Programme in detail

18.30 – 18.40    Welcome and introductions

Part1: How to avoid missing cancer in the head and neck

18.41 – 18.56    Role of the patient in early diagnosis (Kim McLeod)

                         - Patient experience story

Learning outcomes for GPs

• Recognise the signs/presentation of a Head and Neck cancer patient, without any obvious symptoms
• When to refer urgently
• Understand the options of post-operative care a patient may require

18.56 – 19.12    Role of the GP in early diagnosis (Rajan Patel)

Learning outcomes for GPs

• Be able to recognise ‘red flags’ , what to look out for
• Gain better understanding of when to refer
• Informed of the referral pathway specific to head & neck service and the neck lump clinic

19.12 – 19.14    Referral pathways for Head and Neck service - including Neck Lump clinic (Khasmin Groenendijk and Amber Swortzl)    

 - a quick run through of the referral pathway for Head and Neck service

 Learning outcomes for GPs

• Better informed on how best to refer to Head and Neck service, including the Neck Lump clinic        

Part 2: Tips for managing post-operative care

19.17 – 17.27    Speech/Swallowing/Language therapy ( Anna Miles)

Learning outcomes for GPs:

• Understand the speech and swallowing implications of different types of head and neck cancers and their treatments
• Understand the importance of speech therapy before, during and after head and neck cancer treatment
• Understand how and when to refer to a speech therapist
• Understand the red flags for re-refer to speech therapy

19.28 – 19.38    Nursing/Surgical Care/Medication management (Lou Tjauw)

• Understand the level of care and range of services a patient requires post-op
• Best ways of administering medication for a Head and Neck cancer patient
• Able to advise patients on the different after-care services they can tap into

19.39 – 19.49    Diet Management (Belinda Reeves)

 Learning outcomes for GPs:

• Better understand the nutritional management of head and neck cancer pre and post-surgery
• The long-term nutritional considerations of people with head and neck cancer

19.50 – 20.05    Announcement of refreshment break

20.06 – 20.16    Physiotherapy Management (Jeanette Cole)

• Understand the role of Physiotherapy in the multi-disciplinary care and rehabilitation of this group of patients
• Understand the stages of rehabilitation from the Physiotherapy perspective

20.17-20.27       Panel discussion and Questions & Answers (facilitated by Rajan Patel)

Part 3:  Contrasting early diagnosis vs late diagnosis – case studies

                   - To highlight to GPs red flag symptoms and signs

20.28 – 20.38    Case Study 1: Oral Cavity – Muammar Abu-Serriah

 Learning outcomes for GPs:

• Systematic assessment of suspicious lesion of the oral cavity
• Be able to identify ‘red flags’ which should trigger urgent referral
• When and how to seek help

20.39 – 20.49    Case Study 2: Oropharynx – Kevin Smith

 Learning outcomes for GPs:

• Able to recognise the typical presentation of oropharyngeal cancers
• Understand the role of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in cancers of the oropharynx
• Be able to identify “red flags’ which should trigger urgent referral

20.50 – 21.00    Case Study 3: Skin – Mark Izzard 

Learning outcomes for GPs: (TBC)

21.00  - 21.05    SR referral – Cervin Media

21:05 – 21.10    Closing comments (Rajan Patel)

Meet the Speakers

Mr Rajan S Patel 
MBChB, MD, FRCS (ORLHNS), FRACS (ORLHNS)

Rajan is the New Zealand Convener for World Head & Neck Cancer Day. He has been involved in Head and Neck Cancer treatment for 20 years.

H qualified as Consultant Head and Neck Surgeon in 2005. He was awarded Doctor of Medicine (MD) Diploma by the University of Glasgow for his research efforts in 2005. Thereafter he completed three years of Fellowship training in Head & Neck Surgery and Reconstructive Surgery in Toronto and Sydney.

He was appointed Consultant Surgeon at Auckland City Hospital in 2009 and is Clinical Lead Surgeon at Auckland Head & Neck Surgery, which he established with Mark Izzard in 2010.

His clinical interests include surgery to treat oral (mouth), pharynx (throat) and skin cancers of the head, face and neck; and complex reconstruction of these areas

Rajan has published more than 40 articles in scientific journals and written several book chapters on head and neck surgery.

Kevin Smith 
Mr. Kevin G Smith MA(Cantab), MBBS, MRCS, FRACS(ORLHNS)

Kevin is a Consultant Head, Neck and Thyroid Surgeon at North Shore Hospital and represents patients from Waitemata DHB as a member the Auckland Head and Neck Cancer multidisciplinary team. He believes all New Zealanders are entitled to access world-class care in Head and Neck surgery, and is proud to join and complement the team with his expertise at Auckland Head and Neck Specialists.

An alumnus of Magdalene College, Cambridge University, and Imperial College School of Medicine, London; Kevin attained Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2006. He began his training in Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery in London before making New Zealand his permanent home in 2007.

Kevin trained as a specialist Otolaryngologist, Head and Neck Surgeon in Auckland and Wellington, and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2014. He further developed his expertise in head and neck surgical oncology, advanced thyroid and parathyroid surgery, complex skin cancers, and minimally invasive salivary gland surgery when he completed the prestigious Advanced Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals in London - one of only two Royal College of Surgeons of England accredited head and neck Fellowships in the UK.

After his Fellowship, Kevin worked as a Consultant in the Head and Neck Unit at Guy’s Hospital, where he enjoyed helping to train the new generation of head and neck surgeons and medical students. Whilst there he pursued a range of research interests, participating in the sentinel lymph node for oral cavity cancer programme, and was a co-investigator on a groundbreaking T4 Immunotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer clinical trial.

Kevin is a member of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the New Zealand Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and the British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists.

Dr Muammar Abu-Serriah  
BDS (Hons), MBChB, FDSRCPS (Glasg), MRCS (Glasg), FRCSGlasg (OMFS), MSc(MedSci) (Hons), MSc (Hons), PhD

Muammar followed a unique training pathway in Oral and Maxillofacial Head and Neck Surgery, making him one of the most qualified and trained Oral & Maxillofacial surgeon in Western Europe and Australasia.  He was able to combine both extensive clinical training and sound scientific grounding supporting clinical practice.

Muammar graduated and completed his first university degree in Clinical Dentistry (BDS) with distinction from University of Jordan, one of the most reputable in the Middle East.  After working as a junior resident in Jordan, he was successful in obtaining two prestigious scholarships from the UK - where he completed a Masters (MSc(MedSci) and a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) from University of Glasgow, UK, in the field of facial reconstruction and tissue bioengineering.  While studying for his postgraduate degrees, Muammar became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (FDSRCPS (Glasg).  He then went to Kings College, London University to study clinical medicine (MBChB) and completed this in Glasgow.

Following his graduation from medical school, Muammar completed his basic surgical training in Plastic Surgery, Vascular Surgery and General Medicine in Glasgow and Oxford. Prior to starting his specialist surgical training at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, he became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS).  During his specialist training in Oxford, Muammar studied healthcare management, service improvement and clinical leadership for which he was awarded a Masters degree (MSc) with distinction.

In 2013, Muammar completed his specialist surgical training from Oxford and was able to obtain a place in the prestigious National Interface Fellowship Programme of the UK, in Advanced Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, Manchester UK.  He worked as a consultant Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon with a specialist interest in head and neck cancer surgery in Manchester, UK, prior to moving to Auckland. 

Combining both dental and medical backgrounds with surgical training, Muammar does not only offer the removal of cancer, and reconstruction (including microsurgery) but also oral and facial rehabilitation to maximise function, aesthetics and improve quality of life.

Muammar has published several notable articles, most recently: Modification of fasciocutaneous radial forearm free flap to achieve two-layer closure during reconstruction of circumferential hypopharyngeal defects.

Muammar is a member of various professional institutions in the UK, Europe and Australasia, including: the European Association of Crania-Maxillofacial Surgeons; British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists; Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

Mr Mark Izzard 
MBBS, FRACS (ORLHNS)

Mark graduated from the University of London, St Georges Hospital in 1992. He then completed his basic training in general surgery before commencing a training scheme in Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (ORLHNS). Mark qualified as an ORLHNS surgeon in 2002 and then further sub-specialised in head and neck surgery, reconstruction and facial plastics by undertaking surgical fellowships training at the University of Washington Medical School, US and Green Lane Hospital, NZ. During the fellowship, Mark developed skills for reconstructing all aspects of the head and neck and cosmetic facial surgery including cancer surgery and microsurgical reconstruction. Mark’s special interests include facial reconstructive surgery – rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty – and reconstruction of massive facial defects after cancer surgery or trauma.

Mark was awarded an honorary senior lectureship at Auckland University in 2005. He teaches at the undergraduate student teaching program and is a guest lecturer on the anatomy training course, as well as co-coordinating overseas student electiveships at the Auckland Hospital Head and Neck Centre. Mark has published several peer review papers and is currently involved in developing a research centre in head and neck surgery and reconstruction at Auckland University. As well as running the New Zealand facial plastic surgical course for trainees, Mark is also a guest lecturer at the Stanford Facial Plastics program, which is held every year in California.

Mark is a member of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Australian and New Zealand Head and Neck Society, the Australasian academy of Facial Plastic Surgery, the American academy of Facial Plastic Surgery, the American Head and Neck Society, and the New Zealand Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.

Dr Anna Miles

Dr Anna Miles is a speech-language therapist. Anna is a senior lecturer at The University of Auckland. She is a researcher, lecturer and clinician in the area of voice and swallowing disorders. Anna runs a hospital-based student teaching clinic at Auckland Hospital, as well as an outpatient voice and swallowing rehabilitation clinic including the Mercy Ascot Head and Neck contract. She is the New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association Clinical Expert in Adult Dysphagia. Anna started her career in Barnet, London after studying at University College London in the 1990’s. Anna has been in New Zealand since 2000.

Lou Tjauw 

Lou commenced her nursing career in head and neck cancer 24 years ago and has since worked in both public and private hospitals in New Zealand, as well as spending 14 years nursing in London.

She is currently a Nurse Specialist in surgical oncology at Mercy Ascot, specialising in the pre and post-operative care of patients with head and neck cancer.  Lou has a strong commitment to work within the multidisciplinary team to ensure patients receive an excellent, seamless and patient -centred care throughout their cancer journey.

Belinda Reeves

Belinda has over 15 years experience as a Dietitian working in the private and public sectors in New Zealand and overseas. Her interest in oncology started while studying at Otago University and has become a passion having worked with patients at all different stages of the disease. Belinda now works with the Head and Neck Team seeing patients pre and post- surgery and patients going through radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

She is passionate about working with patients and their families to optimise their nutritional intake to get the best outcomes throughout treatment

Jeanette Cole

Jeanette Cole has worked extensively in both the public and private sectors in a variety of specialties and she particularly enjoys the challenges of providing post-operative rehabilitation at Mercy Hospital Auckland.

She has provided Physiotherapy services in amputee rehabilitation, respiratory, cardio- pulmonary, acute post- surgical, post-operative orthopaedic areas and now welcomes the opportunity to be involved in the multi -disciplinary care of patients recovering from head and neck surgery at Mercy Hospital.