Podcasts about consultant medical oncologist

Some cancer care, including up to 30% of chemotherapy, could be delivered outside of hospitals from next year, according to Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.The change could see patients access blood tests and other care in local clinics instead of travelling long distances to large hospitals.Joining Ciara to discuss this is Professor Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Cork University Hospital.

In this episode of Behind the Genes, we explore how personalised cancer vaccines are being developed, and how genomics and AI could help make these treatments more precise.  Our host, Florence Cornish is joined by:  Dr Victoria Goss, Associate Professor of Early Diagnosis and Translational Research at Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and head of the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit Cancer Vaccine Launchpad team  Professor Lennard Lee, Associate professor at the University of Oxford, Consultant Medical Oncologist, NHS  Ali Richards, a participant who took part in a cancer vaccine clinical trial  Together they discuss how cancer vaccines train the immune system to recognise cancer, how genomic information can help identify the unique features of an individual's tumour, and how AI could help researchers analyse genomic data and accelerate the development of new cancer vaccines.   “The reason I said yes was because my treatment really was punishing. It was so many side effects to it. The cancer never made me feel sick, but the treatment made me really sick. So I said yes because I just wanted to help other people not have to go through what I went through.”    Transcript [00:00:00] Florence: What if a vaccine could help treat cancer? Hello and welcome to Behind the Genes, the podcast that brings you the stories, research, and innovations shaping the future of genomic healthcare. Today, we're going to be talking about cancer vaccines, how they're being developed with the help of AI, what role genomics has to play, and what it could mean for patients.  [00:00:23] Florence: I'm Florence Cornish, and joining me today we have Dr Victoria Goss, who leads cancer vaccine research at Southampton Clinical Trials Unit; we have Professor Lennard Lee, who is a medical oncologist and Associate Professor at the University of Oxford; and Ali Richards, who took part in the Southampton Cancer Vaccine Programme.  [00:00:45] Florence: I think before we get into cancer vaccines specifically, it might be good to start with the basics. So vaccines are something most of us have heard of and probably experienced as well, but we don't always necessarily understand how they work. So Lennard, can I come to you to explain what a vaccine actually is, how it works with our immune system, maybe at the most basic level for those who might not have a scientific background?  [00:01:19] Lennard: Thanks, Florence. What's a vaccine? Very, very simply, something that protects your body from disease. We've had a few when we were younger, like which protects you against meningitis or hepatitis or different types of infections that can affect children.  [00:01:36] Lennard: And it really does show that your immune system is really powerful. Every day, it looks around trying to work out what's there which shouldn't be there and takes care of it. And ideally, your immune system just works in the background without causing any problems. And so what a vaccine does is it really helps the body understand something that's abnormal.  [00:01:55] Lennard: And the vision here is that you can use this technology to hopefully patrol against cancer, because half the people out there will never get cancer. They are the maybe the lucky ones or maybe the ones with a good immune response. And so a vaccine is basically giving your immune system a wanted poster:  [00:02:11] Lennard: "This is what threat looks like. This is what you need to control".   [00:02:16] Florence: And I think you mentioned some great examples there. There are lots of common examples of vaccines people might have heard of. I think maybe the flu vaccine is probably a common one that people are thinking about in the wintertime. I think another one is maybe the HPV vaccine.  [00:02:29] Florence: Lennard, could you explain a bit more to our listeners about the HPV vaccine? What it is, how it works? I think people often think of it as a type of cancer vaccine, but actually it's targeting a virus. Is that right?   [00:02:41] Lennard: Yeah, that's correct. So this is now a vaccine which has been rolled out across the NHS, and it's actually worked really well to get rid of a few cancer types, which is incredible.  [00:02:51] Lennard: And why is that important? Well, cancer can be caused by many, many different things. Sometimes it's because you've done things like smoking or weight plays a role or just bad luck or the genes that you've inherited. But some cancer types are caused by viruses. And so many people nowadays are getting the HPV vaccine to stop cancer types like cervical cancer, hopefully head and neck cancer, and many of the rarer cancer types.  [00:03:21] Lennard: And so again, what you're doing here is you're taking the immune response, telling it the body shouldn't get this virus and hopefully prevent some of the bad consequence of getting this viral infection, like cancers.   [00:03:33] Florence: Thank you. That's really helpful to understand. So we've talked about how vaccines can be used to treat viruses, and I think most of us, when we hear the word ‘vaccine', we probably do associate it with something that stops us from getting ill.  [00:03:46] Florence: Victoria, could you tell us about how vaccines could be used to treat cancer?   [00:03:50] Victoria: Yeah, absolutely, and it is great to be here today. Thank you. So Lennard's already sort of spoken about preventative vaccines, and when we think about cancer vaccines, we're thinking about therapeutic vaccines. So we're thinking about training the immune system to recognise the cancer as something that needs to be dealt with because cancer is really tricky because it's our own cells that have gone wrong, if you like.  [00:04:16] Victoria: But that means it also is very good at evading those signals which tell the immune system that it needs to be cleared. So the analogy that Lennard has already given of a cancer vaccine sort of creating a wanted poster sort of builds on an analogy from one of your previous podcasts where they described the immune system as like the police almost trying to catch criminals, which are the cancer cells.  [00:04:41] Victoria: And the cancer vaccine analogy builds on that. So you've created a wanted poster which is training and giving the police more information about what those cancer cells look like. And then when we think about building on that with sort of personalised cancer vaccines, which is an incredibly exciting step when we think about the development of how cancer vaccines can be used, sort of really individualised therapy going forward, that wanted poster gets even more specific.  [00:05:07] Victoria: It's almost like giving a phone number or an address for that specific cancer type that is very specific to that patient. So the therapeutic vaccine is, is targeting the immune system. It's training our immune system to recognise the cancer as something that needs to be dealt with.   [00:05:26] Florence: It's funny you mentioned that analogy because I was just about to point listeners to that episode. If anyone wants to learn more about cancer vaccines specifically, you can check out our previous Genomics 101 podcast episode called ‘What Are Cancer Vaccines?' So Ali, I think I'd love to bring you in at this point because you have experienced this from the patient side of things.  [00:05:49] Florence: Could you tell us a little bit about your journey, your cancer diagnosis and treatment, and maybe more about the clinical trial you were part of, if you feel comfortable sharing that?   [00:05:57] Ali: Yeah, sure. Hi, Florence. It was Christmas 2015, and I felt a lump in my neck. And maybe because I'm a woman and we're always taught to treat lumps seriously, in the January I made an appointment with the GP, and she very quickly fast-tracked me through to the hospital.  [00:06:19] Ali: And January 2016, I got a diagnosis. It was a tumour on the base of my tongue at the left, and I was told it was caused by a variation of the HPV virus. So yeah, that was all a bit of a shock. I was shocked and I was scared, but I was also really angry because I look after myself. I eat well, all those things.  [00:06:45] Ali: It's just bad luck that it was a virus that my body couldn't deal with. I just, I felt guilty as well because of what I was gonna put the family through. So I had various scans and tests. I had an operation to remove my tonsils, although we soon discovered there weren't any left anyway. And they took a biopsy, which I didn't know at the time, but turned out to be important later on for the trial.  [00:07:15] Ali: Then I had to have a whole load of prep beforehand because of the impact of the treatment. So I had to have restorative dentistry, audiology tests. I had a PEG fitted, that's a feeding tube, in my stomach, and I thought, "Surely it's not going to be this bad." But that PEG, that feeding tube was a blessing in the end.  [00:07:40] Ali: And I had a mask made, and the mask fits you and basically pins you down to the radiotherapy table so you don't move when... because it's very precisely targeted at your tumour. So yeah, I went on to have five sessions of chemo, which felt quite easy. The radiotherapy was the really, really tough part. I had, uh, seven weeks of it, 35 sessions.  [00:08:08] Ali: So that was, yeah, that was a challenge.   [00:08:11] Florence: Thank you, Ali. Thank you for sharing that. I think it's always really valuable to get that patient perspective when we're talking about things like this. Lennard, I wanted to come back to you now to talk about the different types of vaccines that exist and which ones are being used specifically in the treatment of cancer.  [00:08:30] Lennard: Um, thanks, Florence. And Ali, are you 10 years now down the line since your diagnosis?   [00:08:34] Ali: Yeah, it feels good.   [00:08:37] Lennard: Congratulations.   [00:08:38] Ali: Yeah, yeah. It feels good. I really valued the follow-up checks that I had, both from my oncologist, but also I got some through the trial, and it really helped restore some confidence in myself and my body to deal with things and to be able to move on as well.  [00:08:56] Lennard: Oh, well done. That's fantastic because you telling us that story just really brings it to life about how scary this can be and also the fact that you had to go through all those sessions, thirty-five sessions and, um, and now you're 10 years down the line and still talking and giving hope-   [00:09:11] Ali: Yeah ...   [00:09:11] Lennard: that new technology still comes, so thanks, Ali.  [00:09:13] Ali: That's a pleasure.   [00:09:14] Lennard: Um, yeah, so Frances, this is what's really exciting. What types of vaccines are there? Well, first thing to say is that we're really good in this country about vaccine research. If you look around the world, what are we good at? Well, everyone knows that we developed the pandemic vaccine, and actually that technology is something that we can control.  [00:09:31] Lennard: We're world leaders at. It's quite cheap technology, and it's something that we are really good at bringing to patients. And Ali's our testament where she got on the trial, she helped test it and really pioneered new ways of research. So what types of vaccines are there? Well, I think we talked to the first bit where Victoria taught us that some of them can treat cancers and some of them can maybe prevent cancers.  [00:09:53] Lennard: And the HPV's one which is maybe be able to do both one day, which is brilliant. What would like... what else do people know about? Well, people might know that there are different types of technologies. So if we think back a few years now, back to 2020, there are some which are viral-based, and some which are mRNA based.  [00:10:12] Lennard: Both of these were new technologies which the whole population of the world came together to create and some of them are peptide-based. So there's probably three different types here. The protein ones or peptide one, which you always had, and then in the last five years, it's an incredible time to be alive, where new vaccine technology comes through, it's more effective and safer.  [00:10:32] Lennard: These are the viral ones and mRNA ones, and everyone's now pursuing all of these to try and make sure that we can maybe treat cancer in future.   [00:10:41] Florence: Can I possibly pick your brain a little bit more about the mRNA ones specifically? I think as you mentioned, lots of people might have heard of those during COVID.  [00:10:50] Florence: Could you maybe explain a little bit more about those and how they work?   [00:10:53] Lennard: Yeah. So this is going to take us all the way back to GCE biology now. If you remember - and we are Genomics England, so we, we got to work out why genomics is important, and we'll probably get to this. But remember, genes make RNA, which then makes protein.  [00:11:11] Lennard: And so if you're trying to reprogramme the immune response, you could give your body a protein, the back end of it. You can maybe give it an RNA, which is a blueprint too. And so what an mRNA vaccine is, it's a way of giving the blueprint or the instructions to the body of what to recognise, what the cancer looks like, um, um, or what the virus looks like, and target it.  [00:11:32] Lennard: If you want the analogy, well, for those people who had the pandemic vaccines, the ones which was mRNA based was, uh, the Pfizer one, and that worked really, really well. Cheap to make, easy to produce, and, uh, it's just a jab. And so people are now exploring that for cancer treatment now. Take new technology, which has only been developed five years ago, technology, which is just a blueprint, cheap to make, easy to update, and now we're targeting cancer.  [00:11:59] Lennard: Um, so that's basically what an mRNA vaccine is, giving the body the blueprint or the instruction of what a cancer looks like and trying to target that cancer.   [00:12:08] Florence: And you kind of alluded to it a little bit in your answer, but, um, it would be good to know more about where genomics comes into all of this. You know, why is it such an important part of developing vaccines?  [00:12:18] Lennard: And that's a great question, and really comes back to our second strengths, which is that we're really good at vaccine research, and yet we are also world leaders at genomic research. It's a really exciting time because, um, when Victoria and me and Ally at school, we would-- we, we learnt about that race to sequence the first human genome.  [00:12:38] Lennard: It was really exciting because for the first time, we can see every single genetic base in every human, and that used to cost billions of pounds to do that, and it would take many months or years to do that Fast-forward a few years, and then now Genomics England delivered the next success for humanity.  [00:12:57] Lennard: I think it was about 2015 to 2017 where they, they did 100,000 Genome Project, where the UK led the world in sequencing 100,000 people, including people with cancer, to try and understand what caused their cancer, what the risk factors are. And why is that relevant now? Well, it's because if you know what a cancer looks like, then you know what the abnormality is, well, then you can vaccinate against it.  [00:13:22] Lennard: So we've now gone from this amazing arc of discovery here, where when we were at school, we worked out what the human genome looks like. We can sequence it end to end and see in all its detail. Then a, an amazing organisation came out the ground called Genomic England, which shows that you can run it in the NHS.  [00:13:39] Lennard: 100,000 people could do it. And now we're making the next big jump now, which is it's not just going to give you a diagnosis, but maybe becomes a drug and a vaccine in future. And actually, probably it already has because Ali's that example, a success example of it happening.   [00:13:54] Florence: Yeah, I wanted to actually ask you about that, Ali.  [00:13:56] Florence: So just as you were saying, Lennard, it kind of... The cancer vaccine sounds quite futuristic, but as you said, it's, it's sort of already happening. So Ali, do you remember kind of how you first heard about the cancer vaccine trial?   [00:14:11] Ali: Yeah. I had a bit of an unfortunate time because after all that radio and chemo, my cancer still hadn't gone, and I had to have an operation to remove lymph nodes.  [00:14:22] Ali: But my oncologist at Poole Hospital, who's a fantastic woman, she had been involved, unknown to me, in the some of the thinking behind the trial, and particularly that she could recruit people because they were sat in her office. So she asked me if I'd like to take part, and without knowing anything, I said yes.  [00:14:49] Ali: And the reason I said yes was because my treatment really was punishing. It was so many side effects to it. The cancer never made me feel sick, but the treatment made me really sick. So I said yes because I just wanted to help other people not have to go through what I went through. I didn't really understand it, if I'm perfectly honest.  [00:15:16] Ali: I didn't really know what was going on, but then I'm not, you know, a super brain like Lennard and Victoria. I knew that I just wanted to do something to help people going forward, not having to deal with the same. So yeah, I put my hand up and there I was on the trial.   [00:15:37] Florence: So you mentioned there the, the really horrible side effects that you got from your original treatment. Did you have, um, what was your experience with side effects with the vaccine? Was it similar? Was it different?   [00:15:47] Ali: Oh, no, the, the vaccine was like a holiday compared to the treatment. Absolutely. At, at worst, in the first few treatments, you felt a bit like you had a cold, bad cold coming on, maybe slightly flu-y, but you took, you were given Ibuprofen at the same time as you had the vaccine.  [00:16:10] Ali: So no, it, the treatment with the vaccine was an absolute breeze. Which is kind of like, yes, this is what I want for people. You know, not, not the radiotherapy, not the chemo. So yeah, it was, it was really very easy by comparison.   [00:16:29] Florence: Oh, I'm so glad to hear that that was your experience. I'm just curious now also, was there anything that surprised you about the trial?  [00:16:35] Florence: You said there that you didn't really, like, have an understanding of cancer vaccines. You, you agreed to it straight away. Was there anything that maybe, like, you weren't expecting or surprised you?   [00:16:45] Ali: I think it surprised me that it was really quite easy.   [00:16:48] Florence: Yeah.   [00:16:49] Ali: Uh, I was delighted to have the team I had looking after me because they were fantastic. It all felt very simple.  [00:16:59] Ali: And how nice that was. You know, if I could've had that instead of all my previous treatments, um, it would've, it would've made everyone's life so much easier. And I guess, I don't know about the cost of drugs, but I guess the cost to the NHS would've been less because I wasn't in and out of hospital, I wasn't having to have all these extra things done, and all this extra support like dieticians and so on because I had to have my feed tube replaced.  [00:17:35] Ali: So all of that is impacts on the NHS, whereas this was very simple.   [00:17:40] Florence: I wanted to come to you now, Victoria, and ask you about the outcomes of this trial that Ali took part in or other trials like it, and whether we know yet what the broader implications of, of these advances might be.   [00:17:55] Victoria: So I think what we need to think about when we're thinking about developing these treatments and sort of evaluating the treatments at each stage is that it goes through a very clear pathway of progression, and Ali was involved in one of the, the earliest stages of that progression.  [00:18:09] Victoria: And it's, it's always amazing to me to hear your story, Ali, and to know that patients are willing to take part in the research and that's what allows us to develop these treatments. So the trial that Ali was part of has now gone on to develop into a, a larger scale study which will be evaluated again.  [00:18:27] Victoria: And that all starts to form the evidence for how these treatments can be shown to be effective, and also how they can show... Also, you know, Ali's already touched on there about the cost implications, so how we can show that that can be beneficial as well. And then we can start to think about how they can be taken up and become part of routine standard of care for patients like Ali, as she was describing.  [00:18:50] Victoria: And all of that evidence comes together, which then gets evaluated and then it, and then it moves forward through that progression. But it's-- we have very clear, um, you know, a, a route that each new, new treatment has to go through, um, to be able to, to become part of standard of care.   [00:19:07] Florence: And Victoria, you also play a key role in the Cancer Vaccine Launchpad.  [00:19:12] Florence: For any listeners who might not be familiar with the Cancer Vaccine Launchpad, could you maybe tell us a little bit more about it?   [00:19:18] Victoria: Absolutely. So in its simplest terms, the Cancer Vaccine Launchpad is designed to help find patients who might be eligible to take part in trials like the one that Ali was part of.  [00:19:30] Victoria: It's an incredible project. Cancer Vaccine Launchpad is quite long, so we tend to abbreviate it to the CVLP, which I'll do from now on, if that's okay. The CVLP to me really demonstrates the power of collaboration because it's brought together so many different teams that have been necessary to make sure that, that what we're trying to achieve, so finding as many patients as possible for these trials, is possible.  [00:19:52] Victoria: We deliver this project on behalf of NHS England. I know that Lennard was involved right from the start as well. The reason that we need the CVLP is because one of the biggest challenges in research of these new treatments is finding the patients who might be eligible. So one of the reasons for that is because when we are running the trials to test these new treatments, there's a lot of different infrastructure that's needed to support the delivery of those trials.  [00:20:19] Victoria: So you need special pharmacy services, special research nurses. All of that has to come together to be able to deliver trials of new treatments. And actually, that means that actually those studies can often only take part in a small number of hospitals. So historically, you only had the opportunity to take part in those trials if you lived near one of those hospitals, which is, you know, like Ali did.  [00:20:42] Victoria: So what the CVLP is, what, what it has done, it has created a formalised network which enables referrals to happen from ... we're opening 83 hospitals now across England. We've just expanded out to the devolved nations as well, which is a really exciting development, and it creates that, that network which allows patients who might live further away from a hospital delivering one of those vaccine or immunology trials to be able to be referred in to see if they might be eligible.  [00:21:09] Victoria: So essentially, it's a bit like creating a big funnel. So you're finding all of the potentially eligible people that could take part in that trial, and you're funnelling them into the trial site to find those patients who are eligible.   [00:21:22] Florence: And what impact do you hope that this could have for the NHS and also for, like, individual patients as well?  [00:21:29] Victoria: So we've seen such positive results from the CVLP so far. The first study that we worked with was for a colorectal cancer vaccine trial. Before the CVLP started working with this trial, only 17% of the eligible patient population in England had the opportunity to take part because they lived near one of those hospitals delivering the trial.  [00:21:52] Victoria: After the CVLP started working with it, we had increased that to over 60% of the eligible patient population. So you could really see how it has expanded out access, and that's just a fantastic opportunity to be able to bring, to bring patients. We also were able to show that the UK was screening, so looking for patients at three times the global average.  [00:22:14] Victoria: So we really were able to see how the CVLP is supporting and accelerating recruitment to those trials I think the key thing for me has been the patient enthusiasm that we have seen though. So when we open up to a new trial where, that the CVRP is working with, we are always inundated with people who contact us to find out how they can be part of this network because they want the opportunity to take part.  [00:22:40] Victoria: We know that some patients have travelled for two hours to a trial site to find out if they could be eligible because actually they want the opportunity. So the CVRP has really sort of enabled that patient choice, which is a fantastic thing to be able to do. But it also builds on what Lennard was talking about earlier, which is the UK is really good at this research and actually what the CVRP is then doing is showing how we can really support recruitment to these trials to accelerate these trials and that only brings more trials to the UK which again creates more opportunities for patients which is exactly what we're trying to do.  [00:23:14] Victoria: We're trying to create more and more opportunities for patients to take part in these studies if they want to.   [00:23:20] Florence: Yeah. That's really incredible. Thank you for sharing that with us. I wanted to ask you a question now, Ali, because I think when we were talking about trials and projects like this, as Victoria said, we often think about kind of the high level impact, but also it's an opportunity to create connections as well between patients and families and, and I know that you, you had a patient's family reach out to you about advice as to-- about whether they should take part in a trial. Is that right?   [00:23:47] Ali: Yeah. I think it was the wife of a guy up in Liverpool who had throat cancer, and, um, she must have done some really good research on the internet. I'd done various bits of publicity both for Southampton Uni and cancer research around the trial. So she obviously found me and then stalked me on Facebook , which was absolutely fine.  [00:24:13] Ali: I didn't have a problem. So her husband was down to go on the trial, which is the next stage that Victoria had spoken about, and she just wanted to know, would I recommend it, would-- what was it like, that kind of thing. So I said to her, "I would absolutely recommend it, of course," and told her what my experience was.  [00:24:35] Ali: I couldn't guarantee his would be the same, of course, because things might have moved on. But it was a really, it was a kind of a nice feeling that I could say to her, "Get him to have it done because it's got to be the best outcome." I think his stage was much further on than me. So yeah, it had to be the way as far as I could see for him. And as far as I know, he went on the trial. Which is great.   [00:25:05] Florence: How, how did it feel to kind of make that human connection, maybe not something you were expecting to come out of a trial?   [00:25:13] Ali: No, it was really, it was really nice. I am a bit of a, a fangirl for, for Lennard and Victoria and all the team at Southampton.  [00:25:22] Ali: If anybody asks me about vaccines and cancer vaccines, I'm like, "Oh, yes." And you-- So yeah, I'm, I'm a bit of an evangelist. So to, to have somebody real-   [00:25:33] Florence: Mm ...   [00:25:34] Ali: ask me about that was great feeling.   [00:25:37] Florence: I think that's a, a really great example of how research can have impact far beyond, uh, one individual. And I think another great example of this is also artificial intelligence or AI as a potentially transformative force in, in healthcare.  [00:25:54] Florence: Lennard, when we come onto this topic, I wanted to hand over to you because I know that you've recently received funding for a project exploring AI, and how it could support cancer vaccine development in particular. Could you tell us a bit more about this project?   [00:26:08] Lennard: Thanks very much, Florence. And I also want to add, I feel very proud about what Ali did just there, where she's able to bring through opportunity for other people, too, which is amazing.  [00:26:19] Lennard: The NHS is there to not just do the technology of today, but also be one of the best healthcare systems in the world to bring through new technologies. And it's just really exciting about people wanting to help the NHS, advocating for new technologies to be tested, and actually that's what Genomics England i there to do, make sure the NHS gets new technology in there so that patients will get new treatments.  [00:26:41] Lennard: I just wanna just reflect what Victoria noted In the NHS, in their Cancer Vaccine Launchpad, patients are getting in at three times the rate of other countries.   [00:26:51] Ali: Mm-hmm.   [00:26:52] Lennard: That's really special. And also she's increased coverage to, uh, did you say 60% of population? That's 42 million people have potential access to this.  [00:27:01] Lennard: So that is huge, and I think it's really a passion project for so many people out there, PICT trials units, the research nurses and doctors, and also patients who make this all happen. So it is quite impressive. It is very impressive. Oh, yes, and AI. I probably should cover that too. Just beyond what's special about the NHS and Genomics England.  [00:27:22] Lennard: Well, AI I think is changing everything. I went to a garden party, and actually everyone's talking about how they're using AI to make their lives simpler, make them do things that they've never been able to do before, get the information instantaneously there. And I think that there's technologies which come through every so often in our lifetimes, which changes how we think, how we communicate, and actually makes us better in many ways.  [00:27:47] Lennard: And so the great opportunity here is what happens if we take that third strength now? So we've already said we're really good at vaccine research in the UK. The UK invented vaccines. We also are world leaders at genomics. We did the 100,000 Genome Project. What happens if we use this new technology now?  [00:28:06] Lennard: And what's a problem that we can solve? Well, let's say we did a whole genome sequence on someone, which is what Genomics England does every day for the NHS. Well, that creates a lot of data. Um, I tried to do the calculations before we went online. It's about 100,000 photos. You know, when you take on your phone, that's a lot of data.  [00:28:25] Florence: Wow. Yeah.   [00:28:26] Lennard: And that's a miracle what's happening in the NHS and Genomic England, and we need to make a cancer vaccine out of that. And so you need to process that. So that's time-consuming. It could be automated. And so what AI could do now in future is that we could use the supercomputer we built in the UK.  [00:28:43] Lennard: In fact, we are doing this already. We've built supercomputers in the UK, and we're going well beyond other tools out there and designing cancer vaccines. And the AI scientists which can do that can do it at weekends, at nights, and help design the drugs. And so what it does is it heralds a future where every patient can contribute into a model that's created in the UK, stored safely in our supercomputers.  [00:29:07] Lennard: It can now be made into drugs, and the UK will start to make things again, which will hopefully change cancer care across the world. We can deliver that legacy whereby our three strongest strengths come together - vaccines, AI, and genomics. It then super powers the NHS and everything that Victoria's done in the Cancer Vaccine Launchpad, so many millions of people around the world can get access to trials.  [00:29:31] Lennard: And people like Ali can also help hold up the NHS even further. So people once again look back to us and say, "If you want to get things done, come to the NHS because it provides world-class care for patients." And so that's a big initiative now. Use AI to make better drugs, safer drugs, more effective, more precise in the UK. And it's only possible because of everything that we've built here with our funders, ARIA, MRC, Cancer Research UK, people raising, raising money through cake bake sales to make this happen.  [00:30:02] Lennard: So it's very exciting.   [00:30:04] Florence: Yeah. I think AI can be a topic that people often have very strong opinions about. When it comes to AI in, in your line of work, are there any misconceptions you think people might have, or are there any benefits to using it that maybe people might not be aware of?   [00:30:21] Lennard: Oh, that's a tricky question, isn't it? I think you're right. Any tool that comes through can be used for good things and, and things that people will question because maybe we don't want to cross those boundaries. And yet I think what we're doing here is really special because we want to - as long as your heart's in the right place - we want to give more people like Ali hope so that she knows that one day the drugs in the NHS will be much safer so you don't get all those side effects, much more effective, much more precise.  [00:30:52] Lennard: And on top of that, people like Victoria will be able to bring even more trials in the UK which will change lives and change practices around the world through an amazing working launchpad. So I think that's the right use of AI, make people's lives better. I think there are other uses of AI which I probably scratch my head and say, "Well, should we be doing that?"  [00:31:10] Lennard: And that's what I think it's really special that we do think about these and talk about these things here, and then bring the public with us because I know that people reach out, and Ali's been reached out in the past before, and I think we need to have this discussion here. Is AI right to develop cancer drugs using capabilities from Genomic England to go through the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launchpad?  [00:31:31] Lennard: I say cautiously, yes, and we should do more of this. And I think the most important thing is there's a lot of people starting to use AI for benefit, and you know my views, Ali, and I don't know if they're right. Um, I'll be a bit cautious, but I do want to ask you, Ali, is this the right use of AI? Should this be what we develop?  [00:31:50] Lennard: I don't know what you're going to say.   [00:31:52] Ali: For me, I think it is. I do think AI is a bit if you put rubbish in, you get rubbish out. But if you- If you ask the right questions, if you give it data analysis and experts like you have set up the protocol in the first place and it makes everything faster and reliable, then it's got to be the right thing.  [00:32:16] Ali: It gets used and abused for things, that isn't what AI should be doing, in my opinion. It should be used to do-- to help us, to supplement the work that we're doing, uh, and make it even faster than you're already making it.  [00:32:38] Florence: Well, we've covered so much today from how vaccines work to the role of genomics, NHS trials, and of course, what all of this could lead to. So before we wrap up, I have two final questions for each of you. What do you think is the most important thing for listeners to understand and take away from personalised cancer vaccines?  [00:33:01] Florence: And what are your hopes for the future? I think we'll start with you, Victoria, if that's all right.   [00:33:08] Victoria: Yeah, absolutely. It's been a great conversation. Uh, there's so much to think about. I think when I think about what I'd like listeners to take away, I think it's that cancer vaccines, and particularly personalised cancer vaccines, really support and represent this paradigm shift that we're seeing towards a much more personalised, uh, treatment pathway.  [00:33:27] Victoria: You know, like we've described, generating a cancer vaccine that has come from the patient's tumour, so the, the, the vaccine is, is designed to recognise mutations that are specific to that patient. It is such an incredible thing to be sort of witnessing and to see how that's developing through into sort of really changing patient care, and that's, you know, we've spoken about this so much, but that's been due to such incredible collaboration across scientific disciplines, across the NHS, pathologists.  [00:33:58] Victoria: Everyone has come together to make all of this possible, and that's, that's an amazing thing to be a part of. In terms of my hopes for the future, well, I would like the Cancer Vaccine Launchpad to be open in every hospital across the UK to really sort of underpin that acceleration and to provide that opportunity for patients.  [00:34:17] Victoria: You know, I'd just like to give a, a final shout-out to everybody who has been part of the Cancer Vaccine Launchpad from its very start, who's enabled this to happen and, you know, it's just been fantastic to see how this has, you know, supported patient choice for trials. And I guess if there's one tiny other thing, perhaps we could see how this, you know, this, what we've put together could be applied to other disease areas as well.  [00:34:39] Victoria: But yeah, that, that would be my hope for the future, is it's open everywhere one day.   [00:34:43] Florence: And Ali, I'll come over to you next.   [00:34:45] Ali: I think what I'd say to any patient that was asked to go on a trial is, is just go for it.  [00:35:02] Ali: And you know, Victoria, Lennard, all the rest of the team, you know, you are not doing jobs. You're leaving a legacy in my view. That's such an important thing. So yeah, if you're offered a trial, get on it. And my hope for the future is that everybody can have kinder, gentler treatments. The radiologists and chemo nurses I came across were lovely, lovely people.  [00:35:31] Ali: But yes, I'd like to see them out of work and doing other things within the NHS because they don't need to do that work anymore. That, that's my dream.   [00:35:40] Florence: Mm. And Lennard, any, any final thoughts?   [00:35:44] Lennard: Thanks, Ali. I mean, your words gave me goosebumps about the amazing stuff that the whole community's doing for cancer vaccines, AI and genomic research.  [00:35:51] Lennard: It's so powerful. Um, okay. What's the final thing? I think it's hope. Look, the country's in a new place now. You've got brilliant scientists running clinical trials, like the Cancer Vaccine Launchpad, which is reaching out to every single hospital. You've got patients who are building up the NHS again to deliver future care, and scientists using AI and genomics to make cancer vaccines.  [00:36:11] Lennard: That is a good reason to be hopeful. When lots of things are going in other places of the world, great things are happening in the UK.   [00:36:20] Florence: This has been such a brilliant conversation.  [00:36:25] Florence: A huge, huge thank you to our guests today, Dr. Victoria Goss, Professor Lennard Lee, and Ali Richards, for joining me in our brilliant discussion about cancer vaccines.   [00:36:50] Victoria: Thank you so much for having me.  [00:36:55] Ali: Thank you, as always. I've learnt a lot.   [00:37:00] Lennard: Thank you very much, Florence, too, from me.   [00:37:10] Florence: If listeners have enjoyed this episode and you'd like to hear more, please subscribe to Behind the Genes on your favourite podcast app.  [00:37:16] Florence: I've been your host, Florence Cornish, and Behind the Genes is produced by Deanna Barac, Sharon Jones, Sophie McLachlan, and Patrick Wallace at Bespoken Media. Thank you for listening.   

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Today, our guest is a transformative figure in bowel cancer treatment. Professor Jenny Seligmann, a Consultant Medical Oncologist and Professor of Gastrointestinal and Translational Oncology at the University of Leeds, is renowned for leading the groundbreaking FOxTROT and ARIEL trials. These studies challenged traditional practices by demonstrating the advantages of administering chemotherapy before surgery, a change now saving lives and influencing worldwide protocols. As a devoted mentor and a prominent participant in Cancer Research UK's initiatives, she joins us to explore how we can personalise cancer treatment more effectively and discuss the future prospects for gastrointestinal cancer therapies. Welcome, Professor Seligmann.For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.comPlease find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.comArt courtesy of Taryn SilverMusic courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer, Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy Nolan, Director of Clinical affairs, Irish Cancer Society and Professor Janice Walsh, Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincent's Hospital

'Scanxiety' or scan anxiety is something many cancer survivors will understand, but how do you deal with the worry in the days leading up to a scan?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Professor Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Cork University Hospital and Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin.

Professor Gordon Hamilton Fairley was the UK's first professor of medical oncology but that career, and life, was cut short on the 23rd October 1975 when an IRA bomb exploded under his neighbour's car. So what did the medical world lose on that day when cancer research and treatment lost one of its pioneers?To chat about the legacy of Professor Gordon Hamilton Fairley with Pat was John Crowne, Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincent's Hospital.

Today, we're speaking to Dr Sophie McGrath, Consultant Medical Oncologist based at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and at Kingston Hospital in London.Title of paper: Management of menopausal symptoms following treatment for hormone receptor positive breast cancerAvailable at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2025.0264This transcript was generated using AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Please be aware it may contain errors or omissions.Speaker A00:00:00.800 - 00:01:11.660Hello and welcome to BJJP Interviews. My name is Nada Khan and I'm one of the associate editors of the bjgp. Thanks for joining us today to listen to this podcast.In today's episode, we're speaking to Dr. Sophie McGrath, who is a consultant medical oncologist based at the Royal Morrison NHS Trust and at Kingston Hospital in London.We're here to talk about the recent analysis article that she and her colleagues have published here in the BJDP titled Management of Menopausal Symptoms Following Treatment for Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer.And just to point out that these colleagues included not just medical oncologists, but also GPs and patients, which I think has really shaped this article and is one of the reasons why we wanted to highlight it here in the podcast. So, hi Sophie, thanks for meeting me to talk about this article, which I think touches on a really important topic in practice.But talk us through some of the initial side effects that you discuss in the introduction here. Just in terms of hormone positive breast cancer, what kind of symptoms do women experience generally as a result of endocrine therapy?Speaker B00:01:12.220 - 00:02:32.900So, yeah, thanks very much for asking. And it's a bit of a broad answer that I would give.I mean, I've focused on, or we have focused on three main symptoms within the article which relate to hot flushes or vasomotor symptoms, also to joint stiffness and pain and swelling, arthralgia, and also to vulvovaginal symptoms, otherwise known as genitourinary syndrome of menopause.But I think what we've tried to include within the article as well is a table that certainly acknowledges that there are unfortunately many other symptoms that women can get as a result of these medications, essentially mimicking menopausal side effects.And of course, you know, these might be symptoms that women having already gone through the menopause may have suffered or experienced at some point already.But actually for a population of premenopausal women, these will be symptoms that they haven't had any experience of yet and can often be quite intense and develop quite suddenly. Whereas often our post menopausal women have had some sort of lead up to this, they've had some experience.Speaker A00:02:34.710 - 00:02:44.710And you work as a medical oncologist. But just talk me through your own experience of working with women who are going through the sort of sudden menopause as you describe as well.Speaker B00:02:45.350 - 00:05:50.240So obviously the focus of the article here is on menopausal side effects in general from the treatments that we use. And we've talked a lot about using our endocrine treatments such as tamoxifen, letrozole.But actually many of our women also experience menopausal type side effect secondary to the chemotherapies we give them. So I think, you know, there's sort of two groups you often have, particularly premenopausal women who stop their periods whilst on chemotherapy.That may happen several weeks into their chemotherapy treatment and it can be quite sudden.You know, they're already dealing with the numerous side...

Clinical researchers are set to launch immune-cell therapy clinical trials aimed at tackling treatment resistance in solid tumour, supported by a €11.9 million grant from the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund. The project is being spearheaded by a consortium from LIfT BiSciences, University of Galway, Galway University Hospitals and Hooke Bio. The funding award, announced by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke T.D., and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless T.D., is the largest single grant awarded by the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund to date, with €5.9 million in direct funding going to University of Galway. The consortium will launch the first-in-human clinical trials of a ground-breaking neutrophil-based cancer immune-cell therapy developed by LIfT BioSciences, a client of Údarás na Gaeltachta with an Irish base in An Spidéal, Co. Galway. Neutrophils are part of the first line of defence in the body's immune response. The trial will focus on patients with metastatic cervical and head and neck cancer who have exhausted all standard treatments, including checkpoint inhibitors. Trials, which will be conducted at Galway University Hospitals, are expected to begin in 2026. The grant will support the clinical development of LIfT BioSciences' next-generation cell therapy designed to overcome resistance in solid tumours, known as Immuno-Modulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs). University of Galway will contribute its deep expertise in oncology and cell therapy clinical trials, as well as in translating laboratory research into clinical applications, including predictive biomarkers. Hooke Bio will provide advanced analytical tools to optimise and assess how patients respond to this novel therapy. The study will first establish the safe and effective dose of immune-cell cancer therapy and then combine this treatment with other immune-based therapies to overcome resistance to these cancer treatments observed in some patients. Professor Sean Hynes, Consultant Histopathologist and Translational Cancer Researcher from University of Galway's School of Medicine and Lead Academic of the award said: "In partnership with LiFT BioSciences and Hooke Bio, we are very excited about University of Galway and Galway University Hospital being at the forefront of delivering on new oncological cellular therapies by using neutrophils, the body's own first responders, in the fight against cancer and ensuring patients in the West of Ireland have access to such cutting edge treatments." Professor Fidelma Dunne, Director of the Institute for Clinical Trials at University of Galway, said: "The Institute for Clinical Trials is proud to support this collaboration and look forward to working closely with Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund partners LifT BioSciences and Hooke Bio, and with academic and clinical colleagues at the University and Galway University Hospital. The programme will bring a new therapy to patients with an unmet critical need. This will be a truly inspirational journey from basic science to a first in human trial as we deliver this novel cell therapy to cancer patients." Dr Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Principal Investigator at University Hospital Galway, added: "Cancer remains one of the most complex and dynamic diseases. IMANs have the potential to overcome key limitations of current cancer treatments by activating both the innate and adaptive branches of the immune system. This dual stimulation enables a comprehensive anti-tumour response, representing a transformative advancement in cancer therapy. We are pleased to receive this grant in collaboration with LIfT and Hooke Bio, and we look forward to accelerating the clinical development of this groundbreaking immunotherapy." Dr Andrew Finnerty Manager of the Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland at University of Galway, said: "We at the Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ire...

'One FM' by One MSL strives to connect voices within the global Medical community.For episode 10 Helen was joined by Ricky Frazer, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Velindre Cancer Centre.If you would like to feature on a future episode, please email community@onemsl.comhttps://www.onemsl.com/

According to a report published earlier this week by the National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI), almost ten people every day in Ireland are being diagnosed with a tobacco-related cancer. Also highlighted was that smoking remains a major driver of cancer in Ireland, with more than 3,750 cancer cases directly caused by tobacco use in 2022. Joining Anton to discuss is Dr Celia O'Hare, Aspire fellow in public health medicine, and lead author of the NCRI report & Prof. John Crown, Consultant Medical Oncologist at St Vincent's Medical Group.

Professor Janice Walshe, Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincent's University Hospital and Neil McDonnell, CEO of the ISME, who represents Small and Medium businesses

In this episode of the Onc Now Podcast, host Jonathan Sackier is joined by Janice Walshe, Consultant Medical Oncologist at St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. They explore the economic realities of cancer diagnostics, fertility preservation in patients with breast cancer, and the impact of international collaboration on the future of clinical trials.  Timestamps:    00:00 – Introduction  03:25 – Economic disparities and oncology care in Ireland  07:20 – Neoadjuvant therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer  10:13 – Spotlight on invasive lobular carcinoma  12:36 – Fertility preservation in breast cancer  15:20 – Menopause after cancer  19:09 – The latest clinical trials in Ireland  21:50 – International trials and research projects  23:50 – Walshe's three wishes for healthcare 

‘Tanning TikTok' has seen a resurgence of the use of sunbeds among Gen Z despite well-known health risks.Professor Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist in Cork University Hospital joins Ciara for NewsTalk Breakfast to go through this shocking resurgence.

‘Tanning TikTok' has seen a resurgence of the use of sunbeds among Gen Z despite well-known health risks.Professor Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist in Cork University Hospital joins Ciara for NewsTalk Breakfast to go through this shocking resurgence.

Dr. Michael McCarthy, Secretary of the Irish Society of Medical Oncology and Consultant Medical Oncologist and Professor Michael Barry, Clinical Director for the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics

Breast cancer diagnoses and deaths will surge worldwide by 2050, according to the World Health Organisation. Jonathan discusses the projection with Professor Janice Walshe, Consultant Medical Oncologist at St. Vincent's University Hospital.

Breast cancer diagnoses and deaths will surge worldwide by 2050, according to the World Health Organisation. Jonathan discusses the projection with Professor Janice Walshe, Consultant Medical Oncologist at St. Vincent's University Hospital.

Oesophageal cancer affects more men than women in Ireland by a wide gap. But according to a recent survey from the Oesophageal Cancer Fund, a third of men are still unaware of its symptoms. Joining Shane this morning on the show was Dr Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Secretary of the Irish Society of Medical Oncology.

Oesophageal cancer affects more men than women in Ireland by a wide gap. But according to a recent survey from the Oesophageal Cancer Fund, a third of men are still unaware of its symptoms. Joining Shane this morning on the show was Dr Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Secretary of the Irish Society of Medical Oncology.

Ireland's midwest has the lowest survival rate for cancers, that's according to the latest National Cancer Registry report. We discuss these findings with Dr Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Secretary of the Irish society of Medical Oncology.

Ireland's midwest has the lowest survival rate for cancers, that's according to the latest National Cancer Registry report. We discuss these findings with Dr Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Secretary of the Irish society of Medical Oncology.

Hospitals are famously wasteful places, with many things necessarily being thrown out. In fact, 20% of medical care is waste, from plastic biohazard buckets to glass vials. So, how can this change in order to help the climate crisis?Joining Seán to discuss is Professor Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist in Cork University Hospital, who has been carrying out research in this area…

Hospitals are famously wasteful places, with many things necessarily being thrown out. In fact, 20% of medical care is waste, from plastic biohazard buckets to glass vials. So, how can this change in order to help the climate crisis?Joining Seán to discuss is Professor Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist in Cork University Hospital, who has been carrying out research in this area…

A €4.9 million lung cancer research programme, launched by the Irish Cancer Society and Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre has become the largest single investment in lung cancer in Ireland's history. Speaking to Shane this morning on the show was Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Secretary of the Irish society of Medical Oncology.

A €4.9 million lung cancer research programme, launched by the Irish Cancer Society and Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre has become the largest single investment in lung cancer in Ireland's history. Speaking to Shane this morning on the show was Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Secretary of the Irish society of Medical Oncology.

The European Union is urging member countries to ban smoking and vaping in outdoor spaces like playgrounds, bus stops, and café terraces as part of its 'Beating Cancer Plan. The aim is to protect citizens from second-hand smoke.However, Irish Minister Jack Chambers has expressed doubts, saying he's 'not sure how workable' the proposal is.Joining Kieran to discuss is John Crowne, Professor and Consultant Medical Oncologist at St Vincent's Hospital Group and Dr Garrett McGovern, Medical Director of Priority Medical Clinic and GP specialising in Addiction.

People with cancer are waiting too long for treatment in Ireland. That's the view of Dr Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Secretary of the Irish Society of Medical Oncology who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

People with cancer are waiting too long for treatment in Ireland. That's the view of Dr Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Secretary of the Irish Society of Medical Oncology who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

The word ‘legend' gets bandied around a lot these days, but former footy superstar Ken Hunter most certainly IS a bona fide legend, and he's our special guest on the Food Bytes podcast this week. Skilful, feared and fearless, the Carlton great was known for his spectacular marks, and for going in where angels fear to tread! We talk to Ken about his playing days, how Aussie Rules footy has changed, his work in the mental health space with the Fifth Quarter Foundation, and why Italian food is always on the menu at his house! And in the Friday Food Poll this week … the beef burger and the vegie burger go head to head. Our extra seat at the Food Bytes table is Dr Anthony Dowling, Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Melbourne and a Consultant Medical Oncologist at St Vincent's Public Hospital Melbourne talking about the important work he is doing in cancer treatment and the role the wig and headwear studio has in patient wellbeing.    Here is the link to donate to he St. Vincent's Public Hospital Wig and Headware Studio.   https://www.stvfoundation.org.au/donate/wigs Presented by Sarah Patterson & Kevin Hillier Broadcast each Sunday on the ACE Radio Network - https://aceradio.com.au/ Catch us also on: The Buzzz - Melbourne's Home of Classic Hits - thebuzzz.com.au Radio 2DD - Easy Listening - On Line - https://www.2dd.online/ Radio Bayside - Stream.radiobayside.com  Follow us on Facebook...https://www.facebook.com/foodbyteswithsarahpatterson/ Twitter & Instagram - @sarahfoodbytes Post-production by Chris Gates  for Howdy Partners Media | www.howdypartnersmedia.com.au/podcasts © 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been major news in the world of medicine.The world's first vaccine for treating Melanoma, a common type of skin cancer, has shown extremely impressive results in trials. Joining Kieran to discuss the breakthrough and the development of cancer treatment is John Crowne, Professor and Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincent's Hospital Group.

Prof Janice Walshe, Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincent's University Hospital

Today marks the start of 'Bowel Cancer Awareness month'. Joining Pat to discuss the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer was Dr Grainne O'Kane, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Trinity St. James's Cancer Research Institute and also Deirdre Dee Fleming, a Stage 4 Bowel Cancer Survivor.

Professor Janice Walshe is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at St Vincent's hospital specialising in breast cancer. Described as a superstar in the oncology day ward, Professor Walshe tells Sean about the relationship she builds with her patients and the importance of being honest and empathetic in her approach.

Professor Janice Walshe, Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincent's Hospital

Today, we're joined by Dr. Aydah Al Awadhi, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Chairperson of the breast cancer working group under the Emirates Oncology Society... She's answering your key questions regarding breast cancer. Welcome to the show

In episode 2 of the ISGO podcast, we speak with Dr. Dearbhaile Collins, Consultant Medical Oncologist, who explains medications known as PARP inhibitors, how they work and who they're suitable for. We then speak with Jenny, a patient living with Ovarian Cancer, and who takes a PARP inhibitor medication.

John Duddy, Spinal surgery fellow, Walton Centre in Liverpool and Dr Toby Gilbert, Divisional Director for medicine for Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, Australia, Roisin O'Cearbhaill, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York.

Professor Ray McDermott, Consultant Medical Oncologist, explains the situation

Professor Janice Walsh, Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincent's Hospital

On today's episode, meet Dr. Sanjay Popat. Dr. Popat has both a private and an NHS practice at The Royal Marsden. He is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden, Professor of Thoracic Oncology at the Institute of Cancer Research and is an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of lung cancer. Sanjay qualified from Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals in 1994, completed general medical training at the Royal Brompton, and the Hammersmith Hospital, and medical oncology training at the Royal Marsden Hospital. He was awarded a PhD in Molecular Genetics in 2002. He's a strong advocate for patient education and support and is passionate about precision medicine.

Angela George, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Consultant in Oncogenetics, and Clinical Director of Genomics, The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK, joins Jonathan to discuss the importance of personalised cancer treatment for patients. George explains her specific interest in germline and somatic mutations in cancer, the hereditary and genetic links in different cancer types, and her focus on genomics research to improve outcomes for patients during and post-treatment.

On January 26, 2023, the US FDA granted approval of pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, as an adjuvant therapy for patients with resected NSCLC. In this episode of Lung Cancer Considered host Dr. Stephen Liu leads a discussion on this approval with two thoracic medical oncologists with extensive expertise in this space: Dr. Jamie Chaft, an Associate Attending at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she is the Director of Early Stage Lung Cancer Research, chair of the adjuvant nivolumab trial within the ALCHEMIST program and heavily involved in perioperative systemic therapy studies. Dr. Mary O'Brien, Professor and Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Royal Marsden in Surrey, Head of the Lung Unit, and chair of the EORTC Lung Cancer Group. She was one of the investigators on the KEYNOTE 091 trial which provided key data that lead to this approval.

Professor Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist, on a wave of delayed cancer diagnoses.

Doctor Caoimhe Hartly speaks to Professor Conleth Murphy about the area of Oncology and the effects of using HRT. Conleth took up his position as a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Bon Secours Health System in Cork in August 2010. His treatment focus includes breast cancer, gynecologic malignancies such as ovarian cancer and urologic malignancies such as prostate, kidney and bladder cancers. He is passionate about medical education and is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Education with UCC. He is an active member of Cancer Trials Ireland and has acted as national lead investigator for several key clinical trials for cancer patients. With the clinical trial team at Bon Secours Cork, Conleth has opened a number of important trials which seek to build on current treatments to improve the outlook for patients with cancer. Learn More About Yourself Our information hub is bursting with facts about your menstrual cycle, menopause journey, and the research we've done over the years to make Key a straight-forward solution for women. Unlock your best self with daily wellness designed for women! Click here to visit our information hub >> learn.keyforher.com About Key for Her Donna & Renée are the co-founders of Key For Her. They set up their company Key For Her to empower and support women around the menstrual cycle, perimenopause and general women's health in this series, the two women will share their own journeys and all elements of their empowering business, while also speaking with resident Key For Her podcast doctor, Dr. Caoimhe Hartley, and a number of other people who are also de-stigmatising and opening up positive conversations around women's health. Connect with us! Website | keyforher.com Facebook | www.facebook.com/keyforher Instagram | @keyforher Twitter | @keyforher Tiktok | @keyforher LinkedIn | FemTech Healthcare Pinterest | www.pinterest.com/keyforher

Dr Axel Walther, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, UK, disucsses how he treats people with recurrent ovarian cancer.  He also recaps on the use of PARP inhibitors in initial advanced ovarian cancer.  He is a great font of knowledge on ovarian cancer and the trials that underpin the treatment options, so this podcast will be a very useful overview of the UK current treatment paradigms at registrar level. Your host is Dr Alison Cameron, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Bristol, UK.

Professor Janice Walshe, Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincent's Hospital

US President Joe Biden is seeking to “end cancer as we know it” - as he has announced a new programme that will look to reduce the incidence of cancer by at least 50%, over the next 25 years. Professor Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist in Cork University Hospital spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

US President Joe Biden is seeking to “end cancer as we know it” - as he has announced a new programme that will look to reduce the incidence of cancer by at least 50%, over the next 25 years. Professor Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist in Cork University Hospital spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Dr Axel Walter, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Bristol Haematology and Oncology Center, kicks off the series about how to manage ovarian cancer.  He discusses in depth the staging system and how women with initial ovarian cancer should be treated, including both those with stage 1 and stage 3 disease.  This includes an explanation regarding BRCA and HRD (homologous recombination deficiency) testing and treatment with adjuvant PARP inhibitors. Your host is Dr Alison Cameron, Bristol, UK.

Dr Abdul Rahman Al Kinge, Consultant Medical Oncologist from Fakeeh University Hospital joined TSB. Kitch and Neeil discussed with Dr Abdul: The Importance of being proactive about your healthTesting for cancer methodsMyths about cancer treatments and diagnosisThe most common forms of cancer in the UAEThe role of family and friends as the support networkwww.fakeeh.care Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More workforce is needed across the health services to cope with the growing population but where will they all come from? We debate with Dr. Conor Keegan Senior Research Officer, ESRI, and John Crowne Professor and Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincent's Hospital Group.

On this episode of the Newson Health Menopause Society podcast, host Lauren Redfern is joined by Consultant Medical Oncologist Rebecca Bowen. Together, Lauren and Rebecca discuss the decision-making process involved when patients diagnosed with breast and gynaecological cancers are considering using HRT. Rebecca helps to explain the factors that both patients and clinicians need to consider when approaching treatment and helps to dispel common misconceptions surrounding cancer risk. Rebecca helps to clarify that whilst some patients may not realistically be able to use HRT due to their particular diagnosis, each patient is different and should be treated as an individual. She highlights the importance of integrated approaches to clinical care, outlining how communication between Oncologists, General Practitioners and Menopause Specialists, can help to empower patients to make informed decisions about the best course of treatment that is right for them. Rebecca Bowen is a Consultant Medical Oncologist specialising in breast and gynaecological cancers. She works at one of the very few oncology clinics in the country that integrates menopausal treatment into their care.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Susana Banerjee to discuss SOLO1. Dr. Banerjee is a Consultant Medical Oncologist and Research Lead for the Gynaecology Unit. She is also Reader in Women's Cancers at the Institute of Cancer Research. Dr Banerjee specialises in ovarian cancer and the systemic treatment of endometrial and cervical cancers. Highlights: - This report is the longest follow-up period for a PARP inhibitor in the newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer. - The present analysis shows a PFS benefit that is sustained for several years following completion of 2 years of maintenance olaparib. - PFS benefit was consistent irrespective of higher or lower clinical risk or BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. - SOLO1 is the first to report longer-term follow-up for safety in patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer receiving a PARPi as maintenance treatment. - The safety profile for patients in the maintenance olaparib remained consistent with that reported previously, with no new safety signals. Importantly, no additional cases of MDS or AML were reported.

We hear why it's vitally important that more cancer patients consider taking part in clinical trials with Professor Ray McDermott, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Clinical Lead at Cancer Trials Ireland. Listen and subscribe to The Pat Kenny Show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.      Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstalk.com or on Alexa, by adding the Newstalk skill and asking: 'Alexa, play Newstalk'.

‘Living with Ovarian Cancer Podcast' is full of inspiring stories told by people who are living with or have a connection with Ovarian Cancer. Each person's story is a gift; unique and is told from the heart in their own words. I am your host, Diane Evans-Wood. Please subscribe to the Podcast and leave a 5* review so that the show becomes more visible to listeners. In this episode I talk to Dr Clare Green who is my Consultant Medical Oncologist. Clare kindly agreed to be a guest for this episode not only on her day off but also on her Birthday. We covered a lot in this episode from what made Clare decide to be a Doctor, what her medical training was like, symptoms and management of Ovarian Cancer to her adventures to Africa on a secondment. It was so interesting to talk to Clare to gain some insight into her world as a Medical Oncology Consultant. I am extremely lucky to have such a dedicated and grounded Oncologist on my side. Thank you so much for listening to ‘Living with Ovarian Cancer'. If you want to get in touch with me or you would like to tell your own story on this Podcast about living with Ovarian Cancer, please email diane.evanswood@gmail.com You can find more information about me on my website by following this link: https://dianeevanswood.wordpress.com My sincere gratitude to Gary and Ruthie Colcombe who continue to carry out all the editing and uploading of each episode of this Podcast. I couldn't have managed without them! You can find their Podcasts here http://celticmythpodshow.comand  https://inbedwithadruid.com Intro and outro music is called ‘Waltz for the little mermaid' by Meidi Goh. To read more about Meidi please follow this link http://meidigoh.com Before you go, please don't forget to click ‘subscribe' to this Podcast so that you don't miss future episodes and also if you could leave a rating, I'd be very grateful. Disclaimer: Each story in this Podcast is unique to the woman who is telling it. The content of each episode and the views expressed are not meant to be a substitute for medical advice or intervention. You will hear stories of women who sought alternative therapies, integrated oncology services or even choosing to decline treatment options. However, this is their story, and I am not advocating that you follow the path of any one woman who features in the podcast. If you have a diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer, please make sure that you discuss anything that is going to affect your treatment or wellbeing with your own Medical team. You are unique and so what's right for one woman may not be right for you!

Dr. Conleth Murphy is a Podcaster and Consultant Medical Oncologist based in the Bons Secours Hospital in Cork, Ireland. He talks about gynecologic, urologic malignancies, how patient care is developing, and his story behind starting The Cure Podcast. Know more about Dr. Conleth Murphy: Twitter: https://twitter.com/conlethmurphy Listen to The Cure Podcast: Spotify: is.gd/Hn5Jsp Apple podcast: is.gd/tqxMWz For inquiries, contact us at info@oncoassist.com Let's connect: Website: www.oncoassist.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncoassist LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/oncoassist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncoassist/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ONCOassist

November is pancreatic cancer awareness month. This podcast episode serves to provide educational information to a global audience. #pancreaticcancer #cancer Our guest: Dr. Chinenye Iwuji is a Consultant Medical Oncologist, who worked at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust until her move to Lakeshore Cancer Centre in Nigeria. She qualified from Southampton Medical School and holds a degree in Physiology from University of Dundee. Her post-graduate qualifications include a Master's Degree in Oncology (University of Nottingham) and a PhD (University of Leicester), following her research investigating the use of curcumin in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Dr. Iwuji treats all solid tumours and has a specialist interest in palliative care. To find out more about the Cancer program visit Instagram @lcccares --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/health4naija/support

Could 'Europe's Beating Cancer Plan' have a positive impact on Irish cancer care? To discuss with Pat this morning was Prof. John Crown, Professor and Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincent's Private Hospital and also Rachel Morrogh, Executive Director of Advocacy and External Relations, Irish Cancer Society. Listen and subscribe to The Pat Kenny Show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.      Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstalk.com or on Alexa, by adding the Newstalk skill and asking: 'Alexa, play Newstalk'.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU proposal for a European Health Union has become a high priority, while the area of healthcare remains the sole domain of national governments. 'Europe's Beating Cancer Plan' is the EU's latest effort to mobilise the collective power of its Member States in new areas of healthcare policy.   The plan contains concrete, ambitious actions that will support, coordinate, and complement Member States' national policies in the area of cancer prevention, treatment and care. It also recognises the scope of the challenge and addresses research and innovation.    This expert panel provides policy, clinical, patient and industry perspectives on the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and discusses how it could shape the future of national cancer care and policy in Ireland. The panel also compares Ireland's performance to that of its European counterparts in terms of cancer care outcomes and the lessons to be learned to improve care for patients in Ireland.  Speakers include:   Matthias Schuppe, Project Leader for the Cancer Task Force, DG SANTE, European Commission  Anouk de Vroey, Senior Director of Government Affairs & Policy, Johnson & Johnson  Professor John Crown, Professor and Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincent's Private Hospital  Rachel Morrogh, Executive Director of Advocacy and External Relations, Irish Cancer Society   The event will be moderated by Terence O'Rourke, IIEA Board Member and Chairman of Enterprise Ireland and of ESB.  About the Speakers:  Matthias Schuppe is the Project Leader of the Cancer Task Force in DG SANTE at the European Commission. Mr Schuppe has over 8 years experience in policy and project management at the Commission. Previously, he worked for the European Public Health Alliance and the European Health Forum Gastein. He holds an MSc in Health Services and Systems Research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine at the University of London.  Anouk de Vroey currently leads the EMEA Government Affairs & Policy team for the pharmaceutical division of Johnson & Johnson – Janssen pharmaceuticals. Ms de Vroey is responsible for managing the implementation of advanced purchase agreements in EMEA of Janssen's COVID19 vaccine. She is involved in several industry platforms to support a strong climate of biopharmaceutical innovation. Throughout her 22 year-career in the pharmaceutical industry, Ms de Vroey has been involved in initiatives to accelerate the European Market Authorization procedures both at the EU Commission and the European Federation of the Pharmaceutical Industry.  John Crown is a Professor and consultant medical oncologist at St. Vincent's Private Hosptial. He received his medical training at University College Dublin and the State University of New York. He completed his fellowship training in oncology at Mount Sinai Medical Centre and in haematology/oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre before joining St. Vincent's University Hospital in 1993.  Rachel Morrogh is the Director of Advocacy and External Relations at the Irish Cancer Society since April 2020 and previously served as the Head of the Advocacy Department from 2018 to 2020. She is an experienced campaigner with extensive advocacy and policy experience having worked in the Oireachtas, large multinationals, public affairs consultancy and the non-profit sector for more than 15 years.

Dr Janice Walshe, Consultant Medical Oncologist at St. Vincent's Hospital & Tallaght Hospital.

This week we are joined by Dr Jarushka Naidoo, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Beaumont Hospital and Chair of the Lung Cancer Group at Cancer Trials Ireland to discuss Lung Cancer. 

Today's Oncology Spotlight is with Dr. Giuseppe Banna, a 46-year old Consultant Medical Oncologist, and father of 2 daughters. His clinical and scientific experience has been mostly focused on thoracic and urology cancer and prognostic and predictive biomarkers for systemic cancer treatments, particularly for immunotherapy. He works at the Department of Oncology of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust in the UK and his subspecialties are Lung and Urology. He's Italian and moved to the UK two years ago. Currently, he's working with his European colleagues on predictive models of efficacy and toxicity of immunotherapy based on immune-inflammatory biomarkers and artificial intelligence. He has a soft spot for the academy and clinical and translational research. In 2017, he was entitled with an Italian qualification to be an Associate Professor. He promoted translational and clinical research trials and joined national and European cancer research networks. He's the coordinator of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM), Italian Germ Cell Cancer Group (IGG) guidelines for testicular germ cell tumors, and also a member of the British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG), the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG), the Italian Urologic Meet-Uro and the EORTC Lung and Urology Cancer Group. In 2011 he co-founded a non-profit organization "Medicare Onlus - You Make It Real" to promote initiatives regarding the primary and secondary prevention of cancer and support cancer patients and their families in the South of Italy. We at ONCOassist had a chance to speak with him about his work and its impact on his life both professionally and personally. His responses during the interview offer meaningful insight into the life of an Oncologist who's dedicated to providing unparalleled care to his patients. 00:00 Introduction 02:26 Medicare Onlus - You Make It Real 04:25 What would you say excites you the most in your industry? 06:33 Mentions: Alfredo Addeo & Fabio Gomes 09:22 How did you originally find out about ONCOassist and why did you decide to install the app? 16:26 How do you use ONCOassist? 18:02 In your perspective, what health industry problem is ONCOassist well placed to solve?‍ 19:20 Why did you decide to pursue a career in medicine, specifically Oncology? 22:22 What are some of your biggest challenges day-to-day as an Oncologist? 25:22 A positive impact of COVID-19 is the adoption of digital health, can you give us a few examples of your experience around this? 27:29 Mention: ONCOalert & Gil Morgan 29:27 ‍For any patients and caregivers reading this, what are your tips on navigating cancer care? ✅ Know more about: Medicare Onclus: https://www.medicareonlus.com Dr. Giuseppe Banna: https://www.twitter.com/gbanna74 ✅ For inquiries, contact us at info@oncoassist.com ✅ Let's connect: Website: www.oncoassist.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncoassist LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/onc... Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/oncoassist/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ONCOassist/

Professor Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Cork University Hospital and the Mercy University Hospital

Dr Miriam O'Connor, Consultant Medical Oncologist at University Hospital Waterford; Prof. Ciaran Martin, Cyber Security; and Kevin Collier, NBC News reporter focusing on cyber security, on the HSE's cyber attack

This week, Jonathan sits down with Dr Caroline Michie, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, Edinburgh Cancer Centre & University of Edinburgh to discuss the challenges of cancer care during and post-pandemic, as well as regional differences in healthcare.  

Joe chats to Prof Linda Coate, Consultant Medical Oncologist, University Hospital Limerick and Limerick patient Peter Mcnamara about cancer clinical trials and why patients should consider them See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Professor Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Cork University Hospital, appeals to hospitals, healthcare organisations and medical suppliers to donate respiratory equipment which will be sent to India.

Dr Kim Linton presents a podcast on the BSH Guideline on the investigation and management of follicular lymphoma. Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a heterogeneous disease. For many it is experienced as a chronic, relapsing, indolent condition with long overall survival (OS). Most people affected have advanced disease at presentation; symptoms may include B symptoms (i.e. fever, night sweats and weight loss), fatigue and the local mass effect of lymph node enlargement. However, many people are asymptomatic at presentation. Some people are observed without treatment according to a ‘watch and wait' policy (see section Management of patients with newly diagnosed FL). In contrast to this, over a period of many years, 20–30% of patients will die from refractory FL or following transformation of their disease to high‐grade lymphoma.1 Prognostic indices may help discriminate between risk groups (see section Prognostic factors in FL). Dr Linton discusses the guidelines four main focus areas: 1) Important changes on the use of PET scanning. 2) Advances in the upfront management of patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic advance stage disease.  3) High risk disease in high grade transformation. 4) Advances in the management of relapse with some horizon scanning of promising drugs in development Dr Kim Linton is Consultant Medical Oncologist at Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester.

Doctor Megan Greally is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Mater Private Hospital, Dublin. Dr. Megan Greally graduated, MB BCh BAO, from the National University of Ireland, Galway in 2008. She obtained membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (MRCPI) in 2011 and completed Higher Specialist Training in Medical Oncology in 2017. During her training she obtained a diploma in Clinical Education at the National University of Ireland, Galway. In 2016 she was the recipient of an ISMO visiting scholar fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre.

Dr Naureen Starling is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden hospital in London, specialising in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. She is better known to listeners as Steve Hewlett's doctor. She explained to Eddie Mair that one thing she has learnt whilst treating Steve was that clear communication was vital. "I think it's often good for me and my colleagues just to step back and think actually am I communicating this clearly in a way the patient can understand."