Treatment Support Programme

Our doctor and nurse led Treatment Support Programme is designed to help support any adult over 18 going through or recovering from cancer treatment. Whether that treatment is chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery, we can help you explore what support you need to get through it in the best way possible.

We know that a cancer diagnosis and treatment can be challenging both mentally and physically, and we want to be able to support you though this. There are things that you can do to build your resilience, keep your body as well as possible and help deal with the stress, which will help make the journey a little easier.

What to expect

This four-week programme can help you to:

- Manage and reduce side effects.
- Increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment.
- Build resilience and improve wellbeing.
- Reduce chances of cancer recurrence or progression.
- Meet and share with others who are going through similar experiences.

Sessions start at 10am and finish at 12.15pm. In this time, we hear from the expert and have time for people to say what they want to hear about and ask questions, we encourage people to share and listen to other’s experiences, and be supported by each other, and we have time at the end for people to ask any questions they want (relevant to a group setting of course) to the doctor and nurse.

We offer a series of four sessions, each with a different wellbeing focus. This is an evidence-based, multi-disciplinary approach where we use experts in each area, and doctors and nurses who use an integrative and personalised approach to help address what matters most to you. It’s also an opportunity to share and learn from others who are also going through treatment, in a safe, supportive group.

Learn more about each area:

Keeping active during cancer treatment

Research shows that keeping active during your cancer treatment can help treatment to work better, reduce the effects of fatigue and other side effects, reduce the risk of recurrence and help you manage stress better.

Managing mindset, stress and anxiety during cancer treatment

A cancer diagnosis can often trigger different emotions that you may need to process, in the way that is right for you. We hope to share with you, ideas, and skills that you may find useful in supporting yourself during this time. In addition, connecting with others experiencing similar feelings can help you feel less alone and assure you that everything you are feeling is normal.

Eating well during cancer treatment

We have a cancer specialist dietitian who can reassure you about what you might be reading, offer her understanding of the latest evidence of nutrition and cancer, and answer your questions about how to best nourish your body and deal with any side effects from treatment that might be affecting how well or easily you are eating and digesting your food.

Using complementary therapies safely during cancer treatment

Complementary therapy can be used in a coordinated and supportive way before, alongside or after standard medical treatments and this may be in an area that is new to you. We can answer your questions about what is safe and what isn’t, how to find a trusted practitioner and where you might be able to find low or no-cost therapies.

We are flexible to your needs

The four sessions can be done consecutively or at your own pace. There is no order to them and we run the same four sessions each month (except August and December) so you can start and finish at any point, fitting in with your appointments and how you are feeling.

We make it relevant to where you are: you can be newly diagnosed, in the middle of treatment or recovering (within 3 months).

It is you as a person we are interested in, so we ask you what your main concerns are and try and support these specifically, and although we are in a group setting, we give you the opportunity to ask all your individual questions.

The Treatment Support team consists of two Penny Brohn UK integrative doctors, an oncology nurse and a group of experts in the areas of exercise and movement, mental health, nutrition and complementary therapies.

How to book

To book onto the Treatment Support Programme, please complete this short booking form and email it to our Client Support Team – clientsupport@pennybrohn.org.uk.

You must be registered with our online booking system before you complete the form above. See our booking system guide.

If you have any questions about the service before booking, please do so by phoning 0303 3000 118 (Mondays – Fridays, 10am – 4pm or emailing Client Support)

When you book you will be asked if you are able to make a donation towards the cost of your place. If you are able, please do make a donation so that we can continue to offer support to everyone who needs it. Whatever amount you can give will be gratefully received as we believe that everyone should have access to this kind of support when they have cancer. Thank you.

December dates (all are 10am – 12:15pm)