Victoria Curran, Centre Head, Maggie's Barts
Victoria leads the team at the wonderful Maggie’s Barts service, which provides warm, friendly support for cancer patients in a calming and relaxed setting. She is passionate about helping cancer patients through their treatment and has worked with North East London Cancer Alliance on a prehab video to help explain the benefits to patients. The video is available here: https://youtu.be/sQEISRtfAiY
 
Victoria provides an overview of her role and the support that is available at Maggie’s. The episode covers a wider look at prehab and its three core elements of diet, physical exercise and mental health and wellbeing. It looks at the benefits to patients of prehab and how all cancer patients can access these vital services across north east London.

What is Taking Control of Cancer?

Welcome to Taking Control of Cancer, the podcast from the North East London Cancer Alliance. Think of us as your ‘how to’ guide when it comes to busting common cancer myths, overcoming fears and barriers, and improving cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.

This series aims to provide both patients and healthcare professionals with tangible things they can do to help when it comes to cancer. Whilst we know not all cancers are preventable, there are things we can all do that could make a positive difference to the health and wellbeing of our family, friends and colleagues.

There are two underlying themes across all episodes – the importance of early diagnosis, and reducing health inequalities.

Host:
Steve Bland is an award-winning podcaster and producer and one of the three presenters of the BBC podcast You, Me and the Big C, which was set up by his first wife - BBC presenter Rachael Bland - before her death from triple negative breast cancer in 2018.

Regular guests:
Dr Angela Wong, Chief Medical Officer, North East London Cancer Alliance:
Angela is a driving force behind improving cancer diagnostics for residents across north east London. As Chief Medical Officer for the North East London Cancer Alliance, Angela works tirelessly on delivering innovation and service improvements for cancer patients.

Femi Odewale, Managing Director, North East London Cancer Alliance:
Femi leads the programme teams from the North East London Cancer Alliance across three core areas of work: Early Diagnosis, Diagnosis and Treatment, and Personalised Care.