Cancer is daunting for both patients and for clinical teams. Dr John McGrane and Dr Michael Rowe are oncologists who want to break down the complex parts of cancer care into clear and simple sessions.
We will dive deep into the world of cancer research, patient stories and the latest cancer breakthroughs. Simply Oncology will have patient focused episodes along with episodes that allow anyone with an interest in oncology to stay up to date. We hope you join us as we unpick all parts of cancer.
A changing mole or a new pigmented lesion matters here because the excision report drives almost every next step. Breslow thickness, ulceration, and nodal staging decide whether wider excision, sentinel lymph node biopsy, follow-up intensity, or adjuvant PD-1 treatment enter the conversation.
Keep this one for the broader reset. It clarifies adjuvant versus neoadjuvant therapy, reminds clinicians that palliative care still means active treatment, and brings attention back to everyday supportive care, including fatigue planning, bowel regimens with oral opioids, and venous access.
The pitfall is assuming that a large artificial intelligence literature means routine radiotherapy practice is already settled. This episode stays useful because it asks better questions about blinded review, workflow delay, cost, governance, and whether automation solves a real planning bottleneck.
PSMA lutetium belongs in specialist MDT selection for the right PSMA-avid metastatic prostate cancer patient, not as a universal next step. Review receptor expression, prior systemic therapy, xerostomia risk and local imaging or radiotherapy infrastructure before referral, because treatment timing and service readiness change suitability.
PSMA lutetium only helps when the scan and the patient match the treatment. Review PSMA PET with CT to avoid missing clinically important disease that is not tracer-avid, and monitor blood count, renal function and dry mouth or eye toxicity before each cycle.
The trigger is rectal bleeding, haematuria or altered bowel habit years after pelvic radiotherapy. Start here for a practical guide to pelvic radiation disease, including toilet posture, loperamide, and when gastroenterology, urology or late-effects teams should be involved.
New bowel or bladder symptoms months or years after pelvic radiotherapy should trigger consideration of pelvic radiation disease rather than automatic reassurance or recurrence alone. Routine symptom questioning, simple measures such as toileting posture and regular low-dose loperamide, and timely referral can change function quickly.
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