Cancer Research UK appoints leading experts in surgery, children’s cancers and primary care

Cancer Research UK today announces the appointment of three senior clinical advisors to join the charity’s leadership to accelerate the progress of its ambitious research strategy (Saturday).

“I am delighted that we have three immensely talented clinicians joining the team at Cancer Research UK, to help us deliver on our strategy to diagnose cancer faster and treat it more effectively.”  – Professor Peter Johnson.

Professor Arnie Purushotham is director of King’s Health Partners Integrated Cancer Centre, Chair of Breast Cancer at King’s College London and Consultant Surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.   His research interests centre on the biology and treatment of breast cancer, especially on improving methods of surgery. 

Professor Purushotham, said: “I am delighted to join the team at Cancer Research UK at this exciting time of progress in cancer research. I look forward to working more closely with our clinical and scientific colleagues on behalf of patients, families and carers.”

Professor Pamela Kearns is Chair of Paediatric Oncology and director of the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit at the School of Cancer Sciences in the University of Birmingham. She is an expert in new types of treatment for children’s cancers and leukaemias, and in the Trials Unit she leads an international programme of large scale clinical research across all types of cancer.

Prof Kearns said: “I am excited by this amazing opportunity to work closely with Cancer Research UK. I am looking forward to working with the team to support the charity’s world-leading clinical research that will give better treatments to all children and adults diagnosed with cancer.”

Dr Richard Roope is a General Practitioner in Hampshire and holds the position of Cancer Lead in a joint post between the Royal College of General Practioners and Cancer Research UK. He has extensive expertise in programmes to improve the early diagnosis of cancer and liaison with colleagues in primary care.

Dr Roope said: “I am delighted to be taking up the Senior Clinical Advisor Role covering prevention and early diagnosis of cancer. There have been significant improvements in cancer care but there is still much to do.

“I hope to influence the public, professionals, policy makers and politicians to contribute towards a fall in cancer incidence, to help enable more cancer patients to live long fulfilling lives and to move towards Cancer Research UK’s goal to increase the 10 year cancer survival rate to 75 per cent. With recommendations from the Cancer Taskforce and the NICE Guidance for early diagnosis due out shortly we are moving into a very exciting time in the cancer arena.”

All three will join the charity on a part-time basis, to allow them to continue their existing clinical work and research.

Professor Peter Johnson, chief clinician at Cancer Research UK said: “I am delighted that we have three immensely talented clinicians joining the team at Cancer Research UK, to help us deliver on our strategy to diagnose cancer faster and treat it more effectively. We have an ambitious programme covering everything from how people can get faster access to cancer tests, how to deliver the most up to date cancer care across the UK and how to carry out the best clinical trials with all the new treatments that are coming out of our laboratory research. The clinical advisory team has the experience and skills to make sure that we can do this.”

ENDS

For media enquiries contact the Cancer Research UK press office on 020 3469 8300 or, out of hours, on 07050 264 059.