Hello and welcome to my website. I am a cancer specialist with expertise in breast and bowel (colorectal) cancer. I also have an interest in targeted treatments for tumours in the liver such as Selective Internal Radiation Therapy and DC Beads. My particular interest is in the medical management of patients with complex cancer problems and working with other cancer specialists to provide personalised cancer care.
I am based at The Christie in Manchester, UK, where I am an NHS consultant but also see patients privately at The Christie Private Care. I also consult at The Richmond Suite at The Alexandra Hospital in Cheadle and 52 Alderley Road in Wilmslow. I also have practising privileges in London at The Harley Street Clinic.
I believe very strongly in personalised oncology care, something which is often missed in these days of busy clinics with doctors under pressure to see many patients with limited time. Every patient is different and every patient's cancer is different. It is my job as your Oncologist to assess how your cancer affects you as an individual. In this way, I can design a personalised treatment programme for YOU which will give you the best chance of beating cancer.
As a Medical Oncologist I have special knowledge of the drug treatment of cancer such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy and other new anti-cancer drugs which are increasingly becoming available. Treatment of cancer is a team approach and is a rapidly evolving area. Treatment programmes increasingly involve working closely with surgeons, radiotherapy specialists, palliative medicine and pain specialists, specialist nurses and other health professionals such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and complimentary therapists.
Cancer
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What is cancer? +
Cancer describes the process when some cells in the body start to grow in an uncontrolled fashion. They grow and divide and a collection of uncontrolled cancer cells is called a tumour. Those "cancer cells" can multiply and move or "metastasise" usually via the lymphatic or blood system to other parts or organs of the body where they cause problems with the function of those organs leading to ill health.
Recent estimates are that 50% of the western population will get cancer in their lifetime. The commonest cancers in the western world are breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. These make up 55% of all cancers diagnosed in the United Kingdom. Consequently over one in four will get one of these common cancers.
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Breast Cancer +
Breast Cancer is the commonest cancer in women. The current lifetime risk of breast cancer for a woman in the UK has risen in recent years and is now 12%. Pleasingly, we have made great strides in treating breast cancer and now over 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are cured from their cancer. This usually involves combinations of many treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy.
European Society of Medical Oncology patient guide: Breast Cancer
Download patient guide in pdf: click here
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Bowel (Colorectal) Cancer +
Colorectal Cancer is one of the four most common cancers and affects approximately 6% of the UK population in their lifetime. It is slightly more common in men than women. As with other common cancers, treatment often involves surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy.
European Society of Medical Oncology patient guide: Colorectal Cancer
Download patient guide in pdf: click here
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Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) +
SIRT is a technique by which tumours in the liver are treated with the insertion of radioactive microscopic beads into the main artery supplying the liver. The tumours receive a dose of radiotherapy leading to shrinkage of the tumours and remission for the patient. In our practice at The Christie we usually give chemotherapy with SIRT and then follow that treatment up with a short course of chemotherapy. This helps to make SIRT more effective and to protect the rest of the system from cancer.
Download patient guide to SIRT in pdf: click here
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DC Bead Therapy +
DC Bead Therapy is a similar technique to SIRT. In this case, however, the beads are impregnated with chemotherapy drugs such as Irinotecan and Doxorubicin. In this way, chemotherapy is delivered directly into the liver tumours, minimising side effects in the rest of the body.
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I hope this website is informative and helpful to you as a patient.
Best Wishes,
