Enhancing your MUO/CUP Pathways

Dr Clive has been a consultant medical oncologist in Edinburgh since 2007 and specialises in the management of patients with cancers of unknown primary (CUP) and the oncological management of colorectal cancer. She is an active clinical researcher, is involved in clinical trials in both colorectal cancer and CUP and is deputy chair of the NCRI CUP subgroup. Since 2010 Sally has worked alongside a multidisciplinary team to develop the CUP service in Lothian, which was the first of its kind in Scotland. The team has evolved in order to improve patient pathways, patient experience and patient outcomes and now takes direct malignancy of undefined primary origin (MUO)/CUP referrals from GPs and from clinicians across South East Scotland. Analysis of our detailed MUO/CUP biobank of over 1250 patients has allowed us to explore pathways, prognostic factors and biological indicators of outcome in all patient groups. Sally is keen to improve pathways to cancer diagnosis and is part of the oversight group for the new Scottish Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services. She is also interested in systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) governance, chaired the Lothian Cancer Therapeutics and Quality Assurance Committees for 14 years and now chairs the Scottish National Cancer Medicine Advisory Group (NCMAG).

Dr Natalie Cook is a Senior Clinical Lecturer in Experimental Cancer Medicine at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust/Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester. She is also the clinical lead for Manchester Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre. She previously trained in Medical Oncology in Cambridge, UK, where she completed a PhD, funded by a CRUK Clinical Training fellowship. In 2012, she was awarded the Rothwell Jackson Postgraduate Travelling Fellowship and travelled to Canada to undertake a 2 year drug development research fellowship, based at the University of Toronto and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. In her current position she is co-investigator on a portfolio of over 50 early phase clinical trials, and is a Chief or Principal Investigator on over 20 trials. She has research interests in precision medicine, colorectal cancer and carcinoma of unknown primary site.

Following graduation from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Brno and the Medical University in Vienna, Dr Bezecny completed his training in General Practice in Austria in 2001. He then trained in Medical Oncology in Republic of Ireland (Waterford, Galway, St Vincent’s University Hospital Dublin), Czech Republic (Brno) and United Kingdom (University College London Hospital).

Since 2012 Dr Bezecny has been working as a Consultant Medical Oncologist at Royal Preston Hospital and Blackpool Victoria Hospital. Dr Bezecny treats patients with breast, lung, upper gastrointestinal cancers and cancers of unknown primary. He is actively promoting clinical research as is a co-author of multiple studies published over recent years.

Dr Bezecny is a member of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). He holds the ESMO Certification in Medical Oncology.

Mark is an academic medical oncologist working in Edinburgh. His clinical focus is the management of renal cell carcinoma and melanoma. Mark’s academic interests revolve around the development of detailed real-world clinical datasets to support research activities in several cancers, including cancer of unknown primary. A specific focus of his group has been investigating the utility of routinely collected clinical information to inform patient management. 

Dr Prudham qualified from St Bartholomew’s Hospital in 1992 he then returned North to train in the North West, predominantly in Salford and North Manchester.  He gained specialist accreditation in gastroenterology in 2000 and the commenced his first consultant post.

He has been a consultant gastroenterologist in Fairfield since 2001. Dr Prudham has also held a variety of senior leadership appointments including Clinical Director, Deputy Medical Director and Lead Cancer Clinician. He is currently the Chair of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Information Board, Caldicott Guardian, Lead Clinician for the Northern Care Alliance Rapid Diagnostic Centre and Lead Cancer clinician for the Northern Care Alliance group of hospitals.

Dr Prudham is an expert colonoscopist and his main clinical interest is advanced colonoscopy, bowel cancer screening and complex polypectomy.  He has led the local screening programme since its inception in 2007.  He also provides other expert upper GI endoscopy services both diagnostic and therapeutic such as balloon dilatation and PEG insertion.

Dr Prudham's work in helping establish one of the first Rapid Diagnostic Centres in the country has provided him with specific expertise in the rapid assessment of non-specific symptoms suggestive of cancer, a new and vital service.