Taking Control of Cancer

North East London Cancer Alliance

Welcome to Taking Control of Cancer, the podcast from the North East London Cancer Alliance. Think of us as your ‘how to’ guide when it comes to busting common cancer myths, overcoming fears and barriers, and improving cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. This series aims to provide both patients and healthcare professionals with tangible things they can do to help when it comes to cancer. Whilst we know not all cancers are preventable, there are things we can all do that could make a positive difference to the health and wellbeing of our family, friends and colleagues. There are two underlying themes across all episodes – the importance of early diagnosis, and reducing health inequalities. Host: Steve Bland is an award-winning podcaster and producer and one of the three presenters of the BBC podcast You, Me and the Big C, which was set up by his first wife - BBC presenter Rachael Bland - before her death from triple negative breast cancer in 2018. Regular guests: Dr Angela Wong, Chief Medical Officer, North East London Cancer Alliance: Angela is a driving force behind improving cancer diagnostics for residents across north east London. As Chief Medical Officer for the North East London Cancer Alliance, Angela works tirelessly on delivering innovation and service improvements for cancer patients. Femi Odewale, Managing Director, North East London Cancer Alliance: Femi leads the programme teams from the North East London Cancer Alliance across three core areas of work: Early Diagnosis, Diagnosis and Treatment, and Personalised Care.

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 59: Busting myths about skin cancer

    Following last year’s episode on protecting your skin and staying safe in the sun, Taking Control of Cancer returns to tackle one of the biggest challenges in skin health: misinformation. In this episode, host Steve Bland is joined once again by Dr Tom McLeod, Clinical Lead for the Skin Expert Reference Group at North East London Cancer Alliance, and Rosie O’Dea, Project Manager in Diagnosis & Treatment at NHS North East London Cancer Alliance. They are also joined by Claire Milne from Full Fact, bringing expertise in tackling health misinformation and helping people separate evidence from myth. Last year in north east London alone there were 1,721 case of skin cancer diagnosed, making it the most common cancer. Therefore, it is more important than ever to understand what you can do to help prevent it. We hear advice about sunshine, tanning and sun cream everywhere, from social media and celebrities to family tips passed down through generations. But how much of it is actually true? How do you sort fact from fiction? The episode also comes at a timely moment. A Guardian feature highlighted growing concerns around the rise of “extreme tanning” among younger people, fuelled by social media trends, influencers and misinformation online.  The article explored how some young adults are actively tracking UV levels to maximise sun exposure, using sunbeds and even experimenting with unregulated tanning products despite well-established links to skin cancer.  Against this backdrop, the podcast asks an important question: how do we cut through myths and misinformation to help people make informed choices about protecting their skin? Let us know what you think! Please complete our short feedback form to let us know what you think of our podcasts (it will only take five minutes to complete).

    1h 1m

About

Welcome to Taking Control of Cancer, the podcast from the North East London Cancer Alliance. Think of us as your ‘how to’ guide when it comes to busting common cancer myths, overcoming fears and barriers, and improving cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. This series aims to provide both patients and healthcare professionals with tangible things they can do to help when it comes to cancer. Whilst we know not all cancers are preventable, there are things we can all do that could make a positive difference to the health and wellbeing of our family, friends and colleagues. There are two underlying themes across all episodes – the importance of early diagnosis, and reducing health inequalities. Host: Steve Bland is an award-winning podcaster and producer and one of the three presenters of the BBC podcast You, Me and the Big C, which was set up by his first wife - BBC presenter Rachael Bland - before her death from triple negative breast cancer in 2018. Regular guests: Dr Angela Wong, Chief Medical Officer, North East London Cancer Alliance: Angela is a driving force behind improving cancer diagnostics for residents across north east London. As Chief Medical Officer for the North East London Cancer Alliance, Angela works tirelessly on delivering innovation and service improvements for cancer patients. Femi Odewale, Managing Director, North East London Cancer Alliance: Femi leads the programme teams from the North East London Cancer Alliance across three core areas of work: Early Diagnosis, Diagnosis and Treatment, and Personalised Care.

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