Drugs in Cancer Care

Rachel Midgley studied Medicine at the University of Birmingham (1988-1994) and gained a first class Honours in an intercalated BSc in Physiology. After completing general medical training as an SHO in Birmingham and completing the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians, she was awarded a competitive MRC Personal Fellowship to carry out research towards her PhD in Cancer Studies, while commencing oncology training. Rachel presently works as a Consultant in Medical Oncology and Senior Lecturer in Cancer Studies at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford and the University of Oxford. She is Director of the Oncology Clinical Trials Office at the University and oversees all the Cancer Trials activity. She has assisted in attracting grants totalling more than £7M and authored over 50 publications in cancer research. Her main focus of research is in the adjuvant treatment of colorectal cancer identifying new agents for use and defining novel prognostic and predictive markers in this setting. Mark Middleton is Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at the University of Oxford and a Medical Oncologist at the Oxford Cancer and Haematology Centre. His oncology training was at the Christie Hospital and the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester, where his PhD was on Strategies to Enhance the Efficacy of Alkylating Agent Chemotherapy. His clinical interests are in cancer drug development and in the treatment of melanoma. Current work focuses on the genetic characterisation of patients and their melanoma, the potential for signal transduction inhibitors to modulate DNA repair and on the ability of agents affecting chromatin to potentiate cytotoxic chemotherapy. Mark is a member of the National Cancer Research Institute Melanoma Clinical Studies Group, leading several clinical trials in the UK national portfolio, and having responsibility for their translational research delivery. David Kerr has made sustained and internationally recognised contribution to cancer care and research in the field of drug development over the past 3 decades. He has published over 300 papers in high profile journals, authored over twenty books, and has been awarded 4 prestigious, international research prizes, including the NHS's first Nye Bevan award for Innovation. His scientific standing has been recognised by election as Fellow of Academy of Medical Sciences in 2000, President of the European society of Medical Oncology (2009-2011) and Founding Fellow of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences (2010). He has also completed the "Kerr Report" (2006), a 20 year plan to reform Scotland's NHS - a root and branch review of every aspect of the NHS and organised the first ever African Cancer Reform convention in London (2007). Andrew Dickman is a Consultant Pharmacist at the Blackpool Victoria Hospital and Marie Curie Hospice in Liverpool. He is also a project lead at the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute, University of Liverpool. Andrew is the co-author several books, including the Syringe Driver, the Palliative Care Formulary (PCF2) and Chronic Pain, part of the Oxford Pain Management Library. He has also contributed chapters to several books, including the Care of the Dying, Wall and Melzack's Textbook of Pain and Palliative Medicine. His job involves clinical work, research and education and he is currently undertaking a Doctorate in Pharmacy Practice.