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Robert Leonard
Consultant OncologistDirectory:
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Robert Leonard is a medical oncologist with a major interest in the management of breast cancer. He is a former Professor of Cancer Studies at Imperial College London and honorary consultant medical oncologist at Imperial College NHS Trust; The BUPA Cromwell Hospital, The London Clinic and the London Oncology Clinic. His academic roles have included 25 years in senior Academic and NHS administrative roles in London, Edinburgh and Swansea.
Professor Leonard originally trained and qualified at Charing Cross Hospital, where he was awarded the Clinical Gold Medal and six of the final year prizes. Research Fellowships at Oxford’s Radcliffe Infirmary and Harvard Medical School followed his post-graduate training.
Prior to his roles as Professor of Cancer Studies and Chief of Service for Medical Oncology at Imperial College, he was Professor of Medical Oncology at Swansea Medical School and Director of the South West Wales Cancer Institute.
He is a co-founder and is Medical Director for Maggies’ Cancer Caring Centres UK, and chairs the professional advisory board. Since 2009 he has been Chair of the Scientific Board for Breast Cancer Care UK. He set up and Chairs the International Anglo Celtic Collaborative Oncology Trials Group.
He is author/co-author of more than 350 peer reviewed original papers and reviews. He has been a senior advisor to Cancer Research UK and is lead investigator several previous and current UK clinical Trials. He also regularly acts as expert oncology witness for legal cases.
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Clinical trials are important for cancer research and important for individual cancer patients. There are different Phases of clinical trials. The most common is Phase 3 when a new agent is added to the gold standard therapy. Patients are rarely disadvantaged by participating in a Phase 3 clinical trial because they receive the gold standard therapy plus the new added agent. For some patients earlier clinical trials maybe more appropriate, but because Phase 1 trials do not include standard therapy it is important for patients to have detailed discussions with their consultant before deciding to participate in early clinical trials. Here are 10 questions you might consider asking your consultant:
- What phase is the trial in?
- Will I be able to continue any other treatment?
- What have been the results of the earlier phases of the trial?
- Have there been any fatalities?
- Who is sponsoring this trial?
- Will I know what I'm getting?
- If my cancer progresses, will I have the option of getting the other treatment?
- How do you evaluate whether the trial is working or not?
- How many participants do you need before you move on to the next phase?
- How long will you follow the participants?
The future of cancer therapy is that no one should die or suffer from this disease. For some, this will be enhanced cure rates and for others, it will be the normalization of the word cancer to that simply of a chronic disease like diabetes and high blood pressure. You will not have to fear cancer, but file it in the background and get on with the rest of your lives.
