The Breast Cancer Support Team at Gozo General Hospital organised a seminar on ‘Collaborative strategies for cancer care: A multidisciplinary team approach’ at Queen Mary Malta Campus in Victoria.

The seminar, targeted towards healthcare workers, was first addressed by Health Information and Research director Neville Calleja and Public Health consultant Miriam Azzopardi, who interestingly highlighted differences in cancer statistics between Malta and Gozo.

Consultant physician and specialist in respiratory and internal medicine Joelle Azzopardi, who has a special interest in bioethics that led her to read for a Master of Arts in Bioethics at the University of Malta, delivered a talk on ‘A Maltese perspective in breaking bad news’, discussing what Maltese patients expect from their healthcare professionals during their cancer journey.

Dr Joelle Azzopardi

Marika Fleri

‘Refilling our cup through complimentary therapies’ was the next talk by Marika Fleri and Lorraine Spiteri from AromaHub, followed by a talk by Trevor Fiorentino, a lecturer in nursing at the faculty of health sciences at the University of Malta. Dr Fiorentino explained how patients with cancer can present themselves differently at the emergency department.

Dr Trevor Fiorentino

Lorraine Spiteri

‘Improving person centred care for oncology patients living in Gozo’ was the subject of a presentation by Nadia Cilia, working in oncology and a strong advocate for patient centred care, while Alexandra Fiorentino and Lorraine Attard discussed their role as survivorship nurses. Bioderma leading pharmacist in Malta Sarah Mifsud concluded the seminar with ‘Do not let skin disorders affect both your body and mind’.

The seminar was sponsored by Bioderma, Gozo General Hospital, Metropolis Pharma, Queen Mary Malta Campus and Sultana.mt.