What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment where medicine is used to kill cancer cells. There are many different types of chemotherapy medicine, but they all work in a similar way. They stop cancer cells reproducing, which prevents them from growing and spreading in the body.

How does the Sussex Cancer Fund help Patients Receiving Chemotherapy?

The Sussex Cancer Fund was primarily set up as a charity to support the Sussex Cancer Centre. The Sussex Cancer Centre is based at the Royal Sussex County Hospital and is the hub of the Sussex Cancer Network, covering cancer services from Rye to Arundel and Brighton to East Grinstead. The main function of the Centre is the provision of both radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment.

Our support for the Sussex Cancer Centre consists of purchasing additional equipment, funding refurbishment projects, providing additional services for patients and assisting the participation in and the funding of cancer research projects.

Some of the equipment & services we have supplied to the chemotherapy wards include:

• Heat pads for veins to allow easier and more comfortable canular insertion
• Cookbooks with recipes and advice for patients with little appetite or difficulty in swallowing
• Therapeutic massage
• Acupuncture to help relieve the side effects of treatment
• Magazines
• Thermometers
• Nebulisers
• Weighing scales for accurately measuring out drugs
• Telephone headsets for nurses to speak to patients at home especially needed during the COVID pandemic
• Chemotherapy chairs, specialist chairs for patients receiving treatment for up to 8 hours a day
• Chemotherapy stools for nurses to attend and treat patients
• Treatment/procedure trolleys
• Leg exercise machines
• Free onsite car park in Brighton for patients
• Free tea and coffee for patients

Projects we have been involved with to help Chemotherapy Patients include:

The Sussex Cancer Fund paid for the refurbishment of the chemotherapy suite at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, as well as many patient waiting areas at the Sussex Cancer Centre.

The Sussex Cancer Fund also assisted in the extension of Chemotherapy treatments at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath. The expanded chemo service has meant that patients have been able to receive treatment locally rather than travelling to Brighton.

The Sussex Cancer Fund has awarded grants to several cancer research projects as well as funding a Research Practitioner role. This enables the trust to take part in many clinical trials and research projects. This not only helps national and international cancer research projects but also gives, where appropriate, some cancer patients access to new clinical trials and treatment.

The charity’s most ambitious project is the Macmillan Horizon Centre which we have built in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Care & BSUH. The Cancer Support Centre opened in November 2016 and is being used by 100s of our patients regularly.

Our aim is to provide the best possible care for cancer patients in Sussex, if you would like to support us in our mission please donate here