Head & Neck Cancer Support Network Trust Community News June 2025

Written By Head and Neck Cancer Support Network

  • https://www.headandneck.org.nz/events

    1 June Cancer Survivors’ Day

    27 July World Head and Neck Cancer Day

  • A warm welcome to new members,

    Julie Beaumont
    Suzanne Beard    slee,
    Richard Macfarlane
    Malvina Zainey

    who recently joined our community Facebook page, "The Explorers".

    Your presence enriches our network, bringing diverse experiences and perspectives. We encourage everyone to engage, share stories, and offer support as we navigate this journey together. We suggest you invite your partners and whāna to join us. They will learn more about your situation and be better able to support you.

    We have a welcome pack for you click the link here to order. Link to Welcome Pack

  • We know that you and your whānau and friends, who share your journey, want to have access to the latest reliable information on head and neck cancer treatment advances. We have created a catalogue of new developments for you to view. We will keep adding to these resources as time goes on. Please feel free to share; there is much advancement in treatments and hope.https://www.headandneck.org.nz/advancements

    We have new articles from the international head and neck community.
    You can use the [SEARCH] button on our home page to find information.

Melanie Chan

🌟Patient Story: A patient and researcher gives our community a rare opportunity

Kia ora, my name is Melanie, and I am a two-time survivor of head and neck cancer, first diagnosed in 2019 and again in 2021. This experience deeply shaped my understanding of the long and often unseen journey that follows treatment and has given me a deeply personal understanding of the challenges that come with treatment and long-term survivorship.

Originally trained as a lawyer, I pursued a Master of Science in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health. This path was a step towards research that bridges clinical, psychological, and lived perspectives in cancer care. I am currently undertaking a PhD research focused on the survivorship experiences of people affected by head and neck cancer in Aotearoa.

I have also completed a Level 1 Certificate in Te Reo Māori, and I hope that this equips me to conduct research that is respectful, inclusive, and grounded in a commitment to equity. My research uses Photovoice, a participatory method that captures and reflects on our lived experiences through photography and storytelling. This approach honours individual voices and reveals what truly matters in recovery, allowing us to express our experiences in our voice and on our own terms, offering powerful insights into what matters most in our recovery.

I hope that this research will help shape more equitable, person-centred survivorship care that responds to the real needs of our community.

 If you are interested in contributing to this research, please feel free to contact me:

melanieannemei-lin.chan@vuw.ac.nz

Ngā mihi nui.

🌟 From the Chair

Kia ora friends,

Celebrating World Cancer Survivors’ Day – June 4

As Chair of the Head and Neck Cancer Support Network Trust, I warmly invite you to join us in marking World Cancer Survivors’ Day on Tuesday, 4 June. This special day is dedicated to recognising the strength, courage, and resilience of everyone who has faced cancer – and that includes so many in our head and neck cancer whānau.

Survivorship means different things to each of us. It may be finishing treatment, adjusting to a new normal, or simply getting through the day with hope and determination. Whatever your journey looks like, this day is for you.

To celebrate, we’d love you to share a photo of yourself at your best in survivorship – whether that’s enjoying a favourite hobby, spending time with loved ones, getting active, or just being you. Let’s show the world the faces of survivorship in our community – full of life, strength, and spirit.

📸 You can post your photo directly in our Facebook Support Group here:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/headnecknz

Let’s lift each other and celebrate how far we’ve come together.

With aroha and admiration,
Diana Ayling
Chair, Head and Neck Cancer Support Network Trust

The Value of Research to Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship

The Power of Research: Supporting Survivorship in Head and Neck Cancer

In recent years, we’ve seen remarkable progress in the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancers. Thanks to earlier detection, improved therapies, and advances in surgical techniques, more people are surviving their cancer. Today, head and neck cancer survivorship is not only more common—it is reshaping the way we think about life after treatment.

But surviving cancer is only part of the journey. Many of our community members live with long-term effects of treatment—challenges with swallowing, speaking, breathing, dry mouth, fatigue, emotional wellbeing, and more. This is where research plays a vital role. Research helps us understand what survivorship really means and how we can better support people as they live with and beyond cancer.

Why Research Matters for Survivors

  1. Understanding Long-Term Effects
    Survivors of head and neck cancer face a unique set of physical, psychological, and social challenges. Research helps us identify common issues, such as late side effects of radiation or the emotional toll of altered appearance and communication. The better we understand these effects, the better we can prepare for and manage them.

  2. Improving Quality of Life
    Research informs new ways to support quality of life—through rehabilitation, pain management, nutritional support, mental health care, and social connection. Survivorship studies often lead to better follow-up care plans and tailored support services that focus not just on survival, but on thriving.

  3. Guiding Healthcare Policy and Practice
    Evidence from survivorship research helps guide decision-makers in health services and cancer control. It highlights where resources are needed and how care systems can better respond to the long-term needs of head and neck cancer patients. Your voices, shared in patient surveys and interviews, directly shape this work.

  4. Empowering Survivors
    When research is translated into information, tools, and support, survivors are empowered to take charge of their health. Knowing what to expect and how to manage challenges builds confidence and resilience.

Our Role as a Community

At the Head and Neck Cancer Support Network, we actively participate in and promote research that centres the survivor’s experience. From sharing patient stories to contributing to national studies, our community makes a real difference. In 2024, our Patient View report highlighted the value of peer support and regular follow-up, key findings that are already informing service delivery.

We encourage everyone in our community to participate in research opportunities as they arise. Whether through surveys, clinical trials, or focus groups, your experiences matter. Together, we are helping to build a future where all survivors of head and neck cancer receive the care, understanding, and respect they deserve.

Head and Neck Cancer Support Network
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Head & Neck Cancer Support Network Trust Community News April 2025