HELP will be for available for people living with and after head and neck cancer during a day-long event in Worcester.

Macmillan's Worcestershire Head and Neck team will host the event at Worcestershire County Cricket Club on Friday, May 13.

It will include sessions from a dietitian and physical activity instructor, with other health professionals delivering keynote speeches.

Ladan Hajihassani is a Macmillan specialist head and neck dietitian who works at Worcestershire Royal Acute Hospital NHS Trust.

Her role involves helping patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer to manage problems encountered with food intake that can arise during and after treatment.

Working alongside a range of other medical professionals including specialist consultants, surgeons, oncologists, clinical nurse specialists and a counsellor, Ladan offers timely advice on food and eating to patients under her care.

She said: "We know nutrition is an important long term prognostic factor in head and neck cancer patients and good nutrition is essential for recovery and maintaining good nutritional status.

"Head and neck cancer patients suffer with significant nutritional challenges and most of them experience moderate to severe malnutrition before, during and after treatment."

In her role Ms Hajihassani often works to support patients experiencing weight loss and difficulty swallowing and provides ongoing advice on nutrition.

Delivering appropriate advice and improving patients’ nutritional status means she is able to help patients receive more effective treatments and recover much more quickly.

For more information or to register, contact Jane Fizor, who is coordinating the event, on Jane.fizor@nhs.net or 01905 733496. You can also contact the local Macmillan Learning and Development team on swmidslearning@macmillan.org.uk or 01904756410.