Talking About Cancer: Reducing Risk, Early Detection and Mythbusting
Gain the tips, tools and confidence to have conversations about cancer that could save lives with experts at Cancer Research UK.
- Duration3 weeks
- Weekly study1 hour
- LearnFree
Talking About Cancer: Reducing Risk, Early Detection and Mythbusting
Learn how to talk with others about the reducing cancer risk & cancer screening
1 in 2 people will develop cancer in their lifetime. Talking about how to detect or prevent cancer can be difficult, but it can play a very important role in early diagnosis and early detection.
On this course, you’ll draw on the knowledge of Cancer Research UK experts to learn to talk about cancer.
You might be worried you’ll say the wrong thing or that you simply don’t know enough about the subject. This course will help you to learn how best to talk to people about how to avoid cancer, like by making positive changes in their lifestyles and using local services.
You’ll learn how to encourage them to visit their doctor for cancer screening if they notice changes to their body.
The skills you gain on this course will also be useful for learning how to talk about cancer diagnoses.
What topics will you cover?
- Key facts and health messages about cancer prevention, screening and early diagnosis, and how to explain them.
- Confidence for having conversations about cancer that help others take positive action.
- Identification of barriers to making positive changes for their health or seeing a doctor.
- Communication methods that overcome barriers and avoid building defensiveness and fear.
- Methods of questioning that help people make decisions for themselves.
- Identifying how our own feelings can affect conversations.
- Directing people to the right places for advice and support.
- Creating an action plan for talking about cancer.
When would you like to start?
Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more
Available now
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Summarise simple, reliable facts about cancer, prevention, early diagnosis and screening.
- Engage those around you in effective conversations about cancer.
- Identify appropriate sources of support and information, and signpost people to them.
- Assess the barriers that can prevent people from taking positive action for their health or visiting the doctor, and engage them in a way that encourages them to take action.
- Develop a plan of action for talking about cancer.
Who is the course for?
This course is suitable for anyone with an interest in cancer prevention and aims to help with both personal and professional conversations about cancer and health.
If you want to be able to broach topics like the causes of cancer and to encourage cancer screening, you can benefit from this course.
The course is particularly relevant for those working or volunteering in the following areas: health advocacy, care and support work, community health centres and services, GP surgeries, mental health, nursing, occupational therapy, oncology, osteopathy, pharmacy, physiotherapy, dentistry, public health, radiotherapy, sexual health, social work, or any other healthcare.
The course does not require any previous experience of this subject.
What do people say about this course?
It was relayed well with thought-provoking videos and gave sound advice on overcoming barriers to communication…very useful course giving me a chance to reflect on my role within the workplace
Karen
Clinical services manager, pharmacy
The course has surpassed my expectations not only for the valuable information related to cancer and awareness, also to the transferable ideas and tools provided…I feel much more confident in talking about cancer with others
Debbie
Allied health assistant, occupational therapy
Who will you learn with?
Gill has been a nurse for 30 years, with a variety of experience in the cancer field. Gill joined Cancer Research UK in 2009, and is now one of the Lead Cancer Awareness Trainers at the charity.
Gwen trained as a nurse, working in a variety of settings with cancer patients before joining Cancer Research UK in 1998 on the Nurse Helpline. Gwen works as a Lead Cancer Awareness Trainer.
Who developed the course?
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) are the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.
Learner reviews
See all FutureLearn Reviews
Join this course
Start this course for free, upgrade for extra benefits, or buy Unlimited to access this course and hundreds of other short courses for a year.
Free
$0
Join free and you will get:
Upgrade
$59
Upgrade this course and you will get:
Unlimited
(New!)
$259.99
for one year
Buy Unlimited and you will get:
Get a taste of this course
Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join:
Do you know someone who’d love this course? Tell them about it...
You can use the hashtag #FLTalkingCancer to talk about this course on social media.
More courses you might like
Learners who joined this course have also enjoyed these courses.
Browse more in Healthcare & Medicine