• Upcoming events
• Farewell to Erica
• Patient Education Event Recording
• National Nursing Conference Recap
• Lime It Up For Lymphoma Awareness Month
• Heart Disease
• GC Dental Dry Mouth Gel
• Blood Cancer Exercise Group
• Nurse Support Line

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 Upcoming Lymphoma Australia events

💚 CLL/SLL Patient online Group Chat -- 2nd September   
💚 Canberra In Person Group Chat -- 18th September
💚 Adelaide In Person Group Chat --2oth September
💚 Cellular Therapy Online Group Chat -- 24th September
💚 Melbourne In Person Group Chat -- 25th September
💚 Impacted By Lymphoma Online Group Chat -- 24th October
💚 Watch And Wait Online Group Chat -- 12th November
💚 Life After Lymphoma Online Group Chat -- 4th December

For more information about these events, have a look at our events calendar. If you are having trouble registering for an event, please contact our nursing team 1800953081.

A Big Farewell to Erica

This month, we bid a heartfelt farewell to Erica, our esteemed National Nurse Manager. Erica has been a cornerstone of Lymphoma Australia, and her presence has been a comforting and familiar one to many within our community.

Erica’s contributions to our organisation have been invaluable, and her dedication has profoundly impacted countless lives. As she embarks on the next chapter of her career, we want to extend our deepest gratitude for all that she has done.

Erica, your commitment, expertise, and kindness have left an indelible mark on Lymphoma Australia. We wish you every success and happiness in your future endeavors. Your legacy here will not be forgotten, and you will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Patient Education Seminar Melbourne Recording

Patient education event recording
If you missed our recent patient seminar in Melbourne, please find a recording of the session below. 

The lineup included:
💚Understanding Bispecific Antibodies (Prof Michael Dickinson)
💚Building your Support Network- Asking for Help (Psychologist Dr Susan Palmer)
💚The Importance of Oral Mouth Care (Dentist Dr James Fernando)
💚Peripheral Neuropathy (Nurse Practitioner Michael Collins)
💚Cancer Related Cognitive Impairment (Nurse Researcher Dr Priscilla Gates)
💚Cancer Related Fatigue (Exercise Physiologist Dale Ischia)

National Nursing Conference 2024 Recap

On the 26 and 27th of July, health professionals from across the country gathered in Melbourne to upskill their lymphoma knowledge.

350 nurses from more than 200 hospitals across Australia and internationally dedicated 2 days to learning more about a cancer with over 80 different subtypes.

Lymphoma Australia is dedicated to educating our national nurse workforce empowering them to improve the experiences and outcomes of people impacted by lymphoma/CLL.

A huge thank you to our 26 presenters for sharing your expertise about this complex cancer.

Let's Lime It Up!

Go LIME for Lymphoma this September!

Are you ready to add a splash of lime to your life this September?

We’re gearing up to Go LIME for Lymphoma, and we’d love for you to join us in this exciting month of raising awareness and support!

September is Lymphoma Awareness Month, and World Lymphoma Awareness Day is on the 15th. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to make Whether you’re decorating your clinic in lime green, organising a special event, or simply spreading the word, your participation will help put lymphoma in the limelight and support the incredible work of our Lymphoma Care Nurses.

Register to raise awareness and funds through your workplace, hospital, sporting club, school, friends, or community group.

Support Lymphoma Care Nurses in helping Australian families navigate their lymphoma journey.

Let’s ensure no one faces lymphoma alone.

Heart Disease

1 in 6 Australians report living with cardiovascular disease (heart disease) making heart health an important factor your doctor considers when treating your lymphoma. 

Some lymphoma treatments can increase the risk of heart disease including:

• Radiotherapy that is delivered close to a person’s heart (eg chest area) 

• Chemotherapy agents called anthracyclines eg Doxorubicin

• Immune Check point inhibitors eg pembrolizumab

• Targeted therapies- eg some BTKi inhibitors such as ibrutinib 

Your doctor will ensure that your heart is functioning at an acceptable level before prescribing treatment that may affect your heart. However, exposure to many of these agents even in people with healthy hearts can still cause damage to the heart muscle and increase the risk of heart disease including: 

• Decreases in the heart’s Left Ventricular Ejection (how much blood the heart pumps with each contraction)

• Arrhythmias (irregular heart rate)

• Cardiomyopathies (difficult for heart to pump blood)

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)

• Cardiac ischemia (reduced oxygen to the heart)

• Congestive heart failure (heart has difficulty pumping blood and oxygen around the body)

Heart disease can develop:

• Acutely (during or shortly after treatment), or 

• Chronically (within a year of completing treatment or in the years following treatment)

Common symptoms of heart disease can include:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

• Chest pain

• Changes to your heart rate or feeling your heartbeat more than usual (palpitations)

• Changes to your blood pressure

• Dizziness 

• Swelling in your arms or legs

• Extreme tiredness (fatigue).

If you have any of the above symptoms it is important to check in with your GP, cardiologist or treating haematologist. Report any new changes to your doctor, even if you finished treatment months, or years ago. Let them know you had treatment for lymphoma in the past, that may increase your risk of heart disease. Call an ambulance on 000 (Australia) if you have chest pain, pressure in your chest or severe shortness of breath.

Management:

The management of heart disease will depend on the type of treatment you had, and the type of heart disease you have.

You may simply need a smaller dose of the medicine causing problems. Your doctor may also choose to remove or swap a medicine for one less likely to cause damage to your heart.

In certain circumstances you may need to be referred to a Cardiologist (heart specialist). They will then be able to assess and manage your heart disease.

For more information visit our webpage on this topic:

Heart conditions - Lymphoma Australia

Or call our nurses on 1800 953 081

GC Dental Dry Mouth Gel

Say Goodbye to Dry Mouth with GC Dry Mouth Gel

Dry mouth can be uncomfortable and disruptive, affecting your daily routine and quality of sleep. Our GC Dry Mouth Gel is here to help alleviate these symptoms and bring you much-needed relief.

Specially formulated to offer oral comfort and lubrication, our gel effectively moistens the mouth, tongue, and throat. Whether you're combating dryness during the day or applying it before bedtime to minimize sleep interruptions, GC Dry Mouth Gel is designed to enhance your comfort around the clock.

In addition to soothing dryness, our gel creates a protective coating for your teeth and oral tissues. It also helps in controlling bad breath, giving you confidence throughout your day and night.

Experience the comfort and protection of GC Dry Mouth Gel and say goodbye to the discomfort of dry mouth.

Please note, class times are AEST and available online Australia wide and in-person in Melbourne. If you have any questions please contact Melbourne Exercise Physiology Group on (03) 9813 2189

Everyone’s lymphoma and CLL experience is different. Our Lymphoma Care Nurses are here to help patients and families navigate the health system, access the most up to date information about lymphoma and to take the fear of the unknown out of the lymphoma journey.

Please call our nurse on 1800 953 081

You can email us on nurse@lymphoma.org.au 

📢 IMPORTANT NOTICE 📢

Our nurse support line will not be operating on the following dates- Friday 23rd of Aug, Monday 26th of Aug, Mon 30th of Sept, Mon 7th of Oct & Mon 14th of Oct.
You can still call 1800 953 081 and leave a voicemail and one of our nurses will call you back as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience. In the case of an emergency please call 000 or present to your nearest emergency department.