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Speak to our male cancer nurses

Meet our Orchid Male Cancer Information Nurses

We are delighted to welcome Rob Cornes and Katherine Mutsvangwa to the team. The aim of the Orchid Male Cancer Information Nurses is to support the development of our services and to offer much needed information, advice and support to men, their families and friends. The nurse will also build on the successful relationships we have already established with healthcare professionals, voluntary and community groups. Meet Rob Cornes and Katherine Mutsvangwa...

About Rob Cornes

My name is Rob Cornes, I am 42 years old and live with my wife in Essex.

I qualified as an RGN in 1991 at Barking Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust where I had undertaken my training. I began work as a staff nurse on the urology ward. I continued to work within urology at BHR for 12 years culminating in the role of charge nurse from 1997-2003. I left the ward in 2003 and took up a position as a Clinical Trials Nurse, partially funded by Orchid whilst also supporting the uro-oncology nurse specialist in her role within the trust. In 2004 I took up this role full time and have remained in this post ever since. In my present role I am designated a key-worker for anybody diagnosed with a urological malignancy. This means that I am present at the time of a patient’s diagnosis and will usually go through treatment options with them as well as provide them with the relevant written or verbal information relating to their particular circumstances.

From that point on I am a point of contact for that patient throughout their treatment journey and at all points in between and after. This has meant that over the last 7 years I have met literally thousands of men affected by male cancer and have gained a valuable insight into the sort of information that they need. I am also currently the chairman of PHASE a large support group for men and their families who have been affected by prostate cancer.

I have always been a firm advocate of information both written and verbal. In my experience it makes a huge difference for patients and their families. When I heard of the Orchid role I was immediately interested in the potential to develop such information to use on a larger scale which should be of help to anyone concerned about, or diagnosed with, prostate, testicular or penile cancer.

It is quite clear from the recently updated National Cancer Plan that there is a well defined role for charities such as Orchid to contribute to current cancer awareness and along with NICE there are recommendations on how this should be presented. I think that Orchid is ideally placed to actively perform in this role with its established research and amazing awareness programme and I am very excited to be a part of it. I am particularly interested in trying to link up nationally with other testicular and penile charities or organisations and to try and provide some easily accessible forum for men affected by these conditions.

In my spare time I love listening to 40s and 50s music, reading non-fiction with a particular interest in the esoteric and strumming my Gretsch guitar.

About Katherine Mutsvangwa

My name is Katherine Kefri Mutsvangwa and I was born in Zimbabwe. I came to UK in 1990 and trained and qualified as a registered General Nurse at Princess Alexandra and Newham school of Nursing and Midwifery - Royal London Hospital which then became part of City University in 1993. I have worked as a Cancer Nurse since I qualified in 1993 and I knew straight away during my nurse training that was what I wanted to do.

I nearly had the temptation to leave nursing to become an accountant after I had studied accountancy part- time but I had an opportunity to become a Grasp (workload measurement tool) Project co-ordinator for cancer services. I was able to train all the staff and to roll the project out in all cancer wards within the given project time frame. I was able to work with all ward managers in cancer services, finance managers and the matron to identify patient care activities, identify the nursing skills required to meet patient activities and to help set up budgeting with the findings. I received a BENTLEY award in 2000 following this post at Barts and the London Hospital for being the best nurse and best achievement as a Grasp Project Nurse.

I then specialised in Haematology Oncology Nursing in 2001. I became interested in new treatments for cancers and wanted to spend more time educating, supporting patients and relatives undergoing cancer treatment or with a cancer diagnosis.

I had an opportunity in 2004 to work as research nurse in specialising in male cancers – prostate and testicular cancer funded by Orchid. It has been a privilege and experience to look after patients with testicular cancer on surveillance, undergoing standard chemotherapy, high dose chemotherapy as well as those patients requiring end of life care and support.

I have so much experience that I would like to extend my knowledge and expertise by educating and spreading awareness of male cancers to help encourage self checks, an early diagnosis and prevent male cancers. I am currently working as a Research / Oncology Nurse in genitor- urinary cancer at Barts and The London NHS Trust.

As much as I am dedicated and enjoy what I do, in my free time I enjoy gardening, sewing and doing some DIY. I have always been very competitive at sports and once played football and am proud to say I was the only female member in the team. I have done voluntary teaching of bead jewellery making and sewing in summer and half term holidays to young girls aged 13- 16 years. I enjoy transferring my skills to future generations.