We have a fantastic smoking cessation service - Hannan Hussain

Hannan Hussain, Christie radiographer

Hannan Hussain

I am a newly qualified therapeutic radiographer who was fortunate to train at The Christie. As a student radiographer I had come across a number of patients smelling of cigarette smoke, however, I lacked the confidence to approach them and was unsure of what support I could provide or signpost them to.

As part of the student training programme, I had the opportunity to shadow different healthcare professionals as they went about their work. This inter-professional learning experience is designed to help students understand the different roles within healthcare and to learn about the benefits of collaboration.

During my second year of training, I had the opportunity to shadow Charlotte Finchett, the lead health promotion advisor at The Christie. Charlotte’s role involves supporting patients to make lifestyle changes to improve their treatment and recovery.

In the time I spent working with Charlotte I observed how she provided individualised care and attention to each patient and their families. Working with Charlotte gave me insight into the intervention techniques to empower and engage smokers to reduce and give up smoking.

Charlotte helped me gain the confidence to refer my patients to her and explain to patients how this type of support has helped other patients reduce their smoking or even stop altogether.

As a non-smoker, I had often wondered why some patients continue to smoke after their cancer diagnosis.

It is well established academically that radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients is less efficient for those who continue to smoke tobacco, and that patients who continue to smoke also experience worse side effects from treatment and have a poorer overall quality of life after their treatment is complete.

At the end of my second year of training, the deadline for my dissertation proposal was looming. Having worked with Charlotte I thought it would be interesting to look more closely at why cancer patients continue to smoke. It was a topical issue with the potential to improve patient care. I wanted to ask the question: ‘Are we doing enough to help patients quit smoking?’

I contacted Charlotte in my third year so I could discuss the ideas I had for my dissertation. On the afternoon I met Charlotte she was working with Dr Andrew Sykes at his clinic. For a second time, I witnessed care that was tailored to the individual with options such as relaxation techniques, nicotine replacement and even relapse techniques.

I had the opportunity to discuss with Dr Sykes and Charlotte the common barriers to smoking cessation and the importance of having a key contact to refer patients to for support.

The title of my dissertation was ‘Why do cancer patients continue to smoke and what are the arising issues in delivering smoking intervention: a therapeutic radiographer perspective’.

I looked at the risk factors for continued smoking amongst cancer patients such as cancer type, socio-economic demographics, mental health issues and other factors.

After entering my dissertation into the Imaging and Therapy Practice student competition last summer, I was awarded joint first place and my article was published in Synergy magazine (a key radiotherapy publication). I was also invited to present a poster version of my dissertation at the annual radiotherapy conference in January 2018.

Healthcare professionals have a responsibility to promote good health and wellbeing, whether they are related to treatment side effects or to generally adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Working with Charlotte and studying the issue of smoking cessation has given me the self-belief and enthusiasm as an allied healthcare professional in a hospital environment to work hard to improve patient care, to support patients holistically in making healthier choices and to raise awareness about smoking cessation and other important public health issues.

As a newly qualified radiographer who trained at The Christie, I can proudly say that we have a fantastic smoking cessation referral service to help patients stop smoking.

I am now working on a study with Laura Charlesworth, a senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, and Daniel Hutton, the change manager at Clatterbridge hospital. The study is funded by a College of Radiographers industrial partnership grant and aims to gain an in-depth understanding of the barriers and facilitators to the delivery of smoking cessation interventions within radiotherapy practice.

It was National No Smoking Day on 16 March. If you want to give up smoking please visit www.nhs.uk/smokefree or if you are a patient or carer at The Christie please email Charlotte Finchett for advice and support.

It was special to be involved in a key moment in the development of The Christie’s revolutionary MR linac - Mike Thorpe

Mike Thorpe, Christie patient

Mike Thorpe

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2014 at North Manchester General Hospital and my treatment was a two year course of hormone therapy and radiotherapy at The Christie. 

The radiotherapy was every weekday for four weeks during July. I was invited to take part in a radiotherapy clinical trial so my treatment took place in the research facility known as R1, the radiographers looking after me for those four weeks were Julie, Laura, Michelle and Sheena.

Being diagnosed with cancer had knocked me sideways and that month of radiotherapy was the most intense month of my life. I was scared and radiotherapy was a high-tech world that I didn't recognise and didn't realise existed. 

I had 20 days of treatment and I was very focused so I didn't have many casual chats with my team but every one of them has a special place in my heart and I can never thank them enough.

I’ve heard people talk about finishing treatment and saying it's like falling off a cliff, it is! 

After radiotherapy every weekday for four weeks, I felt like I was suddenly on my own (despite still needing hormone implants to be fitted every three months) with time to think about the past six months and I also wanted something to fill the void.

During the radiotherapy, I'd picked up a flyer for a support group so I made a call and joined. It was the Effects of Pelvic Radiation Support Group and I still attend now. After attending a couple of meetings, one of the organisers, Sue Taylor suggested I think about joining The Christie's Patient and Carers Reference Group (PRG) so I did. That was the first step on a long road of user involvement and I'm still a member of the PRG.

Sue also suggested that I look at the Macmillan cancer voices website for other opportunities. Not long after that, I was encouraged to attend a Macmillan workshop in London, soon to be followed by another one in Birmingham and then Newcastle for the Independent Cancer Taskforce. 

Along the way, I joined the Macmillan Cancer Improvement Partnership which has been working in the city of Manchester and later became involved with Greater Manchester Cancer which drives cancer provision across the region. 

Being involved with Greater Manchester Cancer led to me working with the Cancer Vanguard which aims to develop a new model of cancer care and treatment throughout the country.

I’m also involved in the Virtual MDT (Multidisciplinary Team) and one of the original members of CRUK's Patient Sounding Board. There are numerous other projects I've been involved with as well.

At the end of July 2017, I was discharged from The Christie by Clinical Nurse Specialist Helen Johnson. Helen is involved in some of the projects I've been participating in.

It was through Helen that I was invited to be involved in marking a key moment in the development of a new era in radiotherapy research. The Christie was looking for a radiotherapy patient to pick a rose from The Christie garden to be used as the first item to be scanned by the hospital’s new MR-linac, a revolutionary multi million pound radiotherapy machine with its own MR scanner, one of only seven in the world. 

Sheena and Mike at the MR-linac

Now as it turns out, the MR-linac has been installed in the R1 radiotherapy suite where I was treated which made it even more special for me. 

One thing about radiotherapy is you rarely go back for more, so patients rarely get to meet the teams who treated them again. The Christie made it really special for me by inviting one of the team of radiotherapists who had treated me originally, Sheena, to be there when I picked the rose and placed it in the MR-linac for scanning. It was a real privilege.

I’m very grateful to have been given the opportunity to be involved in so much user involvement. And I will always have an enduring affection for The Christie and its staff.

The CONVERT trial has shown that the use of modern radiotherapy techniques is reducing side effects in small cell lung cancer patients - Professor Corinne Faivre-Finn

Corinne Faivre-Finn, Professor of thoracic radiation oncology and honorary consultant clinical oncologist 

Professor Corinne Faivre-Finn

I attended the international ASCO Cancer Conference this summer, where I was delighted and privileged to present the results of the CONVERT clinical trial that myself and colleagues from The Christie, the UK and around the world have been working on for nearly a decade. CONVERT is the largest study ever completed in this group of patients.  

The aim of CONVERT was to establish a standard combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in small cell lung cancer that hasn’t spread. Before this study it was unclear whether having radiotherapy once or twice a day helped more patients survive for longer and what level of side effects was expected with modern radiotherapy techniques.

Around 550 patients from around the world were split into two groups, one group received radiotherapy twice a day over three weeks (standard treatment) and the other once a day at a higher dose over six and a half weeks (experimental treatment). All patients also had chemotherapy. 

Colleagues from The University of Manchester, The Christie, around the UK, France, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Canada compared survival and side effects for both groups. The first patient was enrolled in the study in April 2008 and the last patient in November 2013. 

We found that small cell lung cancer patients live longer and with fewer side effects than previous studies.

The length of survival in both groups was similar with 56 per cent of patients who had radiotherapy twice a day surviving for two years compared with 51 per cent of those given it once a day. Importantly, the majority of side effects from radiotherapy were similar in both groups. 

Compared to previous studies, we found that half the number of patients than expected experienced complications that required a stay in hospital. This reduction in side-effects is likely to be due to the use of modern radiotherapy techniques.

We are very pleased that our results are providing robust evidence on the best way to treat small cell lung cancer that hasn’t spread outside the chest. Based on our findings, twice–daily radiotherapy with chemotherapy should continue to be considered the standard of care, as once-daily radiotherapy did not prove that survival improved compared to the standard twice-daily treatment. However, given the similar results in both groups it is reasonable to offer once daily radiotherapy if twice daily treatment cannot be delivered due to either patients or the hospital’s preference. Patients can now plan their treatment with their doctors according to what works best for them and their hospital.

Although the trial will still be following up patients for five years, the results are already changing clinical practice within the UK and internationally. We have received many testimonies from patients who are very grateful to be alive several years after receiving treatment. 

There have been too many people involved in CONVERT to thank them all individually, but this trial was a fantastic international collaboration that could not have achieved its results without the dedication, commitment and support of countless colleagues.  The study was funded by Cancer Research UK and was developed with, set-up and co-ordinated by the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre Clinical Trials Unit which is based here at The Christie.

More information about the CONVERT trial is available here.

For further information about Professor Corinne Faivre-Finn visit her consultant profile.

I had to try and find the very best cutting edge treatments that were being trialled - Diane Brooks

Diane Brooks - Christie Phase 1 Clinical Trials Patient

Diane Brooks

I became a patient at The Christie over 14 years ago when I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36. It wasn’t unexpected as I had a strong family history of the disease and soon after I discovered that it was a genetic fault and I was in fact a BRCA2 carrier.

Breast cancer was always part of my family and that’s why I was always interested in being a part of the research and learning aspect of my disease. I knew it could be a huge game-changer in my family’s future health.

Following surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy I remained cancer free until the summer of 2008 when it returned. It was a day I had always dreaded but somehow knew would come, as my cancer was aggressive and I knew from watching my mum struggle, it was going to try and beat me too.  

Once I had come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to be cured, I set about trying to ‘live’ with my particular type of disease. Always thinking about the lack of understanding and choices of treatment my mum was probably faced with, I had to try and find the very best cutting edge treatments that were being trialled. Thankfully being a Christie patient meant that I was in the right place.

I was lucky enough to be part of trials involving existing chemotherapy treatments that were being aimed at my particular type of disease, but it was in September 2010 that I embarked on my first Phase 1 Trial for an unlicensed drug. I thought it would be scary but in fact it was such a relief, despite the fact that I didn’t know how it was going to effect me, or whether in fact it was going to give me any quality of life. 

I recognised that I was very lucky to be accepted onto the trial and that it was available to me at The Christie. I had done as much homework as possible on my disease and just felt that this was the right treatment for me to try at this time. I was so lucky that it did in fact give me three years of being able to get on with my busy life with my husband, four children and my career. 

To know that you are contributing towards future cancer treatments that can have far reaching effects on others, gives me such a worthwhile feeling, and of course, I am also keen to invest in my family’s future, as they are all going to be affected by this hereditary disease in years to come. I want the doctors to learn as much as possible about our hereditary disease whilst I am alive, so I am always happy to put myself forward for appropriate drug trials in order for them to do their invaluable work.

Being a clinical trials patient has it’s ups and downs and can be intense at times, but the Phase 1 team is expert at guiding me through and helping me manage side effects, at the same time as gathering all their important data which will form part of future cancer treatments – it’s such a privilege to be part of something that is so much bigger than just me. I continue to marvel at how fast things are moving forward in research, and even though I am a small part of it by trying these new treatments, it gives me hope for the future.

I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending a patient to speak to their oncologist about clinical trials - “You don’t get if you don’t ask” is always my motto. However, you do have to fit certain criteria for each trial so it is never a done deal and you have to be realistic. It is important to follow strict guidelines with new drugs, but I have always felt in safe hands with the Phase 1 Team at The Christie, who will spend as much time as is needed to talk me through every step of the protocol attached to each trial.  We always refer to them as our “hospital family” and we have got to know them very well over the years. In fact it says a lot when I have been there longer than a lot of the staff – they must be doing something right!  

I will be celebrating my 51st birthday next month and yes, I am still a Phase 1 patient at The Christie, trying something new, with my husband, family and “hospital family” holding my hand and helping me through, but most of all I am still “living” with my inherited disease, and I continue to hope that many people in the future will benefit from the knowledge gained from research and clinical trials that I have been so very lucky to be a part of at The Christie.

The Christie’s NIHR Clinical Research Facility is a large, high quality, dedicated clinical research environment where our patients can participate in complex and early phase clinical trials. Around 400 clinical trials may be taking place at any one time. In 2016, the NIHR is celebrating ten years of funding and supporting clinical research in the NHS.  

People in Oldham have access to the best possible care and fantastic dedicated staff at The Christie at Oldham - Councillor Yasmin Toor

Councillor Yasmin Toor - Mayoress of Oldham

Councillor Yasmin Toor, Mayoress of Oldham

I have always wondered what happens inside the beautiful, big purpose built building that is The Christie at Oldham. Whenever I walked or drove past this amazing looking glass building lots of questions kept going on in my mind. I always wondered what life is like behind those mysterious doors. 

The Christie at Oldham treats cancer patients so it is very easy to imagine lots of people with sad faces that have lost hope for life. I worried that there were bed bound patients and my eyes filled with tears of sadness. Worrying about their lost hopes made me very upset.  

Thinking about this made me realise how precious life is and how important and meaningful relationships are. One minute we plan a full life and then the word ‘cancer’ can change everything – affecting our personality, relationships and lifestyle.

So my visit to The Christie at Oldham, with my husband, the Mayor of Oldham, during the autumn was a very ‘special’ visit. I stepped into the building with lots of questions, emotions and many different feelings.

The sun was shining above us and I took some sunshine with me so I could be strong. We were greeted by a very friendly face at the reception. There were a couple of patients sitting waiting for their appointment who we said hello to and our wonderful local Oldham Chronicle newspaper photographer Tony was there too.

Julie Davies, the Lead Radiographer at The Christie at Oldham, formally welcomed us and with the head of communications helped to show us round. The local newspaper wanted to take a quick photo and then we were shown around by two wonderful ladies, Julie and Maggie.

The atmosphere was very calm; everything was so clean and tidy. The colour choices were fantastic and the walls, paintings and seats were amazing. It didn’t feel like a hospital at all. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I became very relaxed, all my fears slowly started fading away and I started looking forward to the rest of my tour.

Each corridor, each room was very peaceful. We were shown the whole of the building, including the open, spacious, caring and calm reception area, the wide corridors, the complementary therapy room and the treatment rooms. Everything under one roof.  

We were even taken to this beautiful garden where patients can enjoy the beauty of nature.  “This is my Rose Garden” a very proud voice touched my ears as we were walking by. It was Julie`s voice, who was showing us around. I looked up and she was pointing to lots of beautiful framed photos of all the staff, in burgundy colour uniform, smiling faces, all displayed on a big window sill. How nice is that to compliment your dedicated staff. Their expertise and their skills can make a huge difference in someone’s life. The tests and treatments they do can save someone’s life, and can make a big difference in a family`s life.  
We were shown the expensive machines and treatment rooms, and saw how the staff are dedicated to their work, with a very carefully measured approach towards everything.

They make very good use of modern technologies in their training /conference rooms, with video link training for meetings. They work hard to provide the highest standard of care and take care of every possible angle so patient don’t suffer any more than what they have already been through. The patients are in very safe hands.   

I also learned that patients visiting The Christie in Oldham can use a dedicated free car park. How wonderful is that, to take away the extra stress and pressure not only financially but emotionally too from the patients and their carers. How nice is it to offer them everything they need under one roof, with the best care in the form of modern machines and comfortable chairs, so they can keep their dignity and respect and keep their will power going. Patients sometime choose to sit on the comfortable sofa style chairs rather than lying down on a bed where they might feel more ill, more sick and more in pain. 

In the complimentary therapy room, not only the patient but their carer can have a quick soothing treatment done. 

And patients can go to the information centre to get lots of relevant advice, help and support e.g. about their cancer or the benefits they may be entitled to. So patients or their carers don’t have to run around too many places for information.

Doctors, consultants and other staff also make use of the purpose built meeting/training/conference facilities to save travel time by using the video link if required.

At the end of this life changing tour, both myself and my husband are very happy that The Christie at Oldham is one of our chosen charities for the year.

We were both very pleased as people, as Councillors and as the Mayor and Mayoress to know that people in Oldham have access to such wonderful resources. They have the best possible care and fantastic dedicated staff. Most of all, we learned that The Christie at Oldham can give hope to a person who has lost hope. 

I want to thank everyone at The Christie at Oldham from the bottom of my heart and salute all health professionals who are making a big difference in people’s lives. I want to especially thank our hosts who showed us around and gave us all the information we needed. And I want to thanks the press who followed us all the way and who understand the importance of the place, taking great photographs to help their readers understand how lucky we are to have this facility.

How hypnotherapy can help our patients to overcome anxiety, claustrophobia, needle phobia, nausea and fear of pain - Peter Sandy

Peter Sandy - clinical hypnotherapist

Peter Sandy

Why is six scared of seven? Because seven, eight (ate) nine. This is my daughter’s favourite joke and you will find out why this is important when you read on. 

I’ve been a clinical hypnotherapist for eight years. For the last two and a half years I’ve been lucky enough to work in The Christie’s complementary therapies CALMs team with a talented group of experienced therapists supporting patients (and carers) to overcome a varied range of issues such as anxiety, claustrophobia, needle-phobia, nausea and fear of pain. 

I support patients undergoing a range of radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments as well as MRI and CT scans. Radiotherapy patients are often most anxious during the mould making process prior to treatment and some of our patients need help with cannulation prior to having chemotherapy or other treatments and procedures.

Many people imagine hypnosis to be along the lines of the stage hypnotist in the TV programme Little Britain…“look into my eyes, not around my eyes” * click fingers * “you’re under!” 

Whilst the idea of a hypnotist having instant mind control may be entertaining (even a little scary), the reality is quite different. Nobody can tell you how to think, not even if you want them to. 

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, a relaxing state of internal focus – a bit like daydreaming – where a person can feel calmer and become more in tune with their unconscious ideas, thoughts and beliefs. A skilled hypnotherapist will build rapport and have an understanding of how to use unconscious communication – verbal and non-verbal - to connect with, and then help discover new strategies, changes in emotional levels or alternative ways of thinking. 

We all have a vast collection of useful past experiences - some are easily remembered and some are buried deeper. These inner resources have been acquired over the years (like humour, stubbornness, intelligence, and a plethora of problem-solving skills), and the ability to imagine different ways of coping in the future. Hypnotherapeutic processes explore and utilise these pearls, and we are able to anchor and recall powerful resources using gestures, colours, words or aromas. 

There’s an old saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and he can feed himself for life”. The CALMs team can teach a variety of techniques and methods to help people become less anxious and feel calmer. This in turn can provide a long-term benefit, not only to the patient but also to everyone involved.  

If a patient is struggling with anxiety, we come alongside and invite them to try different self-soothing techniques to help them regain some control. Normally a patient who is panicking will be over-breathing so the first thing we might teach is a simple breathing technique, like breathing round a square shape to slow it down and keep it steady. We may ask them to close their eyes and vividly remember a special place and re-experience how they feel in that place (calm, relaxed, resilient, empowered) then use an aroma, object or even a hand gesture to retain and recall (anchor) the feeling. 

One of the things I really enjoy about working with patients is how often they teach us things.

I saw an 80-year-old man a few weeks back who was suffering from breathlessness. He was already halfway through radiotherapy on the lung and began the session looking out of sorts, slightly bent posture, struggling to breathe steadily. That was until we got onto the subject of Karate, of which he is an expert, and before I knew it, he was on his feet, chest out, showing me how to breathe in a way that allows you to take a punch to the stomach - which comes in handy when you have three kids! We swapped breathing techniques and this inspirational man quickly picked up how to do self-hypnosis so he can re-enter a useful relaxed state whenever he needs. 

Many of the radiotherapy patients we support will be receiving treatment focussed on the head and neck, lung or breast areas and they often have something in common – claustrophobia, the fear of confined spaces. 

Claustrophobia affects one in ten UK adults and, if severe, it can result in a full-blown panic attack. This type of phobia is awakened if the patient is required to wear a special mask that is closely moulded over their head, neck and shoulder areas and worn during each treatment to ensure they remain in exactly the same position for every session. Although this mask is an essential tool for the accuracy of treatment it is a very snug fit (and doesn’t look pretty either) so it’s not surprising that patients with high anxiety, pain, breathing issues or claustrophobia struggle to even have the mould made. 

Being able to help a patient get through the mould-making stage as smoothly as possible is important as it can reduce anxiety and make a significant difference to how that person feels about their future treatment. 

There are a number of ways we can help. I was asked to help a patient who suffered severe claustrophobia combined with neck pain issues from surgery who was shaking and hyperventilating in the waiting area outside the mould room. I recognised the signs of panic and quite naturally felt some of her anxiety rise in myself. As we spoke, I allowed my breathing rate to match hers so I could begin at her pace, and I invited her to take a sip of water and hold it in her mouth as research suggests that having a moist mouth tells the brain “you’re doing ok”. 

Next, I asked her to focus her attention on steadily clenching and then relaxing two squashy ‘stress-ball’ yellow stars in tune with her breathing, keeping in harmony with her as I slowed my own breathing and softened my voice. 

We agreed ways in which she could feel more comfortable and in control by establishing a clear stop signal. 

We discussed how she would like to feel in charge when we began to make the mould. We also spoke about things other people had found helpful, like slowly counting numbers down from 200 or focussing on rotating the yellow star and visiting places in her mind. We worked on releasing tension in her feet and legs by tensing and relaxing the large muscle areas involved in the fight-or-flight instinct.

Throughout the process, I continued to hold her hand and give her steady voice contact updating her on the mould process and directing her attention to all manner of other things. 

Having successfully completed her mould and the following CT scan, she thanked the radiologists and me and even laughed at my daughter’s favourite joke!

As The Christie has played such an important part in developing radiography we are very proud to celebrate World Radiography Day - Rebekah Pearce

Rebekah Pearce - Christie Radiotherapist

Rebekah Pearce

World Radiography Day is celebrated on 8th November each year. Held annually, it provides an opportunity for radiographers worldwide to celebrate their profession, its importance within patient care, to promote the career to future students and increase public awareness of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy.

So what is a radiographer and what do we do?

There are two different professions that share the umbrella term of ‘radiographer’ – diagnostic radiographer and a therapy radiographer. A diagnostic radiographer helps to diagnose any disease or condition and monitor internal changes. This is vital in diagnosing cancer and we have some very high tech facilities available at The Christie.

A diagnostic radiographer may use X-rays to look at bone anatomy assessment and cavity changes, to check if a bone is broken and if there are any foreign objects in the lung cavity; or they may use fluoroscopy to look at real-time images of the digestive system. Radiographers also use MRI and CT scans to build up two and three dimensional maps of body tissue; and angiography can be used to assess blood vessels. Ultrasound, most commonly used for checking the development of a baby during pregnancy, also has important applications at The Christie.

Therapeutic radiographers, or as they are better known, radiotherapists, work within the hospital oncology department. They use radiation to treat many different forms of cancer all around the body. This includes conventional External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) delivered by multi-beam treatments; brachytherapy where the radiation source is placed directly in the affected area; and stereotactic radiotherapy that allows small inoperable tumours to be treated in high dosages. 

For both types of radiographer, their knowledge base must include extensive understanding about the usage of high tech equipment, radiation dosages, pathology, anatomy and physiology of the human body. Moreover, the radiographer must have a caring personality. 

As The Christie has played such an important part in developing radiography over the years we are very proud to celebrate World Radiography Day and the vital work done by all radiographers around the world.

In 1901, The Christie was one of the first places to use X rays to treat cancer and in 1932 we developed the first international standards in radiation treatment – the Manchester Method. More recently, in 2002 we were the first place in the world to use image guided radiotherapy.

World Radiography Day is celebrated on 8 November to mark the anniversary of the discovery of x-radiation by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895. Wilhelm experimented with passing an electrical current through a low-pressured gas which culminated in discovering and producing an electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range now known as x-rays. 

He noticed that a number of objects could be penetrated by these rays, and that the projected image of his own hand showed a contrast between the opaque bones and the translucent flesh. This work resulted in him winning the Nobel Prize in physics.

He later used a photographic plate instead of a screen, and an image was captured. In this way, an extraordinary discovery had been made: that the internal structures of the body could be made visible without the necessity of surgery.

As World Radiography Day was on Sunday we decided to celebrate it in the hospital today with an information stand on display in the radiotherapy department with details about radiotherapy, how it works, how treatment is planned and examples of machinery.

Have you thought about a career as a therapy radiographer working in radiotherapy? If you are interested in finding out more details, please email RTEducation@christie.nhs.uk

There was a really positive attitude amongst staff and patients and a real sense of pride to work at The Christie - Wesley Doherty

Wesley Doherty - Christie Radiographer

Wesley Doherty

I got into radiotherapy a bit later than most. I've always worked in healthcare and fancied a new challenge. Radiotherapy certainly provided that!

I completed the postgraduate diploma in radiotherapy at the University of Liverpool in 2014, having worked as an optometrist for 15 years. My previous degree allowed me to apply directly to the university for the postgraduate course, but there is also an undergraduate degree programme accessed through UCAS.

I've always liked the combination of the technical physics side of things combined with the biology and pathology from my previous career, and radiotherapy was a natural, if not obvious, progression.

Even though I am accustomed to dealing with difficult and upsetting news for patients and I talk a lot, which comes in very useful as a therapy radiographer, I was a bit worried about working in a cancer hospital. I wrongly assumed it would be a really difficult environment to work in.

I needn't have worried. On walking through the door on the first day I was met with an overwhelmingly friendly atmosphere. There was a really positive attitude amongst staff and patients and a real sense of pride to work at The Christie.

I felt part of the team from the very start. I was supported throughout my training from day one by staff members, mentors and clinical tutors. This support didn't end when I qualified and I was assigned a mentor under The Christie's preceptorship programme for staff new to the trust. This is something I would really have appreciated in my previous career! Since then I have been a mentor myself to two students, one each at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

There is a real emphasis on progression and delivering your best at The Christie. My team is made up of radiographers, senior radiographers, superintendents, specialist and lead grades with opportunities to progress to site-specific roles such as colorectal, breast, paediatric and prostate specialist radiographers.

Since qualifying last year I have spent time in pretreat, treatment prep and treatment delivery. There are regular professional development events to keep up to date in a rapidly developing and highly technical field. With the recent groundwork beginning on the upcoming high energy proton beam therapy centre (one of only 2 NHS facilities in the country) this opens a completely new avenue of opportunities to pursue in the future.

In the past year, I have been encouraged to get involved in helping to shape the culture of The Christie. In my role as a Christie commitment champion, I am part of a team of staff from across the whole organisation who attend meetings in London aimed at transforming the culture of The Christie and the NHS. I hope to continue progressing by applying for funding for my master's degree in the next couple of years.

Working with cancer patients is a privileged position. Every day is different. Every day is rewarding. Every day is filled with new thank you cards and a never ending supply of chocolates, cakes and other goodies. Every day I get to know the wonderful patients I see better and better. Every day I smile more than I have done in any other job, and every day I feel like I am doing something to make a big difference to the patients.

Have you thought about a career as a therapy radiographer working in radiotherapy?  If you are interested in finding out more details, please email RTEducation@christie.nhs.uk