In March 2023 members of the Leo Cancer Care Team had the pleasure of joining Prof. Heidi Probst and Dr Janet Ulman at Sheffield Hallam University to meet with 10 patient advocates who received radiotherapy for primary breast cancer as part of their treatment journey.

The first aim of the research day was to learn about the patients’ treatment experiences, with a particular focus on their radiotherapy pathways. The second aim was to present the idea of upright radiotherapy and to adopt a co-design approach in the development of new arm supports.

The day was also attended by Sarah Smith ('Smizz'), a talented live drawing artist and PhD student who is using art practice as a tool to communicate the radiotherapy pathway. She depicted some of the participants' thoughts and ideas in the most beautiful visual way.

Key messages from the workshop discussion included: the physical and emotional impact of receiving cancer treatment; achieving and maintaining the radiotherapy treatment position; and the format/volume of information given.

The afternoon session took a more ‘hands on’ approach with each participant invited to try out an upright radiotherapy set-up with prototype arm supports. Participants were then invited to rate their comfort and overall experiences of the upright set-up.

The day was a huge success and Leo Cancer Care would like to sincerely thank all the ladies for giving up their time to attend the workshop, and for sharing their experiences and knowledge. Their input was invaluable and will play a key role in our research and development plans at Leo Cancer Care. Prof Heidi Probst and Dr Janet Ulman will also use information from the day to feedback to the wider radiotherapy community some areas where treatment pathways can be improved.

Thanks also to our partners at Sheffield Hallam University for expertly facilitating the day and for continuing to work with us as we strive to improve the radiotherapy patient experience. Finally, thanks to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for funding this research.

A photo of the amazing patient advocates, Sheffield Hallam and Leo Cancer Care team.

At Leo Cancer Care we are always keen to build our database of amazing people who are keen to help us to improve radiotherapy with their input. If you have received radiotherapy for any type of cancer and would be interested in joining our Patient Advisory Board, please contact: kate.yip@leocancercare.com

Reflecting on Our Research Day Focusing On Breast Cancer and Patient Advocacy