Cancer treatment

Acute Oncology 24-hour helpline

07970 343305 or 01274 272548

If the mobile number is not in service, please call the landline.

When to call the helpline

Our 24-hour telephone helpline is for adult patients who have any concerns or symptoms during and after receiving treatment for cancer. This includes, systemic anti-cancer treatment therapy (SACT), chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and bisphosphonates, or any bone marrow cancer patients that have undergone transplant treatment.

Textphone users

Contact us using the Relay UK app. Users will need to dial 18001 before the number to be contacted.

Types of treatment

There are different treatments used to manage cancer. The treatment advised for a cancer is dependent on how advanced the cancer is. Curative treatment aims to remove all the cancer and offer a cure. Sometimes, if a cancer is more advanced, this might not be possible. Palliative treatment then aims to slow the progress of the cancer and prolong life. 

Treatments for cancer include chemotherapy, immunotherapy (a type of chemotherapy) and hormone therapy. These treatments are all types of medicines and given in different ways. Cancer treatments also include radiotherapy (x-ray therapy) and surgery. 

Your cancer team will discuss which treatment (s) are right for you. They may advise one or more cancer treatments. This is dependent on the type of cancer. They will also talk to you about what you want to do. 

Treatment for cancer is delivered at various hospital sites.

Chemotherapy is provided at the Meadows Day Unit at Eccleshill hospital. Radiotherapy is provided at the Bexley Wing at St. James’s Hospital in Leeds. 

Preparing for treatment

Making healthy lifestyle choices can help to improve your fitness before treatment. This can reduce the risks of treatment and help you to recover well afterwards. Small changes can have a big effect on improving your health and fitness. Becoming more active and eating healthy are ways you can start to do this. Stopping or reducing smoking and the amount of alcohol you drink also improves health. Your cancer team can arrange support to help you make these lifestyle changes.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy (drugs to treat cancer) is a type of cancer treatment. It uses cytotoxic (anti-cancer) drugs to destroy cancer cells. Most chemotherapy drugs travel in the blood system and have a whole-body affect. This means that they can reach cancer cells anywhere in the body.

The Medical Oncologist (Cancer) team focuses on chemotherapy treatments. The team consists of Chemotherapy Doctors and Acute Oncology Nurse Specialists. Together they support and care for people receiving chemotherapy treatment. Before starting treatment, your Medical Oncology team will give you specific advice about chemotherapy. They will talk to you about the benefits and the risks. They will support you to make choices about treatment that are right for you.  

In Bradford, the Chemotherapy department is in the Meadows Day Unit at Eccleshill Community Hospital 

All chemotherapy appointments and treatments are here.

The cancer (oncology) wards at the Bradford Royal Infirmary are Wards 24 and 33. Here, cancer teams care for people unwell because of their cancer or treatment.

Chemotherapy drugs affect healthy cells in the body as well as cancer cells. As a result of this, chemotherapy treatments can cause side-effects. Healthy cells normally recover from chemotherapy damage. This means that side-effects normally go away, once the chemotherapy treatment has finished. However, it might take time for your body to fully recover from chemotherapy side-effects. 

Cancer cells do not recover from chemotherapy damage and die.

Side-effects from chemotherapy can sometimes be very serious or life-threatening. Chemotherapy can affect the body’s natural defence against disease. This makes it harder for your body to fight or recover from a disease. This can make you very unwell and you may need urgent hospital care. 

Before starting chemotherapy treatment, your cancer team will give you the 24hr chemotherapy helpline number – 07970 343305. If the mobile number is not in service due to network issues, please call 01274 272548. If your call goes through to a voicemail message, please leave your name and contact details and a member of the team will return your call.

If you are having chemotherapy treatment and become unwell you must contact the helpline. A member of the Acute Oncology team will give you urgent medical advice. 

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy uses high energy rays, to kill cancer cells. It is like having an X-ray. A special team called the Clinical Oncologist team plan and give the treatment carefully. Radiotherapy does not cause pain during treatment. After treatment, you may have some side effects such as sore skin and tiredness. This is because Radiotherapy can also affect healthy cells near to the cancer. Healthy cells normally recover over time and the side effects should get better. The Clinical Oncologist team will explain about the treatment and answer all your questions.

Sometimes, you might have chemotherapy drugs with radiotherapy treatment. These drugs help to make the cancer cells easier to kill. This is called Chemoradiation.

In West Yorkshire, radiotherapy is only given at the Cancer Centre in Leeds. This is at St. James’s University Hospital, in the Bexley Wing. Your cancer team can arrange transport to take you to radiotherapy appointments.

 

Radiotherapy (Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust)

Radiotherapy (NHS)

Find out more about Radiotherapy (Macmillan Cancer Support)

Radiotherapy – easy read (Macmillan Cancer Support)

Side Effects of Radiotherapy – easy read (Macmillan Cancer Support)

Surgery

Surgery is a way of removing part or all of a cancer. It is also used to look at a cancer and take samples to test. Surgery can involve having cuts to the skin.

It is not always possible to remove a cancer with surgery. Your cancer team will give you advice about your surgery choices. This will depend on the cancer type and where or how advanced it is. If surgery is an option, the team will explain the risks and benefits. 

Surgery normally happens at Bradford Royal Infirmary. You may go home on the same day as your surgery. Or, you may need to stay and recover on the ward first. Some surgery is only offered at specialist centres such as Leeds or Manchester. 

If you decide to have surgery, you will first go to the Pre-Assessment clinic. This clinic is at the Horton Wing in St. Luke’s Hospital. There, you will have a full health check. This ensures your fitness to have surgery. It helps the surgeon and anesthetist to plan your care during surgery.

Coming in to theatre (Bradford Teaching Hospitals)

Cancer Surgery (Macmillan Cancer Support)

Having Surgery – easy read (Macmillan Cancer Support) 

Palliative Care and Support

Unfortunately, if a cancer becomes advanced, it may not be possible to cure it. 

Cancer teams offer palliative care to people who have long-term or life limiting disease. This is also known as supportive care. Palliative care aims to help ease symptoms and improve quality of life. Palliative treatment can also help to slow the progress of the cancer. 

Palliative care includes many different types of care and support personalised to you. These include emotional and physical support such as counselling or symptom control. Practical and financial support is also offered. This may include help to plan for the future or Advanced Care Planning.

In Bradford, different specialist healthcare teams work together to offer palliative care and support. These include District Nurses, GP’s and specialist cancer nursing teams. A hospital and community palliative care team also help to manage your care. These teams arrange palliative care in the home, in hospital or in a hospice. Hospices offer many different kinds of palliative support services. These include day centre support; short respite stays or end of life care. 

Goldline

Goldline is a 24-hour phone helpline service. It supports people who are in or approaching the last year of life. It is also open to their carers and family. 

An experienced healthcare team answers all the Goldline calls. They have direct access to medical records and can give advice and support quickly. The team works together with other services and can arrange added support as required. 

Before using Goldline, your GP or nurse must register you on the Gold Standard Framework. Your cancer team will discuss this with you and register you if suitable. 

The Goldline helpline contact phone number is: 01535 292768.

Find out more about Goldline  (Airedale NHS Foundation Trust)

 

A hospital call centre receiving calls.