Ref. 29651-11SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: Macmillan nurse Anne Robertson has been helping cancer patients at the Great Western Hospital since April last year.

The money we are raising is paying for her to continue her invaluable work.

It will also pay for another specialist Macmillan nurse as well as a consultant in palliative care care which focuses on maximising quality of life for people with cancer.

People with cancer in Swindon and Marlborough already benefit from the support of 13 Macmillan nurses, based at the Prospect Hospice and the Great Western Hospital.

But the number of people in Swindon being diagnosed with cancer continues to grow.

Anne, who is in her 50s, specialises in gynaecological cancer care.

She said: "I've really enjoyed my first year in the job. I am involved in talking to the patients about their care and treatment.

"It is the sort of job you take home with you as you obviously do care about the people you are helping.

"Cancer patients are very special people."

Anne reckons she has seen between 60 and 80 newly diagnosed gynaecological cancer patients from the Swindon area in the past year.

She said: "It's not just face-to-face meetings. People know I'm just at the end of a phone line, too. When people are first diagnosed they want to know if they are going to die.

"But after a while their perception changes and they realise they are actually living with cancer."

During 2002 alone, more than 2,000 people from the area were referred to the hospital by their GPs with a suspected cancer, with 749 of those patients going on to benefit from the support and care provided by a specialist oncology nurse. Also during 2002, more than 4,000 previously diagnosed cancer patients had face-to-face consultations with a member of the adult oncology nursing team.

The demand for Macmillan's services continues to increase, which is why we need to make an extra special effort.

Sally Black, lead cancer nurse at the Great Western Hospital, said: "When people are told they have cancer they often experience a wide range of emotions.

"Macmillan nurses can reinforce information given by medical colleagues explaining what the diagnosis means and discussing the treatment options available.

"They can also advise on coping strategies and management of symptoms which might arise from the illness itself or from the treatment side effects."

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