This webinar focused on psychological supports and the management of fear of cancer recurrence (FOCR) in people with melanoma, centred on survivorship and long-term quality of life. Nurses will gain insight into the nature and prevalence of FOCR, how to distinguish normal worry from clinically significant concerns, and evidence-informed approaches to screening, brief interventions and escalation. The session explored communication strategies for difficult conversations, practical nurse-led psychosocial supports when local psychology services are limited, and how models of care can be adapted to better meet individual patients' emotional needs. Participants will leave with practical skills and resources to recognise, respond to and coordinate care for people with melanoma experiencing distress related to recurrence.

Contributors

Speakers

Speaker

Claire Gore

Clinical Psychologist, Melanoma Institute Australia

Claire Gore is a clinical psychologist with over 15 years of experience. She has a particular interest in supporting people with the psychological, social and relational impacts of cancer. She currently works in the Clinical Psychology Service at Melanoma Institute Australia, where she is involved in the clinical care of patients, professional and community education, and supportive care and survivorship research for patients with melanoma.

Speaker

Jake Thompson

Research Officer, Melanoma Institute Australia

Jake Thompson is a research officer with seven years of melanoma research experience. His research has had a strong focus on the unmet supportive care needs and survivorship issues of people with melanoma, as well as interventions and resources to address these unmet needs. He is currently a research officer at Melanoma Institute Australia and Co-Head of the Supportive Care and Survivorship research stream, where he oversees supportive care research aiming to improve the lives of patients with melanoma.

This webinar was brought to you by