She supports people in the worst times of their life, and says it's one of the most rewarding jobs out there.
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Natasha Malcolm is the region's new Brain Cancer Care Co-ordinator, and has been in the job four months.
She already has 25 people on her books.
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"It's one of the rarer cancer diagnoses out there, but it's also one with the worst long term outlook," she explained.
"Emotionally, it takes more support than other tumour groups. I didn't really have an idea about how many people I would help, and those numbers change all the time. I have some new ones this week."
The position supports adults who get diagnosed with a primary brain tumour, both benign and malignant, covering the entire New England Health District area.
"I think just going home at the end of the day with a sense of achievement. There's a lot of hard days, and it's a devastating tumor group to be involved with.
Her roles vary from patient advocate, education, clinical advice, emotional support for both patients and their families.
Assessing patient's needs, referring them to appropriate services and working with other multidisciplinary teams to ensure all their needs are met.
"Brain cancer patients often have very complex needs, so acting as that contact person between patients and specialists can help them better understand and comprehend things that are taking place," she said.
Lives can literally change overnight, both physically and mentally.
"Often the patients are quite young and have never had to navigate the medical system. Added to that they are going through all these emotional, physical and personality changes."
One of the things that has surprised her so far is the way every single patient responds differently.
"You can get really caught off guard by how well someone takes it, and on the flip side how someone seemingly keeping it together can just crumple."
Patients from the region generally have their surgery in Newcastle so automatically get referred to her, but some still slip through the cracks.
"Like those long-standing cases. But they can contact me for anything, I am always open to receiving more patients."
