Cancer Self-Advocacy

Being an advocate involves speaking for and supporting a cause, idea, or policy. In the cancer community, being a cancer advocate means that you support a cause, idea, or policy regarding cancer, which may include working to change laws and policies that affect people living with cancer. On a more personal level, for someone with cancer, being a self-advocate involves taking an active role in your cancer care. This article, Cancer Self-Advocacy, explores becoming a self-advocate, communicating effectively with your doctor and health-care team, and taking action on your own behalf.

Being a Cancer Advocate
A person who has been touched by cancer often wants to make a difference in the lives of people with the disease by becoming a cancer advocate. It can be a positive and empowering experience for those who choose to help others by working to improve the quality of cancer care. Advocating for others also provides a forum for those who want to share their own personal stories about dealing with the cancer experience, as well as the opportunity to speak out about critical issues directly affecting those living with cancer. This second article, Being a Cancer Advocate, describes how someone may become a cancer advocate on a more national or global level.

The Mouth Cancer Foundation is happy to support you in becoming a personal, local or national advocate for head and neck cancers.

You can contact me by using the private message facility on the board. (To do this, just click on my name above the photo and select 'Invite Dr Vinod K Joshi to a Private Topic.')

Best wishes

Vinod

Founder and Chief Executive
Mouth Cancer Foundation

What information can patients and carers help NICE with?

• The personal impact of the condition
• Outcomes patients want the technology to help with
• The impact of a technology on outcome, symptoms, physical & social functioning, quality of life
• Impact on family, friends and employers
• Ease of use, side effects and costs of the technology
• Patient preferences
• Subgroups who benefit more/less from the technology
• Challenges to professional or researcher views

Patient evidence is most useful when presented as a summary that balances positive and negative view.

To know more, see the presentation “Incorporating patient and carer views into NICE guidance” by Marcia Kelson, Head of the Patient and Public Involvement Programme, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE).