What is your role at The London Clinic, your medical specialty and the areas that you focus on?

‍I'm a medical oncologist specialising in gynaecology, so I deal with cancers in the female reproductive tract. My role is to provide chemotherapy or any drug therapy that is required. I am part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT), working closely with the surgeons to make a diagnosis and select the best treatment plan for patients. Treatment usually involves a combination of surgery and chemotherapy or other drug therapy. For some cancers, such as endometrial or cervical cancer, patients might also receive radiotherapy or brachytherapy, from our cutting-edge radiotherapy service.

Our MDT-based approach for each patient brings together input from specialist pathologists, specialist radiologists, clinical (radiotherapy) and medical oncologists, and our gynae-oncology surgeons. 

We are increasingly using a more personalised medicine approach to create an individualised treatment plan specifically tailored for every patient, considering their unique tumour biology and personal circumstances. 

We pride ourselves on the quality of our holistic care. We have the support of a specialist nurse who will be with patients throughout their treatment journey – from diagnosis to treatment. We also offer massage, acupuncture support for people with hair loss, and psychosocial support services.

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How easy is it for overseas patients to continue their treatment or monitoring when they go home?

We take a hybrid approach, so we will often suggest that people have their initial treatment at The London Clinic and then, if they need ongoing treatment, we would devise a full treatment plan to continue at home. Our MDT is always available to review imaging and offer advice to the local oncology team. 

What services does The London Clinic provide for those concerned that they are at increased risk of gynaecological cancers?

‍Some gynaecological cancers can be hereditary, so we're able to carry out and support genetic testing of family members, where appropriate, with the support of our genetics team. We offer preventative and screening services for those known to have an increased risk of familial gynaecological cancer. 

For any newly diagnosed patient with ovarian cancer, we also offer the option for their relatives to be tested and to undergo preventative or screening procedures. For many of the gynaecological cancers, there is a real concern about other family members being at risk, so it is good to have the reassurance of screening for family members. We also provide screening for Lynch syndrome, a form of hereditary colorectal and endometrial cancer. 

Are there any interesting developments in your field that will be making an impact on future treatments?

Over the past three to five years, there's been a real explosion of new drugs offering a significant improvement in outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed ovarian, endometrial and cervical cancers. 

The landscape is changing all the time, with a lot of exciting new classes of drugs on the horizon for gynaecological cancers, which I think will significantly transform outcomes.

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To learn more about The London Clinic, visit thelondonclinic.co.uk or contact:
T: +44 (0) 20 4527 8215
E: appointments@thelondonclinic.co.uk

For international patients, contact:
E: internationaloffice@thelondonclinic.co.uk

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