Oncology course starting

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The first step has been taken. No fewer than 150 acupuncturists gathered on November 24 and 25 at the Bibliotheek Neude in the heart of Utrecht for the first part of the oncology course for acupuncturists, organized by the NVA. In this beautiful location, the former post office of the city, participants learned about different types of cancer and the treatment options available within conventional medicine. Heavy, but also very educational topics!

After obtaining the course certificate, the acupuncturists meet the requirements to be included in the Cancer Referral Guide of the IKNL. The participants learn how to support oncology patients using acupuncture to optimize 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 delivered by speakers with years of experience in conventional and integrative medicine. Dr. Eva Noorda, a surgical oncologist, and Daniëlle Verbeek, an internist oncologist, kicked off the course on Friday with an introduction to oncology, a lecture on the origins of cancer, and its locoregional treatment. After a well-catered lunch and a well-deserved coffee break, nursing specialist Maarten van Elst, working at UMC Utrecht, concluded the day with an engaging lecture on prostate cancer.
On Saturday morning, the participants were once again greeted with a wealth of new information. The program was filled with lectures from four nursing specialists, starting with a presentation on hematology by Nanda Vreeke and Bo Visscher. After lunch, Simone Dokter, a nursing specialist, spoke about the various types of colorectal cancer and the treatment options available. Finally, nursing specialist Marjon Geerts delivered a lecture on lung cancer.

Two More Parts to Go
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 afterward. In January and March of the coming year, two more parts of the oncology course will follow, covering not only knowledge about the conventional medical pathway but also perspectives from Chinese medicine. We are already looking forward to it!

Note: The NVA is no longer organizing the course, but work is underway on a (similar) course by a training institute in the Netherlands. When this is known, it will, of course, be included in the training agenda.

Photography: Mark Hell