Surgical Specialty Lead in Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Lead researcher: Mr Robert Jones 

Location: Aintree University Hospital and University of Liverpool 

This partnership between Bowel Cancer UK, the Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons of England appointed Mr Robert Jones as the UK’s first Surgical Specialty Lead in Colorectal Liver Metastases. 

The challenge 

Around 10,000 people every year are diagnosed with advanced or stage 4 bowel cancer. Which is where the cancer has spread to other organs, most often the liver or the lungs. Survival rates are much lower at this stage because there are currently fewer options for treatment. 

The science behind the project 

As a specialist liver surgeon, Mr Jones treats many people with advanced bowel cancer. He has first-hand experience of the treatments available and where there are possibilities to improve or develop new techniques. 

In his role as Surgical Specialty Lead, he works with researchers across the UK to encourage more surgical research into this kind of advanced bowel cancer and deliver clinical trials focusing on this area. 

Mr Jones’ research interests include: 

• Understanding the biology of individual patients’ tumours to identify which patients will benefit the most from new treatments 
• Developing better clinical trials for the needs of different patients with advanced bowel cancer 
• Supporting surgeons in clinical research by organising meetings and training courses 
  
  

What difference will this project make?

This post will be instrumental in encouraging more surgical research into advanced bowel cancer. It'll help surgeons to develop their ideas into clinical trials. 

We hope that this’ll lead to better understanding of this stage of the disease and more treatment options to help people live better and longer lives. 

• For more information see our announcement of this post
  

• Read our blog on improving surgery through research

• Watch the video update for this project