🚨Join us today as we discuss all things kidney cancer !! 

💥We are Hanging with the Heng! The legend that is Professor Daniel Heng (AKA DannyHeng tm) from The Albert Child Cancer Centre, Calgary, Canada🇨🇦

🎙️We hear how Danny Heng started the IMDC (International Metastatic renal cell carcinoma Database Consortium) prognostic score in advanced kidney cancer.

🎙️We discuss how the IMDC moved as prognostic score to then being part of stratification for modern metastatic kidney cancer trials.

🎙️IMDC now shapes what drugs we give for 1st line metastatic kidney cancer.

🙌🏽Kidney cancer survivals have quadrupled since the early Interferon era

💡We discuss biomarkers 🧭

💡We discuss more biomarkers - KIM 1, Clusters, Composite Biomarkers.

This was so much fun to record and an absolute privilege to have Danny on the Podcast🙌🏽

☀️ Enjoy ☀️

Join us as we complete our discussion on all things Acute Oncology Services with the superb Dr Caroline Wilson PhD FRCP from the The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.

🎙️We look at what future directions AOS will move into and what the challenges may be.
🎙️What are the BIG 5 AOS presentations?
🎙️Caroline stakes a claim for the need to change how we view the role of who manages acute oncology toxicities.

Enjoy 

Welcome back - today we are discussing Acute Oncology Services and how they have evolved over the last 15 years.

Why were they set up ? 

To give cancer patients support and care when they need it most - when they are admitted to hospital with problems.

Do you know your type 1 from your type 2 or 3 Acute oncology patient?

We talk all things AOS with the wonderful Dr Caroline Wilson from The Christie Hospital in Manchester.

What would your ideal Acute Oncology Service look like? Caroline tells us how she is building her new service.

Is yours the same as ours - probably not?

Do we need to loosen the oncology strings on SACT toxicity and encourage this to be a general medical issue.

All this and more - Enjoy!

Welcome back to part 2 of our 2 part special on the INTENSIFY trail in metastatic prostate cancer study. We welcome back the wonder Professor Simon Crabb and Dr Sarah Chamberlain from the University Hospital Southampton where they work n the medical oncology department treating urological cancers.

If you haven’t listened to part 1 please go check it out now where we set the foundations of the INTENSIFY trial.

Now lets get in to the science behind the INTENSIFY study looking at eh DECIPHER score and pTEN.

Welcome to the Simply Oncology Podcast. 

Today we are focusing in on the prostate cancer trial called INTENSIFY. 

This is a trial where we will look at intensifying metastatic prostate cancer patients.

Those patients established on combination LHRHa and ARPi therapy could then be randomised at 6months to adding chemotherapy or not if they don't have an optimal PSA tumour marker improvement.

We have brought the wonderful Professor Simon Crabb, and Dr Sarah Chamberlain from the oncology team at Southampton. They are part of the leadership team for the trial. 

This trial is already running in some centres and we discuss why it is happening and how it would be delivered.

Welcome back to part 2 of this episode on radiotherapy in muscle invasive bladder cancer where we explore the challenging questions of equitable access to neoadjuvant and adjuvant novel therapies in patients not suitable for cystectomy.

We welcome back the brilliant Dr Mohini Varughese, fighting the good fight for bladder preservation treatment!

Welcome back!

🎙️We dive back in to the exciting and dynamic world of systemic therapy in localised muscle invasive bladder cancer

🔦Shining a spotlight on bladder preservation treatment ie: radiotherapy with a radiosensitiser, a key player in the curative treatment of this cancer.

🤷Is Radiotherapy at risk of being left behind with recent trials  improving neoadjuvant and adjuvant systemic therapies with trials that have focussed exclusively on cystectomy.

🎙️We welcome back Dr Mohini Varughese from Royal Devon University Hospitals to take on this important topic in a 2 part episode!

🎙️What is the Real World Landscape like and how many people are having radiotherapy for muscle invasive bladder cancer??

All this and more!

🎙️Join us as we return with the excellent Chloe Nottingham to tackle some cancer diet myths.

❌Fasting

❌Alkali diets

❌No sugar diets

🥗Every year there is a new ‘Must Try’ diet to control your cancer.

🔎We look at the Social Media impact on what cancer patients are eating and the potential pitfalls of that.

‼️Nearly 40% of patients are following diet advice from social media that could be doing them harm!!

🤔Does a clever meme make you a good source of safe info???

😫We also look at the ‘Feeding Pressure’ that some patients feel from loved ones who are trying their best to help.

🎙️Chloe talks so much sense we almost think it should be on another podcast!!!

👍Dietitians are an amazing resource to help support patients support themselves.

🥗Healthy eating 🍎alongside exercise 🏃‍♂️remain the best platform for a body to tackle cancer.

📢A must listen for anyone tackling cancer or their loved one.

Enjoy and share!!!

We are what we eat.

Join us as we discuss with the excellent Chloe Nottingham, a specialist cancer dietitian with years of experience.

Malnutrition can lead to worse outcomes in cancer care.

Depending on the cancer type between 40-80% of patients suffer from malnutrition.

Why is that so important;

- Lower treatment tolerance 

- Lower treatment completion and doses

- More delays getting onto treatment

- Lower survival rates

- Reduced wellbeing and energy

- Longer hospital stays

Getting good nutrition support and eating well can massively impact your cancer journey.
If food was a drug we would pay a fortune for it !!!!

Chloe helps us plan a route to healthy and sensible ways of keeping our body weight and muscles working.

Enjoy!!!

Welcome back for our second of this 2 part special on testosterone in cancer with  the excellent Dr Samantha Strumeier from Barts health NHS trust.

Did you know that 10% of patients can end up with ongoing testosterone suppression after completing a course of androgen deprivation therapy.

How do we tackle theses cases?

What is the evidence.

Sam marks john's strategy out of 10 with surprising results.

Join us as we cover the effect of cancer and its treatment on Testosterone levels in cancer.

We are joined by the amazing Samantha Strumeier, nurse consultant and nursing lead for urological cancers at St Barts Hospital London. Having experience in testosterone replacement therapy at Memorial Sloane Kettering Hospital New York she shares this with us and what she is doing now.

We explore the impact of low testosterone in men on cancer treatment.

One major area where this impacts the most is prostate cancer where we cause low testosterone with androgen deprivation therapy. What happens if testosterone stays low after the treatment finishes.

We set the scene for how we can help patients with low testosterone.

All this and Samantha tries not to be too disappointed by Mike and John!!!

Lifestyle and patient choices in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer has been part of a revolution in terms of treatment options and improved outcomes for our patients. How can we make that improvement in numbers on survival curves match the goals and needs of our patients?

Join us in this second of 2 special live episodes of the Simply Oncology Podcast on Patient Choices and Lifestyle in Prostate Cancer.

We talk to patient expert Tony Collier, Dr Lucy Gossage - an oncologist involved with Move Against Cancer and  Professor Alison Birtle an oncologist with extensive experience treating prostate cancer.

In this Episode we focus on Dr Lucy Gossage and her experience of supporting cancer. patients through exercise 

Lucy Gossage has a background in international level sport alongside being an oncologist, so it seemed natural for her to be involved in Move Against Cancer. 

We discuss the massive positive steps that giving patients permission to move and exercise can have for their health -both physical and mental.

Recapturing some normality amongst the backdrop of cancer and its treatment can only be a good thing for patients.

We hear about the huge positive impact that maintaining exercise has had on Tony’s life with cancer. 

We hope you enjoy!

*This is a non-promotional podcast episode organised by Bayer PLC in partnership with Simply Oncology (Dr John McGrane and Dr Michael Rowe) to highlight the importance of holistic care in managing patients with prostate cancer. Bayer provided honoraria to the speakers of this podcast. The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of Bayer PLC or Simply Oncology. This content is for educational purposes only and should not replace clinical judgement.*

Lifestyle and patient choices in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer has been part of a revolution in terms of treatment options and improved outcomes for our patients. How can we make that improvement in numbers on survival curves match the goals and needs of our patients?

Join us in this first of 2 special live episodes of the Simply Oncology Podcast on Patient Choices and Lifestyle in Prostate Cancer.

We talk to patient expert Tony Collier, Dr Lucy Gossage - an oncologist involved with Move Against Cancer and  Professor Alison Birtle an oncologist with extensive experience treating prostate cancer.

In this Episode  we talk to Tony Collier about his experience of being a prostate cancer patient. We hear how the focus on treatment led him to have to advocate his quality of life and life goals himself. We hear how clinicians could align with patients’ goals with just a few simple questions. 

We hear about the huge positive impact that maintaining exercise has had on Tony’s life with cancer. 

Hearing Tony’s live experience of some very personal aspects of a cancer diagnosis and treatment is hugely moving and powerful.

We hope you enjoy!

*This is a non-promotional podcast episode organised by Bayer PLC in partnership with Simply Oncology (Dr John McGrane and Dr Michael Rowe) to highlight the importance of holistic care in managing patients with prostate cancer. Bayer provided honoraria to the speakers of this podcast. The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of Bayer PLC or Simply Oncology. This content is for educational purposes only and should not replace clinical judgement.*

Join us as we finish our discussion on managing menopause in gynaecological cancers with the wonderful Shibani Nicum.

Shibani works as as Associate Professor in Medical oncology treating gynaecological cancers at UCL Hospitals London.

Shibani helped se up the meno.pause app in conjunction with the British Menopause Society to help guide clinical teams to support patients with menopause issues as part of their gynae cancer treatment.

We look at setting up a complex menopause MDT and what lifestyle factors can help in this setting.

As we see ongoing improvements in survival outcomes maintaining quality of life is so important and managing menopausal issue is a big part of that quality of life.

Enjoy

Menopause in Gynae Cancer patients is a major issue.

If you struggle when to advise patients in this space.

Join us  as we discuss management of menopause in gynae cancer patients with excellent Dr Shibani Nicum from UCL hospitals London.

Menopause across all cancer affects up to 60000 patients per year!

In Gynae cancers such as ovarian cancer we can make someone menopausal immediately after surgery so that person is coping with menopause alongside surgery and chemotherapy side effects.

Shibani has helped to develop the Meno.pause app to support healthcare teams with menopause treatment in cancer.

It’s not just HRT - how best can we help support patients.

- Oxybutynin

- Neurokinin inhibitors

- Lifestyle

We discuss this and more

Enjoy!

Join us for this special episode where we look at the recent major changes in the Platinum resistant ovarian cancer space .

For so long this has been a treatment area with limited options  and poor outcomes.

Now we have ;

- New Drugs

- New targets

- Better outcomes

So much to discuss. 

We talk to the brilliant Dr Rowan Miller who specialises in gynaecological cancers and is based at UCL & St Barts Hospitals in  London.

Straight after her presentation on B7-H4 ADCs at the British Gynaecological Cancer Society meeting in Bristol we look at the new options and where they might sit in our treatment pathway?

Will they all get funded?

Can we manage the new side effects?

Could they work in sequence or together??

A 'Must Listen' if you are involved in Ovarian Cancer.

Enjoy

Join us as we return with the wonderful Professor Mark Beresford from United Hospitals in Bath.

We discuss how we as clinicians describe risk to our patients ans we look at some of the pitfalls of using relative risk, overcomplicated statistics with our patients.

If we cannot explain risk to patients how can they ,make informed decisions.

Mark moves into 'T-shirt Territory' by being our most frequent flyer on the podcast which earns him a coveted Simply Oncology Podcast T-Shirt.

Join us as we return to our discussion on the fascinating ADePT trial in Glioblastoma brain tumours with the wonderful Dr Faye Robertson from the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.

We discuss how TGX-007 developed with TROGENIX with its super enhancers, dual payload and delivery system hopes to bring a break through in High grade Gliomas.

We talk about how could this technology be 'rolled out' if successful. What level of success would be needed to develop the specialism for this kind of treatment.

Could this therapy be adapted to be used in other cancer types such as pancreatic cancer etc ?

With only 1 human trial patient clearly this is early days but we hope to follow this trial's progress on The Simply Oncology Podcast.

Even if the survival outcomes of the trial were negative this trials move the dial in terms of what is possible from drug development and delivery.

Sometimes we hear about a vision for a trial that is so novel and exciting that it takes you back a bit.

This is one such moment.

Join us as we talk to the amazing Dr Faye Robertson from the Edinburgh cancer Centre about the ingenious ADePT trial.

DUAL PAYLOAD GENE THERAPY.

Led by Trogenix and the University of Edinburgh, it tests a breakthrough "Trojan horse" gene therapy designed to destroy cancer cells and stimulate the immune system.

TGX-007 is a drug developed with Tregonix that:

How it Works: It uses dual-payload technology to deliver two distinct therapeutic agents:

1. HSV-tk: Converts an orally administered antiviral drug (valaciclovir) into a toxic agent that directly kills proliferating tumour cells.
2. IL-12: Acts as an immune-stimulating cytokine that turns the tumour into an in-situ vaccine, training the body's immune system to attack the cancer and prevent recurrence.

We have had many false dawns in GBM trials but we are very excited by the results so far with TGX-007.

Part 1 of 2 and this is a trial story we want to follow through.

Enjoy!!!

We return to discuss the role of radiotherapy in the management of Pancreatic Cancer.

What are the side effects of pancreatic radiotherapy and SABR?

Do we need an MR Linac to deliver pancreatic SABR

Where might pancreatic RT sit alongside new RAS inhibitor therapies?

Enjoy

Today we are talking about the role of radiotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer with the superb Dr Ganesh Radhakrishna from the Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Radiotherapy may play an increasing role in pancreatic cancer. Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is helping to get excellent control rates in localised pancreatic cancer and may play a role alongside surgery in pancreatic cancer.

Will radiotherapy ever replace surgery in select cases?

Join us as we talk to Annie Anderson to get a patient view on advanced kidney cancer and its treatment.

Annie was diagnosed with stage IV Kidney Cancer in 2022 which had spread to liver, bone, brain.

She went from climbing and running 18 miles to struggling to function.

She describes the choices she made and how immunotherapy with has controlled her cancer and allowed her to continue her normal life.

A really powerful thing to hear how Annie has tackled her diagnosis and aimed to take positive steps every day.

She describes how continuing the things that give her joy like family, cold-water swimming and climbing have allowed her retain her sense of self along the way.

You cannot help but be inspired.

Enjoy

Join us as we complete our tour of the adjuvant kidney cancer treatment space.

We are joined again by the excellent Dr Will Ince from Cambridge and Dr Naveen Vasudev from Leeds!

In our last episode we discussed KEYNOTE 564 and the RAMPART study and where this places immunotherapy in adjuvant kidney cancer.

In this episode we discuss the LITESPARK 022 trial and the addition of Belzutifan to Pembrolizumab in adjuvant kidney cancer treatment.

We also discuss the potential for KIM-1 to be used as a biomarker to highlight those higher risk patients that may benefit from adjuvant immunotherapy.

This is an exciting time for adjuvant treatment in kidney cancer.

All this as Will continues to misbehave to amuse himself!!

We hope you enjoy! 

Joins us as we celebrate 100 episodes in style!!

In the first of our 2 part special we tackle the Adjuvant Treatment Landscape in Kidney Cancer.

We talk to Dr Will Ince from Addenbrookes Hospital Cambridge and Dr Naveen Vasudev from St James’s Hospital Leeds.

We discuss the arrival of immunotherapy with the KEYNOTE 564 trial.

We discuss the importance of the RAMPART study and backing up the concept of a survival signal from immunotherapy in adjuvant Kidney cancer.

We discuss our concept of risk and benefit.

Nav steers us through this evolving landscape whilst Will Ince generally misbehaves!!!

Enjoy

Welcome back for Part 2 of our Early Melanoma series with Dr Toby Talbot.

We dive in to the potential side effects of treatment and how this affects decisions about adjuvant treatment.

We hear about adjuvant BRAF targeted therapy, with more side effects but temporary ones.

We look at the future with the NADINA trial for neoadjuvant immunotherapy in high risk clinical stage III disease, the emerging role of cancer vaccines, and biomarkers to try and find the right treatment for the right patient.

Tour de force as always. Keep an eye out for upcoming podcasts on the treatment of advanced/metastatic melanoma. 

We welcome back our very own Dr Toby Talbot Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Royal Cornwall Hospital for his patient-focussed insights into managing early stage melanoma.

In this two part series, we explore what melanoma is, why it comes about and how it is investigated.

We discuss surgery, why this might be a two stage procedure and the importance of sentinel lymph node biopsy. 

We then delve into some of the drug treatments available, used to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. We focus mainly on immunotherapy and the possible benefits of treatment in Part 1.

Tune in next week for Part 2 where we explore some of the side effects of treatments, BRAF directed therapy and how these drugs are possibly going to be used before surgery.

Join us for something a bit different this week!!

We though it would be fun ( and hopefully helpful) to make an A to Z of Oncology.

Are you a patient or care who is newly diagnosed with cancer.

Are you new to working around cancer care.

Are you in training and want to learn more.

Indeed- are you in cancer care and want to know why we have chosen our A to Z.

We get the super experienced Clinical Nurse Specialist Debbie Victor to help us out. As Education trustee for the British Association of Urology Nurses she knows a thing or 2 about supporting patients in cancer.

If you have a better A to Z please feel free to contact us and let us know!!

If you want a recap the list is in the transcript👍

Enjoy

Join us as we tackle the topic of Artificial intelligence in Radiotherapy.

This week we speak to the excellent Professor Ajay Aggarwal about the use of AI in radiotherapy planning.

We discuss the international ARCHERY trial using an AI radiotherapy planning tool to  streamline radiotherapy planning in prostate, head & neck and cervical cancers. 

This PRA artificial planning tool developed at the MD Anderson hospital could unlock huge radiotherapy delivery potential in Low & middle income countries and beyond!

This trial of 990 patients is being conducted in Jordan, South Africa, India and Malaysia.

All radiotherapy trials are hard to get funded. This remains an area of need for oncology trial funding.

Massive respect and congratulations to Ajay and the international team for getting unified treatment protocols and to actually prospectively test and AI solution in radiotherapy.

We hope you enjoy

Link below to the ARCHERY trial manuscript.

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e077253

🎙️New Simply Oncology Podcast to complete our PSMA Lutetium in #ProstateCancer

🎙️Join us for the Part 2 of our masterclass with the superb Dr Amy Eccles⭐️

As we focus on #ProstateCancerAwarenessMonth we look at future directions for PSMA Lutetium in Prostate Cancer.

The British Nuclear Medicine Society are having there annual conference this week. Molecular radiation may offer amazing treatment options in the near future🙌🏽

See link below👇or wherever you get your podcasts ⭐️

https://lnkd.in/eJ7Zy5e8

Enjoy☢️

PSMA Lutetium has been in the background for metastatic prostate cancer for several years.

Joins us as we discuss this exciting treatment in metastatic prostate cancer with the excellent Dr Amy Eccles who works at Imperial Hospital London and also the London Clinic. Amy is a radiologist who delivers PSMA Lutetium at the London Clinic and shares her experience with us.

Attaching Lutetium-177 to PSMA to deliver a beta-emitting radiation payload to prostate cancer cells. Essentially targeted liquid radiotherapy.

This is novel therapy that is not yet funded in the NHS.

We discuss who a good patient may be and what potential side effects they could expect.

This field of Theranostics is expending rapidly and where does this sit with our current prostate cancer treatment landscape??

Late effects after pelvic radiotherapy part 2.

Join us as we complete our conversation with the wonderful Macmillan Late effects consultant radiographer Lisa Durrant.

Last week we discussed late bladder and bowel effects from radiotherapy.

In this weeks episode we discuss;

- hyperbaric oxygen therapy 

- pelvic floor exercises

- pain as a late effect of radiotherapy

- sexual function issues post radiotherapy

Lisa gives us some great practical tips on how to support patients after their radiotherapy along the way.

Enjoy!

For more info on pelvic radiation disease and late effects from pelvic radiation check out www.prda.org.uk 

Join us as we discuss the impact of Pelvic Radiation Disease & the late effects of radiotherapy in the pelvis.

We re always trying to get he best result for our patients and to cure cancer but we need to take time to deal with the impact of radiotherapy side effects in our patients.

We are talking radiotherapy for pelvic cancers; bladder, prostate, gynaecological and rectal cancers.
Lisa is a consultant radiographer pioneering support for patients with late effects of radiotherapy. She leads her radiotherapy late effects service at Musgrove Park hospital in Taunton.

In this first of 2 parts we discuss;
🔎 What is Pelvic radiation Disease
🔎 When are effects 'Late Effects' from radiotherapy
🔎 Strategies for dealing with bladder and bowel side effects

A must listen for anyone who is delivering pelvic radiotherapy and a useful tool for patients receiving radiotherapy to the pelvis.

Enjoy!!

Join us as return to our excellent conversation on biomarkers in kidney cancer with the wonderful Professor Laurence Albiges from Paris.

🎙️We finish our overview of Biomarkers in metastatic Kidney Cancer with the superb Professor Laurence Albiges from the Gustave Roussy  Hospital in Paris 🇫🇷

Which biomarker will help us to decide which treatment to select in metastatic #KidneyCancer
- IOIO vs IOTKi
- when to start therapy
- monitoring on treatment 

An exciting space and none better than Laurence to walk us through it.

💊KIM 1
💊 CtDNA
💊Microbiome
💊PDL1
💊NLR

Which will be our winner in 2026⭐️

🇫🇷Also with 2 minute summary in French for anyone wanting an oncology version of Duolingo 🇫🇷

Join us for a special Kidney Cancer treat!!!

A Must Listen episode!!

We discuss the role of biomarkers in advanced kidney cancer with the wonderful Professor Laurence Albiges from the Gustave Roussy Institute of Oncology in Paris.

No Kidney Cancer talk is complete without the question -" Where are we with biomarkers?"

This is part 1 of a 2 part walkthrough of the biomarker story so far in kidney cancer.

Laurence is unequalled in her clear delivery on this subject.

As lead for the CARE-1 study Laurence is examining the role of PDL1 as a biomarker in 1st line treatment of mRCC.

We also discuss the;

- IMDC criteria

- Clusters

- KIM-1

- PDL1

- Sarcomatoid features

Recorded before Christmas this is a gift that keeps on giving.

We hope you enjoy!!

Check the Transcript for more details.

Join us as we return to complete our run through the landscape of metastatic renal cancer with the effervescent Professor Ricky Frazer.

We look at the Dolly Mixture of subtypes that makes up non clear cell renal carcinoma.

We discuss the new HIF2a inhibitors such as belzutifan.

We look at future directions in kidney cancer.

A treat for anyone who treats kidney cancer.

Enjoy!

Join us is as we celebrate Kidney Cancer week with a Masterclass walk through metastatic Renal Cancer with Professor Ricky Frazer from Velindre Cancer Centre.

Ricky is a co-host of the hugely successful Immunobuddies podcast and has a vast experience in immunotherapy management.

We look at the indications for immunotherapy versus anti-VEGF TKI therapy.

Should we just accept anti-VEGF TKI monotherapy in Favourable Risk patients?

When should we try IO/IO combination versus IO/TKI combinations in the first line setting?

All this whilst Ricky looks to put John in his place!!

Enjoy

Join us for Part 2 of our Metastatic Endometrial Cancer special with the amazing Dr Gemma Eminowicz from University College London Hospital. 

In episode 1 we looked at molecular profiling and immunotherapy.

In this episode we explore the role of;

- hormone therapy

- Antibody drug conjugates

- PARP inhibitors

Endometrial cancer is taking off in terms of new and exciting treatment options.

Gemma does an amazing job talking us through them.

Enjoy.

Dr Gemma Eminowicz returns for 2026!!

Join us as we discuss the metastatic endometrial cancer landscape with Simply Oncology 'friend of the show' Dr Gemma Eminowicz from University College Hospital London.

Advanced endometrial cancer is so much more than carboplatin and paclitaxel. It now has the complete range of oncological treatments;

- Chemotherapy

- Immunotherapy

- Antibody Drug Conjugates

- Hormone therapy

- Targeted therapy

- Radiotherapy

We look at how the molecular testing in endometrial cancer has shaped advanced endometrial cancer therapy.

We look at the arrival of chemo-immunotherapy in the MMRd group and now in the MMRp patient group.

In the MMR proficient group we discuss the merits of 1st line Chemo-immunotherapy versus sequencing treatment to allow potential VEGF targeted therapy.

Gemma shares her invaluable experience and helps Mike understand advanced endometrial cancer. 

Enjoy!!

We return for part 2 of our overview on metastatic oesphago-gastric cancer.

Join us as we welcome back Dr Lizzy Smyth from Oxford University Hospitals.

We look at the importance of nutritional support.

We discuss future directions such as CAR-T therapy

Lizzy mocks John (again!!)

A brilliant finish to our OG masterclass from Lizzy.

Enjoy!

Dr Lizzie Smyth from Oxford University Hospitals gives us a an amazing 2 part overview of management of metastatic Oesophago-Gastric cancer.

We discuss molecular testing and therapy options in metastatic OG cancer🧬
HER2
PDL 1
Claudin 18.2

Lizzy is a hugely respected figure in OG cancer and key clinical trialist!

John gets put in his place by Lizzy on several occasions!!

Lizzy has a way of describing things that even John could understand!!

Part 1 of 2 in this metastatic OG masterclass.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!!!

WE return in 2026 to complete our overview of PARPi in prostate cancer with the peerless Professor Rob Jones.

Join us as we unwind in the Christmas Holiday period with a masterful overview of PARP inhibitors in metastatic prostate cancer with Professor Rob Jones.

Rob is an old friend of the show and is amazing at setting the scene for who & when PARP inhibitors can be useful in metastatic prostate cancer.

Welcome back!

In part 1 we discussed the major effects of menopause and how these can be worsened by hormonal medications given to treat breast cancer and the impact these can have on patients completing treatment as planned.

In this episode we welcome back Dr Rebecca Bowen and discuss practical advice on managing these symptoms including a link to what will be a vital resource for all clinicians in Oncology and Primary Care: the Meno.Pause app.

Link below, download today!

Meno.Pause App 

We wish all our wonderful listeners and guests a very Merry Christmas, thank you as always for tuning in,

John and Mike.

When is it safe to giving HRT in women who are being treated or have previously been diagnosed with breast cancer?

Will the use of vaginal oestrogens affect breast cancer outcomes?

What is the trade off on quality of life when symptoms of the menopause aren't managed?

Did you know that roughly 1 in 4 women stop their hormone therapy for breast cancer due to menopausal side effects!!

Who better to answer these questions and more than Dr Rebecca Bowen, Consultant Oncologist in Royal University Hospitals Bath who specialises in the treatment of breast and gynaecological cancers and heads up the specialist cancer and menopause unit. 

Sexual health in cancer is a topic we need to talk more about.

So many patients feel unable to  discuss their sexual health and also clinical teams don’t also mange to bring the topic up.

A cancer diagnosis can affect self image and confidence.

We talk to Lorraine Grover who is a sexual health specialist nurse about how we can break down some of these barriers.

Erectile dysfunction and much more discussed.

You may never look at a Calypo ice lolly the same again !!

This episode does contain some adult themes.

We return to Part 2 of our walk through metastatic bowel cancer with the excellent Professor Naureen Starling.

We look at RAS, BRAF and future directions for treatment of metastatic bowel cancer.

Can ctDNA have a role in metastatic bowel cancer?

What role may HER2 have to play going forward?

What is exciting on the horizon in mCRC?

Enjoy!!

Join us as we return for Part 2 with the superb Dr Alison Berner.

It’s Transgender Awareness Week and we discuss resources to support patients and clinicians.

We discuss OUTpatients and UCATS - UK cancer and transition service.

As we approach transgender awareness week we discuss cancer care in the transgender community with the exceptional Dr Alison Berner.

1 in 40 people aged under 30 identify as transgender in recent census.

How we give support needed and signpost patients can have a huge influence on their experience of care.

Alison has done so much work in this area.

We learned a lot in this episode and we hope you enjoy!

https://outpatients.org.uk/

https://www.wearetransplus.co.uk/uk-cancer-and-transition-service/

We return to discuss stereotactic radiotherapy (SABR) in prostate cancer with the superb Dr Alison Tree from The Royal Marsden Hospital.

We discuss the findings of the TRAP study which extended time to next treatment by 6 months when SABR was used for sites of growing disease.

Do we always need to change systemic therapy when only one or two sites of metastatic disease is growing??

We are back for part 2 to finish our journey through the Gut Microbiome with the excellent Professor Monty Pal !!

Few areas of cancer treatment have generated as much interest as the Gut Microbiome in recent years. 

We discuss work done by Monty's team on CBM588 on immunotherapy in kidney cancer.

CBM 588 is a live bacterial product that is available in health shops in Japan where it is used to promote a healthy gut.

Monty's team found incredible results where it improved response rates for immunotherapy containing treatment and significantly improved  time to tumour progression.

Plans are now afoot to trial this in a much larger phase 3 trial which could readout some exciting results!

We discuss;

- Should we run patient poo through an AI algorithm to see what gut microbiome changes are needed

- Can we engineer gut bacteria to make more of useful proteins in our gut

- Can we get more biotech companies to engage in this space to help move it forward at more pace

Of course Monty knocks it out of the park so he gets a Simply Oncology wish!!

Amazing to hear Professor Monty Pal share his thoughts on this exciting area of medicine.

Did you know that we have more bacterial DNA than human DNA in our bodies. This is because our guts contain trillions of bacteria and are now being thought of as another organ of the body.

Join us this week as we discuss the Gut Microbiome (part 1 of 2) and its importance on drugs like immunotherapy response in cancer.

We talk to none other than the excellent Professor Monty Pal from The City of Hope Hospital in California.

Monty is an internationally respected kidney cancer expert and has been researching the impact of the gut microbiome on cancer outcomes in recent years.

We discuss;

The potential impact of fibre in our diet - any how much that looks like in Wheetabix.

The need for balanced good versus bad bacteria in our guts.

That probiotics are not recommended.

The challenges of a faecal microbiome transplant.

What a great episode!!

Did you know that the lifetime risk of prostate cancer in a black man is 1 in 4 ?

That’s twice the risk of prostate cancer in a white man.

Did you know that men in Scotland are twice as likely to have advanced prostate cancer compared to those in the South of England?

Professor Frank Chinewungdoh is a man on a mission. 

He is trying to make prostate cancer testing as possible to men across all groups.

He makes an argument for prostate cancer screening and measures to make PSA testing more accessible.

We are back to finish our journey through cancer vaccines with Dr Lennard Lee.

We celebrate some of the heroes of UK cancer vaccine trials from centres Big & Small.

Lennard gives us all some hope for the future.

We now are officially Watching This Space for more Cancer Vaccine Trial results.

Cancer Vaccines are Here!!

We talk to a man who is on a mission!

Dr Lennard Lee - associate Professor at Oxford University Hospital.

Lennard has a vision where we use the technologies developed in Vaccines during COVID and turn them into effective treatments for cancer.

This is some space age stuff but its HERE, its EXCITING, its HAPPENING!!

We return on our odyssey through Rectal Cancer with the amazing Professor Richard Adams from Velindre cancer Centre, Cardiff.

In this episode we discuss the immunotherapy revolution in the subgroup of rectal cancer that is MSI-High.

We discuss future directions in rectal cancer.

We also give Richard a wish  - AND HE GOES BIG!!!

What a treat to have these 2 episodes with Richard!

In this episode we venture in to a new tumour site:  Colorectal Cancer.

We are joined by internationally renowned oncologist Professor Richard Adams from Velindre Cancer Centre.

In Part 1 we dive in to treatment of localised rectal cancer, with a comprehensive overview of the role of radiotherapy, contact brachytherapy and total neodjuvant therapy. We also explore the evolving evidence of non-operative management of rectal cancer. 

We look into the OPERA (EU), OPRA (US) and RAPIDO trials and where that’s taking Rectal Cancer.

Biliary Tract Cancers - Cholangiocarcinomas and Gallbladder cancers are often seen as rare and aggressive cancers.

🎙️We tackle Biliary Tract Cancers with the exceptional Professor John Bridgewater.

🎙️Few people are as knowledgable & linked to a cancer as Prof Bridgewater is to cholangiocarcinoma.

🎙️Prof Bridgewater has led practice changing studies in this area and is an internationally renowned expert.

🎙️This group of cancers is more common than you think!

🎙️If you don’t know your gallbladder cancer from your cholangiocarcinoma the check it out wherever you get your podcast!!

Find out more about these cancers at AMMF – The UK's only Cholangiocarcinoma Charity

Also - Check the Transcript!!

We discuss Early Phase Clinical Trials with Dr Natalie Cook from the Christie Early Trials Unit.

We learn how molecular profiling is shaping early phase trials and how future trials may be shaped.

Clinical Trials are the Stepping Stones for the progress we have made over the years in the treatment of cancer.

We talk to Dr Mohini Varughese who is heavily involved in clinical trials in urology and passionate about the delivery of clinical trials across oncology.

We discuss:
🎙️Phase 1,2 &3 trials 
💊The benefits for patients
💉The benefits for clinical teams

Join us as we return for Part 2 of our conversation with lead medical advisor to MacMillan - Dr Anthony Cunliffe.

Anthony is also a practising GP with ideas on how we can work better together - starting with how we keep our patients and GP teams up to date with our oncology letters.

We talk about Performance status and why it so important to us in oncology and also how we can make life easier for people to understand our letters without extra work.

The oncology letters from clinics are the lifeblood of information for many patients care so we should try and make them as useful as possible.

How we communicate is so important in all aspects of medicine.

In this special 2 part episode we look at demystifying the Language of Oncology.

Our letters go to GPs and patients and we speak to Dr Anthony Cunliffe who is the medical lead for Macmillan Cancer Support and a practising GP.

If you are GP or acute medic who treats cancer patients or a patient with access to your letters this is a MUST LISTEN.

Also those of us oncologists wanting to make our letters useful for GP teams there is a a LOT to learn!

We try and explain the meaning behind the letters.

He takes us to task about parts of our oncology letters that would be more useful for GPs and patients. 

Join us for an episode looking at the role of radiotherapy in cancer treatment.

We discuss the principles of radiotherapy with Dr Grant Stewart who has 20 years experience with radiotherapy treatments.

This is a great episode for anyone wanting to understand the principles of radiotherapy.

IF you are a patient wanting to understand your treatment or a doctor or nurse wanting to know more about radiotherapy please check this out!

We are back again discussing stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) with Dr Harshani Green from the Royal Marsden Hospital.

Join us if :

- You want to hear about the evidence from the FASTRACK II trial using renal SABR

- You are a centre thinking about setting up renal SABR

- You want to hear about the challenges of comparing renal SABR with surgery

Will radiotherapy be able to replace cytoreductive nephrectomy in metastatic renal carcinoma?

We discuss this and more (plus Mike produces a Magic Lamp!)

Enjoy

Join us for Part 1 of our 2 part Simply Oncology podcast with Dr Harshani Green on Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) in Renal Cell Carcinoma.

We discuss the role of high precision radiotherapy treating renal cell carcinoma in those patients where an operation may not be possible.

- We discuss the excellent control rates

- What size of tumour can we treat?

- Will we ever be able to compare Surgery versus SABR for primary renal cell carcinoma cancers?

Surgery in Bladder Cancer Bumper episode!
We talk to Professor Jim Catto about surgery in Bladder Cancer.
🎙️we discuss the GUSTO trial stratifying bladder cancer therapy by molecular subtype 
🎙️we look at quality of life and #cystectomy🎙️we look at surgical outcomes from NIAGARA 
🎙️we look at peri-operative trials

A bumper Bladder Cancer issue

We welcome back Professor Tom Crosby for another episode on oesophageal cancer.

In the previous episode we focus on the diagnostic pathway. In this episode we look at option in the metastatic and advanced setting.

Join us this week as we hear Professor Tom Crosby share his insights into Oesophageal Cancer. 

Few people have been so highly regarded or associated with a cancer type like Tom Crosby and Oesophago-Gastric cancer.

He has set up and run crucial trials, championed equity 

Join us for this weeks episode where we discuss the role of PSMA PET scanning in prostate cancer with Dr Amar Challapalli.

PSMA PET scanning in prostate cancer has been a game changer in both diagnosis and treatment.

We explore its role in the post-prostatectomy space.

We look at how PSMA Lutetium offers a new treatment option in prostate cancer.

Join us as we return with another special episode with Professor Alison Birtle. 

This time we discuss Upper Tract Urothelial (or ureteric) Cancer.

Alison is an internationally recognised expert in this area and was lead on the POUT adjuvant chemotherapy in ureteric cancer trial.

She describes it as the non-identical twin to bladder urothelial cancer and we discuss the different approaches to this rare cancer.

Described as 'The Queen of Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer' she shares her views on management and areas for development.

Enjoy

🚨May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month

🎙️What better way to mark this than a Simply Oncology Podcast - Bladder Cancer episode with the irrepressible Professor Alison Birtle. Alison is an internationally recognised expert in bladder and prostate cancer - and is a Simply Oncology Friend of the Show.

🎙️We discuss the recent peri-operative trials such as NIAGARA 
🎙️What do surgical adjuvant and neoadjuvant trails now mean for the bladder cancer pathway?

🎙️What is our position on post operative radiotherapy in bladder cancer??

🤔Do you know your Cancer of Unknown Primary from your Malignancy of Unknown Origin.

🤔Do you think World CUP Alliance is a football tournament?

Cancer of unknown primary is the 6th most common cause of cancer death in the UK

🎙️Find out with Dr Natalie Cook from The Christie Hospital who is a UK expert in CUP.

Part 2 of our discussion on bladder cancer with Professor Rob Jones.

We have new drug classes in Bladder cancer !!

We look at Erdafitinib which is coming in the post Immunotherapy space to NHS England.

We also look ahead to Antibody Drug Conjugates - in particular Enfortumab Vedotin - with EV 302 trial results and what access to this means for the UK bladder community. 

These are exciting times and we discuss potential side effects of these classes of drugs and how we intend to use them.

Enjoy

The Royal College of Radiologists celebrates 50 years of Royal Charter this year!!!

Join us as we explore 50 years of the RCR Royal Charter with the President - Dr Katharine Halliday and Vice President - Dr Tom Roques.

We look at the achievements of the Royal College of Radiologists have made over the years and look to the future of cancer care at the RCR.

We hear how the RCR is our voice as a community of Radiologists and Oncologists.

It guides our learning and sets the standards for our training and profession.

We even justify the membership fees for any sceptics.

In this our 50th episode of the Simply Oncology Podcast we celebrate the Royal College of Radiologists 50th anniversary of Royal Charter Status!!

Join us for this Simply Oncology is Back in Bladder Cancer with the amazing Prof Rob Jones.

Part 1 of 2 on a free ranging overview of metastatic bladder cancer treatment in the UK.

Cisplatin vs Carboplatin

Role of IO

2nd line chemo?

Join us for this episode where we explore Head and Neck cancers and their treatment.

This is a group of cancers from the mouth to the vocal cords and make up the 8th most common group of cancers in the UK.

Almost 13000 cases happen each year in the UK.

We discuss the major role that radiotherapy plays and the process and side effects.

Teamwork is a major component of Head and Neck cancer therapy.

We also discuss how immunotherapy has a role in advanced Head & Neck cancer.

A must listen for anyone supporting or being treated for Head & Neck cancer.

Welcome back for our 2nd part of our radiotherapy update on breast cancer.

We finish our discussion with Professor Mark Beresford who is Chair of the UK Breast Group.

We discuss the timing of radiotherapy around breast reconstruction.

We look at situations where we treat other areas such and above the collar bone (supraclavicular) or central area (internal mammary) areas.

We examine when radiotherapy may be offered after mastectomy.

We also look at when we may be able to avoid using radiotherapy after breast surgery in low risk cases.

Another must listen.

Join us for the first part of this 2 part masterclass in breast radiotherapy.

Breast radiotherapy is a major component of breast cancer treatment. It forms a large part of all radiotherapy delivered across cancer centres.

After removal of a breast tumour radiotherapy is offered to reduce the chance of local relapse of the cancer.

We talk to Professor Mark Beresford who is chair of the UK Breast Group about how breast radiotherapy has gone from 5 weeks of treatment to 1 week.

We talk about side effects and when we offer an extra radiotherapy boost to the area the tumour was.

We also discuss radiotherapy for reducing the risk of disease in the axilla (armpit) and the current surgery versus radiotherapy debate for that area.

This is a must listen for anyone wanting to learn more about breast radiotherapy.

Join us for the 2nd part of our discussion with Dr Olubukola (Bookie) Ayodele on health inequities in cancer care.

We look at potential steps to promote health equity.

Bookie introduces the concept of 'Cultural Competency' in helping health professionals discuss the very challenging topic that is cancer.

We hear how biological difference in blood results can play role in excluding black patients from certain chemotherapy trials.

We think about the stepwise change and education needed to make healthcare more accessible to all.

Enjoy

Join us for this Simply Oncology podcast episode on Health Inequites in the UK with Dr Olubukola Ayodele.
🎙️We discuss the challenges in delivering equitable cancer care across all patients in the UK.
🎙️we hear a recent report stating that black women with breast cancer have 30%higher mortality than equivalent Caucasian women in theUK!
🎙️This is not just an issue for low and middle income countries!

We need to Mind the Gap and Bridge the Gap.

Join us for our second part of our discussions with the excellent Professor Ananya Choudhury where we discuss the option of bladder preserving treatment in muscle invasive bladder cancer.

In this episode we hear Ananya's views on new Antibody Drug Conjugate trials being used as an alternative to radiotherapy in a bladder 'preservation' strategy.

She is clear that this is experimental only at this stage and does not meet any true definition of bladder preservation in her view.

A fascinating and enjoyable discussion around all aspects of muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Enjoy 

Role that ADCs may have on bladder preservation.

Join us for this episode focusing on the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of bladder cancer. We talk to leading bladder radiotherapy expert Professor Ananya Choudhury.

Ananya is passionate about all things bladder cancer related and discusses her views on bladder preservation and radiotherapy.

She makes a strong case for bladder radiotherapy in muscle invasive bladder cancer versus surgery and we review the evidence.

We also talk about the use of 'plan of the day' and on set imaging in radiotherapy.

This is a fascinating insight from a world expert in bladder cancer.

We hope you enjoy.

Join us in this second part of discussing resilience and burnout and oncology with Professor Susana Banerjee.

In our last episode we looked at the ESMO Resilience Taskforce and what institutions should do to improve resilience.

In this episode we discuss what can help us on an individual level.

A lot of it comes down to a feeling of job satisfaction.

That can be having some variety to maintain interest and keeping the parts of the job that we value at our core.

Susie shares some personal views that echo this view in this episode.

We hope you enjoy.

Burnout in oncology and throughout healthcare is a major issue.

An ESMO survey conducted in young Oncologists in 2013-2014 revealed 70% of young oncologists in Europe were impacted by burnout. 

25% of oncologists surveyed were thinking of a change of career and 38% of leaving the profession. All this at a time of needing more oncologists! 

Join us in this 2 part episode where we join the superb Professor Susana Banerjee.

She discusses the issue of burnout and the excellent work done by the ESMO Resilience Task Force  on this critical issue.

Professor Banerjee is an internationally renowned medical oncologist at The Royal Marsden Hospital treating and researching gynaecological cancers.

She has been heavily involved in the ESMO Resilience project and looking for strategies for dealing with the huge problem that is burnout in oncology.

We hope you find this as useful as we have!

https://www.esmoopen.com/article/S2059-7029(24)01403-0/fulltext

Join us for this special episode of the Simply Oncology Podcast.

We have special guest Dr Tom Roques who is the Vice-President of the Royal College of Radiologists and lead for Clinical Oncology.

Tom speaks candidly and clearly on ; 

- the challenges facing oncology

- the opportunities AI may bring in oncology

- the clinical oncology model

- the role of the RCR in shaping UK oncology

Enjoy

Join us for this episode of Simply Oncology where we discuss how to become an oncologist.

Oncology is always a forward thinking and progressive speciality and this involves training and developing training people to meet that challenge.

We talk to Dr Louise Hanna who is an oncologist who treats gynaecological cancers at Velindre Hospital in Cardiff. She is also the Medical Director, Education and Training (MDET) for the Royal College of Radiologist (RCR).

We discuss the appeal of becoming an oncologist.

The skills needed to deliver and co-ordinate cancer care.

How you can find out more if you are interested in becoming an oncologist.

An unmissable episode if you are interested in a career in oncology.

Enjoy!

Join us in this week as we discuss anal cancer with Dr Rebecca Muirhead.

Based at Oxford University Hospital, Dr Muirhead has played a key role in the adoption of IMRT in anal cancer. She is part of the ACT and PLATO trial group and shares her insights from these trials with us.

We discuss the principles of escalation and de-escalation in the PLATO trial to match the risk of the disease.

Rebecca also very elegantly discusses the pros and cons of re-irradiation in anal cancer to try to regain control of anal caner symptoms in patients where cancer returns.

Enjoy!

Join us as we discuss all things prostate radiotherapy with Dr Alison Tree. 
Alison is synonymous with all things prostate radiotherapy and is superb at setting the scene for prostate cancer.

Based at The Royal Marsden Hospital, and The Institute of Cancer Research, Dr Tree has played a key role in several major prostate radiotherapy trials. These include working alongside Professor Nicholas Van As in the PACE trial portfolio and also working on the PIVOTAL Boost trial.

She has special interest in MR-guided prostate radiotherapy (the PRISM trial), boosting dominant intra-prostatic lesions (the DELINEATE trial) and hypofractionation in prostate cancer.

Alison Tree is an amazing speaker on the subject of prostate radiotherapy and we are sure this will be of of interest to anyone interested in prostate cancer or radiotherapy.

This episode contains everything we could want to know about the current position of prostate radiotherapy and future directions of travel.

Enjoy

Join us for part 2 of our excellent review of high grade brain tumours with Professor Anthony Chalmers.
We look at the role of PARPi and the challenges with new therapies in high grade gliomas.
We discuss tumour treatment fields, vaccine trials and immunotherapy in brain tumours.
We also hear Prof Chalmers wish list for helping advance research in brain tumours.
We hope you enjoy!

Join us today as we discuss high grade brain tumours with internationally recognised expert Professor Anthony Chalmers.
Part 1 of 2 and we discuss implications of new molecular profiling on prognosis and treatment options in high grade brain tumours.
We look at some recent changes in radiotherapy volumes and doses in brain tumours.
We also discuss challenges in treatment of high grade brain tumours and the impact of steroids in high grade brain tumours alongside surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

This week the Simply Oncology podcast goes global!

Over 80 % of the world population is living in low or middle income countries.

In this podcast, we're hopefully going to try and cover what is global oncology, what some of the challenges that low middle income countries are facing in terms of delivering cancer care.
We also touch on how clinicians in the UK might be able to cooperate and contribute to improving Cancer care globally, and to do this, we are delighted to welcome Dr Susie Stanway to the podcast. 

The scale if the issues is HUGE and Susie talks us through some thoughts on what may help and how we can get involved.

A truly humbling episode

John & Mike

Join us for our second discussion with Professor Alison Birtle on metastatic prostate cancer.
This time we look at mCRPC. What are our choices after first line therapy.
We discuss;
-PARPi and BRCA testing
-Docetaxel re-challenge
-Cabazitaxel
-Patient Support

This is a real tour de force by Alison.
We hope you enjoy.
John & Mike

Join us as we discuss the frontline therapy of metastatic hormone sensitive  prostate cancer with Professor Alison Birtle.
Alison has been involved in many of the key trials in urological cancers and shares her take on selecting patients for triplet therapy.
We also look at the factors that affect treatment choices for our mHSPC pateints.
This area has changed so much in recent years and Alison brings those changes to life in this episode.

You hope you enjoy!
John & Mike

Join us in this episode where we look at the treatment landscape in ovarian cancer.
We talk to Dr Shibani Nicum and Dr Rebecca Bowen who both specialise in the treatment of ovarian cancer.
They both lead the UK Gynae Trials Group (GTG) group and are involved in running the excellent UK Gynae-oncology Meeting (UKGOM).
We look at the use of PARPi, Bevacizumab (Avastin) and new targets in ovarian cancer.

This is a rapidly changing environment and this is an excellent overview by Shibani and Rebecca.

We hope you enjoy.

John & Mike

ps- With exclusive update on the date of next years UKGOM meeting

Join us as we talk with Benson Fayehun, a passionate advocate for addressing health inequalities. Benson is the Founder and President of the Relief for Human Suffering Foundation, a U.S.-based public charity, and the UK Head of Oncology Business Unit at MSD*.

In this episode, we delve into how factors like poverty, socio-economic status, language, and more often have a greater impact on cancer care outcomes than the treatment itself.

This thought-provoking conversation highlights some of the systemic challenges in healthcare and opens the door to critical themes we plan to revisit in future episodes.

We hope you enjoy.

John & Mike

* This is not a MSD endorsement and we acknowledge that many pharma companies are interested in this area.
This episode is not sponsored by MSD.

After a great overview of cervical cancer highlights we now go back to gynae cancer specialist Dr Gemma Emminowicz for insight on endometrial cancer highlights.

KEYNOTE B21- looking at adding pembrolizuamb in the adjuvant setting

DUO-E - looking at durvalumab and olaparib in the metastatic setting

The horizon for antibody drug conjugates in endometrial cancer.

We hope you enjoy

John& Mike

We talk again to Gynae-oncology specialist  - the excellent -Dr Gemma Eminowicz from UCL hospital. Gemma also played a key role supporting Dr Mary McCormack in delivering the INTERLACE trial.

We talk about updates from ESMO and IGCS on cervical cancer.
Gemma discusses her Quality of Life data she presented from INTERLACE and of course we discuss the exciting KEYNOTE A18 data.

We hope you enjoy.

John & Mike

This episode is hoping to show patients and the public that non-smoking lung cancer is a very real and very different type of lung cancer to smoking lung cancer.
We discuss the great work that charities like Ruth Strauss foundation, Ros Wonders and EGFR UK do to support this patient group.

Pollution may play a part, vaping may play a part.

Dr Tom Newsom-Davis Chair-elect of the British Thoracic Oncology Group shines a light on this area of lung cancer.

Radiotherapy is one of the silent workhorses of cancer treatment yet has very little coverage in the media.
In this episode we talk to Amy Warnock one of our treatment radiographers about what to expect during radiotherapy and she talks through what will happen on the day to day basis of radiotherapy.

We hope you enjoy.

John & Mike

Chemotherapy is scary and we want to make it less scary for patients. Simple.

We talk to senior chemotherapy nurse Rachel Bryce from University Hospital Plymouth - she is also Macmillan lead systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) lead and UKONS SACT representative -  about what patients can expect and what to look out for expect on chemotherapy.

We think this is great discussion that could be used for anyone new to or dealing with chemotherapy.

We hope you enjoy.
John & Mike 

In recent years we have seen a marked change in the landscape of treatment for endometrial cancer.
This has been driven by understanding the different molecular subtypes of endometrial cancer.
POLE - with an excellent prognosis
MMR deficient - with good prognosis and option for immunotherapy
No Specific molecular profile - intermediate outcome and work still to be done
P53 mutant - with a poorer outcome

Dr Angela George from the Royal Marsden Hospital has a specialist interest in genomics and shares her expertise and knowledge on this fascinating area of gynaecological cancers.

Approximately 1 in 10 metastatic prostate cancer patients develop osteoporotic fractures.
Whilst treatment for prostate cancer has meant patient are living longer we have to make sure they are also living better.
Testosterone removal, Androgen receptor targeted agents and steroids can all reduce bone strength.

We talk to Dr Xue-Yan Jiang who is part of a group preparing guidelines for bone health through the Royal College of Radiologists and British Association of Urological Surgeons.
We hope you enjoy.

Approximately 15% of all lung cancer happen in non-smokers!!

We talk to Dr Tom Newsom-Davis a medical oncologist who specialises in lung cancer about this very specific group of lung cancers.
Tom is chair-elect of the British Thoracic Oncology Group and shares his experience of treating non-smoking related lung cancers and their driver mutations - EGFR, ROS-1 and ALK.
This is a fascinating discussion and Tom is such an engaging person to talk to.

If you have lungs you can get lung cancer.

Enjoy

John & Mike

In this episode we discuss CDK4/6 inhibitors with Professor Mark Beresford, Clinical oncologist and chair of UK Breast cancer Group.

Mark shares his knowledge on why we are giving these drugs to patients with breast cancer and what patients can expect on them.
This is a really big group of patients and we hope this is useful for supporting them.

We hope you enjoy

John & Mike

To day we focus on the big 3 side effects of hormone manipulation in prostate cancer:
-Hot Flushes
-The 5 Ps of Fatigue
-Sexual Function
We talk to British Association or  Urological Nursing trustee and nurse specialist Debbie Victor on strategies to manage these side effects.

This is aimed at helping patients help themselves so feel free to share with anyone you know having hormone therapy for prostate cancer.

We hope this is useful.
John & Mike

Hormone therapy is a key part of prostate cancer treatment. Removing access to testosterone starves prostate cancer and can cause a 'manopause' or male menopause symptoms.

We discuss this with clinical nurse and BAUN trustee- Debbie Victor.
We look at the impact of this on prostate cancer patients and what positive steps patients can take to tackle these side effects themselves.

We hope you enjoy.

Mike & John

Dr Nicolo Battisti is the president of the Society of international geriatric oncology and a medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital.
He shares his thoughts and wisdom on how we can help our older patients and their carers recognise signs of frailty and how to tackle them.

Part 2 of our Cancer in the elderly and assessing Frailty.
We talk to Dr Nicolò Battisti about what measures we can take to set up frailty assessment.

Great tips and advice.
Enjoy

Not every older patient is frail and not every frail patient is old.

The incidence of cancer goes up rapidly in the older age groups with a big jump in incidence in the over 75 age group. We are treating increasing numbers of older patients with increasingly complex therapy.
This is often called a 'Silver Tsunami'.

We talk to Dr Nicolo Battisti  - A medical oncologist - who is Clinical Lead of the Senior Adult Oncology Programme at the Royal Marsden Hospital and president of SIOG - the Society of Geriatric Oncology.

We discuss the impact of frailty on cancer therapy for older patients and how to assess frailty in patients.

This is part 1 of 2 of an excellent session!!

Enjoy

Mike & John

Part 2 of 2 of our managing stress when delivering cancer care theme.
Here we talk again to the excellent Dr Mike Osborn. We discuss what we can do to help actively recognise and manage some of the impact of stress and emotional fatigue.
‘What advice would a friend give you about how you are managing stress?’.

We need to take care of ourselves as we take care of others.
Enjoy!!!
John & Mike

“Just because you make it look easy doesn't mean it is easy for you.”
Stress, burnout, resilience and emotional fatigue. These are phrases that have become part of NHS life.
In this episode we discuss the impact of this with psychologist Dr Mike Osborn for Royal United Bath Hopsital.
We talk about telltale signs and the impact this can have on ourselves and patients.

In this episode we speak to Dr Karin Purshouse, current Chair of the National Oncology Trainee Collaborative for Healthcare Research. 
We hear about the origins of the organisation and how it has expanded since 2019, with registrar representation in all regions in the UK.
NOTCH excels in running national multicentre retrospective cohort studies, generating real world evidence with international impact. The value is particularly evident in rare/difficult to study tumour sites/patient groups or where randomised control data is unlikely to ever be generated.
Participation offers trainees tangible experience in research as well as invaluable networking opportunities with like-minded, research active registrars and consultants around the country. 
NOTCH are currently looking for interested trainees to join the Board, no prior experience is necessary.
Project proposal submissions are welcome through out the year, expressions of interest are also encouraged as the NOTCH team has a wealth of experience in helping set up and run successful multicentre projects. 
Visit www.uknotch.com for more information and to join the mailing list. 

Back again with our 2nd episode looking into the dreaded FRCR part 2B exam.

We have our 2 examiners - Dr Paul Hatfield (lead examiner) and Dr Alison Stillie (senior examiner) giving out more pearls of wisdom about how to prepare and how to approach the part 2B exam.

We also discuss what advice consultants and supervisors should be giving candidates and what the benefits of being an examiner are.

This is a must listen episode for any clinical oncology SpR or supervising consultant.

"Make every day at work a learning day" when preparing for the exam.

We wish everyone involved in the the exam good luck and hope there are some pieces of info in the episode that can help.

Good luck

John & Mike

Please see below a link to info from the RCR about how to prepare for the exam.
https://www.rcr.ac.uk/exams-training/rcr-exams/clinical-oncology-exams/frcr-part-2b-oncology-co2b/frcr-part-2b-oncology-co2b-advice-for-candidates/

Calling all oncology SpRs and their trainers!!
The FRCR part 2 exam is a rite of passage every clinical oncology trainee in the UK has to complete to become a consultant.

We talk to Dr Paul Hatfield (lead examiner) and Dr Alison Stillie (senior examiner) and find out what they want to hear during the exam.

We also hear about how to prepare and what to expect on the day.
We find out how much work the examiners do to make the exam fair and balanced.

If you are going to sit the FRCR part 2 exam at some stage or your are involved in teaching or supervising oncology SpRs the this episode is a must!!!

We hope you enjoy

John & Mike

Please check out the info provided by the RCR in the link below.

https://www.rcr.ac.uk/exams-training/rcr-exams/clinical-oncology-exams/frcr-part-2b-oncology-co2b/frcr-part-2b-oncology-co2b-advice-for-candidates/ 

In this episode we look at the KEYNOTE A-18 trial in cervical cancer with Dr Gemma Eminowicz. 

This trial was presented by Dr Domenica Lorusso at ESMO 2023 and published in The Lancet in March 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00317-9

This trial took a high-risk group of patients receiving chemoradiation for cervical cancer and they were randomised to placebo vs 2 years of pembrolizumab.

The 2 year follow up results showed progression free survival benefit of 11%  in favour of 2 years of pembrolizumab (68% vs 57 %) with a Hazard Ratio of 0.7. 

Now we have 2 major trials (KEYNOTE A-18 and INTERLACE) in this chemoradiation space for cervical cancer we look at the similarities and differences between the trials.

Where does this point to our new standard of care in cervical cancer?

We hope you enjoy

John & Mike


(ENGOT-cx11/GOG-3047/KEYNOTE-A18)

In the Clinic episode aimed at doctors and nurses with an interest in cancer care. We discuss the INTERLACE trial in cervical cancer.

The INTERLACE trial led by Dr Mary McCormack was presented in ESMO 2023 and looks to shape oncological treatment of cervical cancer in the locally advanced setting.

We talk to Dr Gemma Eminowicz who has worked with Dr Mary McCormack over the last 10 years on the INTERLACE trial.

We discuss the 8% overall survival gain at 5 years from the addition of an extra 6 weeks of chemotherapy in INTERLACE . 

We also tackle some of the apparent issues around INTERLACE.

Gemma has delivered a real tour de force on the INTERLACE trial and the background of cervical cancer treatment.

We hope you enjoy.

John & Mike

Clinical nurse specialists (often called a CNS) are a key member of every cancer patient's care. They are often the person co-ordinating where patients are in their treatment pathway and help patients and families better understand their treatment and care.
Today we talk to Debbie Victor who has over 15 years experience as a clinical nurse specialist.
She talks us through the role of the clinical nurse specialist and when and how patients should get in touch.
"there is no such thing as a stupid question especially if it is weighing on your mind".

We salute the CNSs and hope you see how valuable they are with this episode.

Enjoy 

John & Mike 

In this episode we talk to Dr Nicky Thorp to look at the work of the Royal College of Radiologists in supporting development of oncology services.
Nicky Thorp is the Medical Director of Professional Practice for Clinical Oncology at the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR).
In this episode we discuss Nicky's role in the RCR, how the RCR is supporting oncology and what challenges and opportunities are happening in oncology currently.

'The RCR is not a building of brick and mortar. It is the members and fellows that make up the RCR'.

We hope you enjoy.

John & Mike

In this episode we explore the impact of a cancer diagnosis through a patients eyes and story. We talk to Anna Ridley who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2018 and treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and brachytherapy.

She talks about her cancer diagnosis and how one of the most difficult times was telling her family the news.  She also dealt with some major challenges along her treatment journey.

She talks about how she stayed positive and kept moving forwards through her treatment and beyond. 

She highlighted that the isolation after treatment in follow-up during COVID made her realise the importance of having a support network around you.
She tells the importance of continuing to do the things that give you some joy - be it gardening, exercise, walking or anything that's positive for you.

We were amazed and moved by how honest, brave and eloquent Anna's story is.

We hope it helps you or a loved one.

John & Mike

In this episode we are joined by Dr Toby Talbot a consultant oncologist who has been heavily involved in modern immunotherapy through his  work with melanoma trials. He treats skin, sarcoma and lung cancer and is discussing what immunotherapy is as a cancer treatment.
We discuss how this new cancer therapy is different to chemotherapy and how it is sometimes used with other treatments.
Immunotherapy has been a major change to improve outcomes for patients in many cancer types.

We hope you enjoy.

Mike & John

In this episode we are joined by Dr Mike Osborn a clinical psychologist working at the Royal United Hospital, Bath.
Dr Osborn helps patients with cancer on how a cancer diagnosis can impact them and how they may expect to feel. He shares his experience and insights after years of working with cancer patients and has some valuable tips that may help patients, families and carers.
“Cancer doesn’t just affect cells, it affects families”.

We hope you enjoy

John & Mike

In this episode Dr John McGrane and Dr Michael Rowe discuss what cancer is in basic terms.

We discuss some of the causes of cancer and the common treatment types for cancer.

We hope you enjoy.

John & Mike

Welcome to the Simply Oncology podcast!
Dr John McGrane and Dr Michael Rowe are clinical oncologists who want to make all parts of cancer care as easy to understand as possible.
We discuss our 2 streams of podcast;
1) Fundamentals series - Breaking cancer care to basic learning blocks. For patients, students and anyone with an interest in cancer.
2) In the Clinic series - A more focused discussion on more clinical aspects of delivering cancer care. For anyone working in healthcare treating cancer patients. 

Thanks for listening

John & Mike