About the Editorial Advisory Board

Editor: Professor David Miles

Consultant Medical Oncologist

Professor David Miles is a Consultant in Medical Oncology at Mount Vernon Hospital in Northwood, Middlesex, where he specialises in the care of patients with breast cancer. He underwent his specialist training at King’s College London, University College London and Guy’s Hospital, and was awarded an Imperial Cancer Research Fund Fellowship at Guy’s Breast Unit. After completing his MD, he was appointed Senior Lecturer and Consultant at Guy’s in 1995, and he moved to his current post in 2004.

His research interests include the development and investigation of novel treatments for breast cancer and he is Principal Investigator for various national and international trials, including the AvaDo (Avastin plus docetaxel) study. He has participated—as Chair and speaker—in many key oncology mettings, and his publications are seen in a range of high-impact journals.

Institution:

Elaine Lennan

Consultant Nurse and Trust Lead Chemotherapy Nurse

Elaine Lennan has been a cancer nurse for over 20 years. She began her nurse training in Liverpool in 1994 and moved to London to the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases. From there she went to Australia for a working holiday and stayed for 10 years! It was in Australia that Elaine gained extensive experience in medical oncology, haematology, bone marrow transplant and HIV nursing. She studied for an oncology certificate in the New South Wales College of Nursing and gained a degree in nursing from the University of Sydney in 1994.

Her final role in Australia was as a clinical nurse educator in a BMT unit and a senior lecturer in the New South Wales College of Nursing. On returning to England Elaine moved to Southampton and began a role as a clinical nurse specialist for IV therapy. Later moving into a managerial role as the senior nurse for the cancer care directorate and finally in 2004 securing a position as Consultant Nurse in Chemotherapy.

Elaine continued her academic career and gained a Masters degree from Portsmouth University in 1999 and is currently awiting examination for her doctoral studies. Her thesis is entitled Non-medical prescribing: Using 4th generation evaluation to engage health service users to implement change or a working title: “What are the views of stakeholders about non medical prescribing of chemotherapy”. Elaine has several publications and has presented at local, national and international level. Elaine has also recently been elected vice chair of the UKONS chemotherapy forum and is involved in the workforce section of the National Chemotherapy Action Group (NCAG). She has just completed being a clinical advisor for the NCEPOD audit into deaths from Systemic Anti Cancer Therapy (SACT).

She is married with 12 year old twin boys and 9 year daughter.

Institution:

Dr Mark Verrill

Senior Lecturer and Consultant

After studying medicine at Cambridge and University College London, Mark completed his medical oncology training at the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research.

From 1999 to 2007 he was the Cancer Research UK Senior Lecturer in Medical Oncology at Newcastle University and is now a consultant in the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust.

Mark is also the lead clinican for breast cancer in the North of England Cancer Network. His main interest is breast cancer clinical trials - particularly systemic therapies for breast cancer and cytotoxic chemotherapy for soft tissue and bone sarcomas.

Institution:

Dr Richard Simcock

Consultant Clinical Oncologist

After qualifying from the University of London, Dr Simcock completed specialist training in London hospitals and a Research Fellowship at the Sydney Cancer Centre. In 2004 he was appointed to the Sussex Cancer Centre where he treats breast cancer as well as cancer of the head & neck.

Dr Simcock’s work involves the radiotherapy and chemotherapy of breast cancer, including current national trials. He has been involved in the development of breast cancer services in Sussex, including the opening in November 2008 of a new fully digitised breast unit. He has led projects on communication, patient education, complementary medicine and support for partners and carers. He lectures on breast cancer to medical students at Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

His current research interests include the cardiac monitoring of patients on chemotherapy and the technical radiotherapy of early breast cancer.

Institution:

Carla Forte

Lead Cancer Care Pharmacist

Carla Forte, Lead Cancer Care Pharmacist at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 1989. She underwent her pre-registration training at NHS Tayside University Hospitals, then moved to NHS Greater Glasgow in 1990 for her basic hospital pharmacy training. She joined the Beatson Oncology Centre in 1992 and was appointed to her current post in 1997. Ms Forte completed an MSc in Clinical Pharmacology in 1995, at the University of Glasgow, and became a registered Supplementary Prescriber in 2004, under the auspices of Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. She is currently finishing a portfolio with the aim of attaining Independent Prescriber status.

Institution: