Nurse specialist shares expertise at international prostate cancer conference
Leading nurse specialist, Debbie Victor, has returned from Australia after representing Cornwall on the international stage at the 26th Asia-Pacific Prostate Cancer Conference in Melbourne.
Debbie Victor, Uro-Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist, was invited to share her expertise and best practice with delegates from across the world, highlighting the high standard of care and innovation being delivered here in Cornwall.
Debbie has been caring for urology patients for more than 30 years and in her current role since 2004. An award-winning specialist and Education Lead for the British Association of Urological Nurses, she has helped shape national guidance, developed innovative nurse-led services and worked with organisations including NHS England and Prostate Cancer UK to improve patient care.
Debbie said: “It was a real honour to speak at such a prestigious international conference. This opportunity reflects the dedication and expertise of our team here at RCHT and our commitment to delivering the best care. I’m proud to be able to share the work we are doing to help drive innovation in prostate cancer care.”
In one of her sessions – Introducing a nurse-led TP biopsy service – Debbie spoke about setting up the first nurse-led local anaesthetic trans perineal prostate biopsy service in the South West, offering men a safer option for this diagnostic test for prostate cancer.
Debbie explained: “In Australia this is currently the domain of the urology consultants, but using nurse specialists can increase capacity, particularly when they offer PSA screening so it is likely there will be more biopsies needed.”
In another session Debbie discussed how, as a nurse, she is also able to see/ review men on combined hormone treatment for prostate cancer and ways of keeping the men healthy on this treatment. Debbie added: “This session was very well attended and people stopped me afterwards to ask if I could share some of the programme of care so that they could look to do something similar.”
Dr Mike Rowe, Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Clinical Lead for Oncology, said: “We are incredibly proud of Debbie and this well-deserved recognition. Being invited to present at a major international conference demonstrates the expertise within our teams. Sharing learning and best practice on a global stage helps ensure we continue to improve services for patients here in Cornwall.”
The Asia-Pacific Prostate Cancer Conference, which took place from 13 to 15 August, is a key international forum for advancing prostate cancer research, treatment and care.