The sixth Lancashire and South Cumbria Cancer Conference at The Woodland Suite, Ribby Hall Village, Preston, organised by the Cancer Education Hub in partnership with Rosemere Cancer Foundation, brought together healthcare professionals, patients, and community leaders to focus on the theme of earlier cancer diagnosis and showcase the remarkable work going on across the region's hospitals.
Katie Foster-Greenwood, Chief Operating Officer of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, opened the event, stating:
"We know that diagnosing cancer early saves lives. It improves outcomes, reduces treatment burdens, and offers patients and families a better quality of life. While the progress we've made is encouraging, there is still much more to do, especially here in the Lancashire and South Cumbria region, where we face unique challenges but also have great potential for innovation."
The conference featured a packed agenda with speakers from across the UK, including patient advocates Nicola Nuttall and Brian Nolan.
Katie Foster-Greenwood added: "Their stories and perspectives are a vital part of this conversation. Their courage in sharing personal experiences reminds us why we’re here. The grassroots work we do matters most – it’s about real people, real families, and making a real impact. Learning from our patients is one of the most powerful tools we have, and we’re truly grateful for their contributions."
Thanks were extended to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals' Kish Pursnani, Lead Cancer Clinician; Anne Tomlinson, Lead Cancer Nurse; Lyndsay Wiggans, Oncology Education Hub Manager; and Rachel Lloyd, Assistant Education Manager, for organising the event.
Lyndsay Wiggans said: “We’ve received incredibly positive feedback from delegates. Events like this are vital in supporting ongoing education and collaboration across Lancashire and South Cumbria, and it’s thanks to the Trust's Education Hub that we’re able to bring people together in this way. It’s a real privilege to help facilitate such impactful learning opportunities.”
Session One began with “Let’s Talk Cancer – A Voice for Change for Early Diagnosis,” led by Dr Neil Smith and Teresa Karran. This was followed by a panel on community collaboration featuring Katie Pierce, Arif Patel, Sophia Karolia, Nazia Khan, and Saima Ashraf MBE.
Dr Smith and Dr Nicola Cooper-Moss presented “Let’s Talk Pancreatic Cancer” in General Practice. Innovation in early diagnosis was explored by Tanis Barnett and Ryan Moore, followed by a campaign overview from Helen Stansfield and Julia Taylor.
The session concluded with a discussion on “How Will You Talk Cancer?” and an update on the Lung Cancer Screening Programme by Dr John Howells, with a Q&A chaired by Fleur Carney.
Session Two, introduced by Kish Pursnani, focused on surgical updates and featured Laura’s Story, shared by Nicola Nuttall. Nicola spoke about her daughter Laura, diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme in 2018 after a routine eye test. Laura defied her prognosis of 12 months, inspiring many by completing a bucket list that included meeting Michelle Obama, fishing with Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse, and piloting a helicopter. She passed away in May 2023 at age 23.
Nicola now runs the Be More Laura Foundation to support brain cancer research. The foundation has donated £100,000 to projects including the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre and Professor Susan Short’s ASTROCRAT clinical trial at the University of Leeds.
Isaac Phang, Consultant Neurosurgeon, presented on robotic surgery, followed by Professor Muntzer Mughal on evolving surgical strategies in OG cancer.
Session Three, introduced by Nick Wood, focused on advancing cancer care. Susan Saul gave a Prehab update, followed by Leigh Thompson from Blackpool FC in the Community on “Prehab in the Community.”
Brian Nolan then shared his Prehab Patient Experience. Brian was diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly after sister Linda passed away in January.
The family have experienced significant cancer diagnoses - Linda was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, and then given the all-clear in 2011, but in 2017 was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, and by 2023 had spread to her brain.
Anne was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time in 2020 and previously said she is now cancer-free. Coleen was diagnosed with skin cancer last year, and Bernie sadly died of breast cancer in 2013.
Brian's father died of systemic cirrhosis, but also had liver cancer, while his uncle died of pancreatic cancer, and Brian is eager to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
Charlotte Lloyd and Katharine Field presented on service developments within the NW Children’s Cancer ODN. Professor Richard Edmondson then posed the provocative question: “MDTs: Are they overstepping the mark?”
Session Four, introduced by Professor Ruth Board, covered oncology updates. Professor Fiona Thistlethwaite spoke on advances in cell therapies, and Dr Arafat Mirza discussed the role of AI in radiotherapy, before the conference was brought to a close by Dr Geraldine Skailes, Chief Medical Officer, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals.
