Cancer is not one disease but a group of many and the risk factors and underlying biochemical imbalances contributing to cancer pathogenesis and development can be complex and varied. Safe, practical and evidence-informed nutritional support for people affected by cancer can support the effectiveness of medical treatments, have a positive impact on wellbeing and help people with treatment side effects. Nutritional intake can impact on outcomes and in some cancers can affect the risk of progression and recurrence.
improve health practitioners’ knowledge and confidence in providing safe, practical and evidence-informed nutritional support for people affected by cancer at various stages along the diagnosis-treatment-survivorship continuum.
improve health practitioners’ understanding of the pathogenesis of cancer and the rationale underpinning routine diagnosis and treatment of cancers from a biomedical perspective.
support practitioners’ skills, based on their level and type of training, including accessing good quality accurate resources and having a greater critical appreciation of information in the public domain and from research studies.
provide non-clinical professionals with a greater understanding of the links between cancer and nutrition to inform research, communication or awareness-raising activities, and the ability to critically appraise information.
All health practitioners with an appropriate scientific background (see below) who are interested in exploring the type of nutritional support appropriate for people affected by cancer, and understanding when they should refer to a nutritionally trained practitioner.
This course provides CPD at the equivalent of final year Undergraduate/Masters degree level (Levels 6 and 7).
Students, health practitioners and other participants are not expected to have trained in nutrition to this level to attend, but the course assumes some knowledge of basic biochemistry, physiology and human nutrition.
The course will include short sessions of lectures to establish key concepts and scientific underpinnings and outline current evidence, followed by case study group work and discussion to consolidate learning and encourage critical thinking. Space is limited to 35 participants. You will be provided with essential information, practical tips and take-home resources to help quickly implement learnings from the course into your work.
Marie holds a BSc in Biomedical Sciences, a PhD in molecular carcinogenesis and is a Reiki Master of 18 years. She has worked in cancer cell biology at Imperial College, as a Research Fellow at Breast Cancer Haven, and for 8 years as a Senior Lecturer in Health Sciences and Research at the University of Westminster. Marie has spent the last 10 years of her career developing internationally used outcome measures to capture the patients’ experience of cancer treatment and using this to inform more patient-centred support programmes for people with cancer. Marie is a consultant to cancer based services within and outside of the NHS and regularly speaks at national and international conferences. For the last 5 years Marie has developed integrative oncology based CPD courses for complementary and integrative medicine practitioners and she now Chairs the British Society for Integrative Oncology.
Carol holds degrees in Biochemistry and Microbiology. She is also a Registered Nutritional Therapist, Chartered Biologist and Herbalist. Carol worked in bioscience research and medical technology for twenty years before training in nutritional therapy. She now runs two busy practices and is also a guest lecturer on several nutritional therapy courses at degree and Master’s level. Carol has published research on a variety of subjects and in addition to her clinical work, is currently engaged in research for a Professional Doctorate in Health Sciences, at the University of Westminster, looking at nutritional therapy for people with cancer.