Oncology course starting

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The first part is done. A total of 150 acupuncturists gathered on November 24 and 25 at the Neude Library in the heart of Utrecht for the first part of the oncology course for acupuncturists, organized by the NVA. At this beautiful location, the former post office of the city, the participants learned about different types of cancer and the treatment options available within conventional medicine. Heavy, but also very informative topics!

After obtaining the certificate of the course, acupuncturists meet the requirements to be included in the Cancer Referral Guide of the IKNL. The students learn how to support oncology patients with acupuncture, optimizing their quality of life. The course not only focuses on insights and practical skills from Chinese medicine, but also emphasizes knowledge sharing about the conventional medical approach and treatments for cancer.

Treating, informing, guiding
The lessons during this first part of the course were taught by speakers with years of experience in conventional and integrative medicine. Dr. Eva Noorda, surgical oncologist, and Daniëlle Verbeek, internist-oncologist, kicked off the course on Friday with an introduction to oncology, a lecture on the origin of cancer and its locoregional treatment. After a well-catered lunch and well-deserved coffee break, nurse specialist Maarten van Elst, working at UMC Utrecht, concluded the day with an engaging lecture on prostate cancer.
Saturday morning, the students were once again presented with a lot of new information. The program featured lectures by four nurse specialists, starting with the presentation on hematology by Nanda Vreeke and Bo Visscher. After lunch, Simone Dokter, nurse specialist, discussed the various types of colorectal cancer and the treatment options available. Finally, nurse specialist Marjon Geerts gave a lecture on lung cancer.

Two more parts
After a successful first part of the oncology course, the participants returned home tired but satisfied. 'These two days of oncology were very interesting.', 'Very inspiring' and 'What an incredibly well-organized course. A solid ten!!!' are some of the comments we received afterwards. In January and March of the upcoming year, two more parts of the oncology course will follow, covering not only knowledge about the conventional medical path but also the perspective from Chinese medicine. We are already looking forward to it!

N.B. Unfortunately, registration for the course is no longer possible. As soon as more information is available about a possible repeat course, we will let you know as soon as possible.

Photography: Mark Hell