Transcript Disclaimer – Please note that the following transcript has been machine generated by an AI software and therefore may include errors or omissions.

Robin Daly
Welcome to Cancer Talk, the podcast that explores the potential of integrative medicine in cancer care. Integrative medicine is an inclusive approach that combines the full resources of conventional medicine with a broad range of lifestyle and complementary approaches to address the multiple needs of those with cancer. body, in mind and in spirit. and I Robin Daly of Yes to Life will be building bridges conventional medicine and a host of other therapies and practices with the aim of improving the care of people with cancer in the UK.

Dr Penny Kechagioglou
I’m Penny. I’m a clinical oncologist in the National Health Service and Clinical Director and I treat patients with cancer using different modalities including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and holistic approaches. I welcome you all to Cancer Talk and I’m looking forward to joining more specialists to talk about integrative medicine.

Robin Daly
I’m Robin Daly, founder and chairman of Yes to Life, the UK charity helping people with cancer to learn about and use integrated medicine.

Dr Penny Kechagioglou
Each episode of Cancer Talk, Robin and I will be jointly hosting Specialists from the world of integrative medicine with the aim of exploring the potential of improving the health of patients through their particular skills and experiences. Robin, can you tell us what motivated you to set up Cancer Talk?

Robin Daly
Well, I’m absolutely no kind of medical expert or practitioner of any, but I got here as a result of my personal experience of having a daughter who had cancer three times, really the most grueling experience for our whole family. But it was spread over a long period and during that time I got to find out what’s available within conventional medicine and just how much is available outside conventional medicine to provide other kinds of support. I also found out it was much too hard to find out the best kind of support, the best information about the best people and the appropriate kind of support. It was a massive task and so 16 years ago, I set up Yes to Life to help people to quickly access the broadest range of high quality and safe help and also to educate the public about integrative medicine. So, you know, all through this time, Yes to Life has been pushing for a dialogue and for collaboration between the NHS and other cancer support disciplines and today really does mark the fruition of a long held dream of mine to find someone like you, Penny, an experienced and senior oncologist in the NHS who I can share my passion for integration with, explore what patient-centre care actually looks like and together have open dialogues with other types of practitioners about the many things they can bring to the table to improve the support of people with cancer.

Dr Penny Kechagioglou
Fantastic. I have a similar story, Robin, which obviously led me to be a clinical oncologist, but also join you in this cancer talk broadcast. And I lost my brother when he was a teenager from a rare form of sarcoma. I remember as a young child that it was very difficult as a family to navigate complex information around cancer and where we could find help. I wanted to become a clinical oncologist to help more families, not only in the new medicines that offer new treatments, but also the holistic approach, looking at the individual more closely and the family surroundings and using integrative medicine to enable patients to have a good experience from their treatment. my purpose through cancer talk is to enable integrative oncology practice in the NHS and trigger more specialists like myself to collaborate with integrative medicine experts, but also learn and educate themselves in the subject.

Robin Daly
So, as you know, we’ve got some brilliant guests lined up for coming episodes, which is very exciting. We’ve got people like Dr. Lauren McDonald and Kirsten Chick, Dr. Sam Watts, Mark Bennett, functional medicine practitioner, Lizzie Davis, exercise specialist, so some really great people. I’m looking forward to some highly interesting dialogues, looking at the ways in which these other modalities can interact with the work that you do.

Dr Penny Kechagioglou
I’m looking forward to Robin and I think it will be a fantastic discussion with experts from the world of integrative medicine talking about patient-centered care, personalized oncology, how to optimize patient health during treatment and beyond treatment during their survivorship stage and also how clinical practice has changed and how we should look at the health and well-being of cancer patients and their families especially during this pandemic and moving beyond the pandemic times. So how to enhance positive psychology, contact with nature, the role of music therapy and other mind and body therapies. I think that will be a very interesting few months which is very exciting and I’m looking forward to it.

Robin Daly
Fantastic, fantastic. So that’s about it for introducing the podcast. I’m absolutely excited about doing something about promoting dialogue between conventional medicine and all these other specialties that are actually bringing so much to the table as well. I really hope it promotes some new collaboration.

Dr Penny Kechagioglou
Excellent. It’s the start of an exciting journey and I’m looking forward to do this with you Robin.

Robin Daly
Thank you for listening to Cancer Talk. Do subscribe and look out for the next edition of our podcast. And if you have friends and colleagues interested in the development of UK Cancer Care, do pass on the details of Cancer Talk.