Hundreds attend Irish Cancer Society conference focusing on issues of cancer survivorship

Over 800 cancer survivors, their family and friends will attend an Irish Cancer Society conference today to discuss issues of survivorship and life after cancer. The Society’s National Conference for Cancer Survivorship, entitled ‘Living Well with Cancer’, will see people from all over Ireland come together for the free two day event to hear from a range of Irish and international speakers.   The aim of the Conference is to address the needs of the cancer survivor from a quality of life viewpoint, rather than focusing solely on medical requirements. The event will consider issues such as how to nurture a couple’s relationship during cancer, the benefits of physical exercise after cancer and how to manage the long-term psychosocial effects of cancer treatment.  Keys speakers at the event include: 

• Ms Caroline Casey, social entrepreneur and adventurer on valuing ability  
• Dr Paul D’Alton, on mindfulness and looking after the self
• Mr Dermot O’Neill, cancer survivor and broadcaster on the restorative effects of gardening
• Dr Jenny Westrup on living with, through and beyond a cancer diagnosis 

There are also practical sessions with art and music therapy, yoga, exercise and nutrition on offer for both survivors and their families.  The National Conference for Cancer Survivorship concludes a week-long initiative of the Irish Cancer Society in conjunction with Trinity College Dublin called ‘Cancer Week’ which saw a number of national clinical and scientific leaders and cancer survivorship experts discuss improvements in cancer treatments as well as tackling the effects of a cancer diagnosis on patients. 

Donal Buggy, Head of Services at the Irish Cancer Society said: “The Irish Cancer Society’s National Conference for Cancer Survivorship welcomes cancer survivors from all over Ireland to share and seek information and support at today’s conference. This is our 23rd survivorship conference and it is one of our annual flagship events. It is as the centre of what the Irish Cancer Society strives to do.  There are over 120,000 people in Ireland today living with and beyond cancer - the Conference allows us to share, learn and support alongside cancer patients and gives people an opportunity to meet those who have been through a similar journey to themselves.  Today, we want to highlight the issues which many survivors can face after a cancer journey as we know that life after cancer has its own challenges. We hope that this conference provides insights, practical information and emotional advice which will make a difference to the lives of cancer patients and survivors, as well as their families and friends.” The National Conference for Cancer Survivorship is kindly supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen, MSD and Roche. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"4620","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"102","width":"480"}}]]