Oncology

Dr Rovel Colaco

Consultant Clinical Oncologist
Qualifications: BsC Hons, MB ChB, MRCP, FRCR
Special Interests: CNS tumours, paediatric tumours, brain metastases, oligo-metastases, stereotactic radiotherapy, proton therapy

After completing his training as a specialist registrar in Clinical Oncology at the Christie, Dr Colaco was selected as the first UK doctor to train in proton therapy spending 12 months working in proton therapy at the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville, Florida.

He was subsequently the first graduate of the Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Radiotherapy program at Yale University in Connecticut, USA, where he worked with a variety of radiotherapy delivery platforms including the Cyberknife, Gammaknife and Novalis TX treating patients with stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS) for brain metastases and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for both primary lung tumours and oligo-metastatic disease from other primary cancer sites.

Following his return from the United States, he was appointed as a consultant clinical oncologist at The Christie where he specialises in the treatment of adult brain tumours and paediatric tumours along with stereotactic radiotherapy for brain metastases and oligo-metastases.

He also sees patients for proton therapy and is involved in the development of The Christie proton beam centre and in the Christie program for oligo-metastatic disease including treating tumours which have metastasised to bone, spine and lymph nodes with SABR.

He is the principal investigator at the Christie for the CORE trial which is examining the role of stereotactic radiotherapy in oligo-metastatic breast, lung and prostate cancers.

“My research interest is in Proton therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, CNS tumours – I have presented at international conferences and published several papers on the use of proton therapy and stereotactic radiotherapy for a variety of cancer sites.“

Dr David Thomson

Consultant Clinical Oncologist,
Qualifications: MA (Oxon.) BMBCh PGCME MD MRCP FRCR
Special Interests: Head and neck clinical oncology

Dr Thomson qualified from Oxford University Medical School in 2004 with a First Class honours intercalated degree in Physiological Sciences (2001). During his postgraduate training he undertook a research Fellowship at the University of Manchester with attachment to the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, and was awarded a Doctor of Medicine (MD) research degree in 2015. He has an interest in medical education and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education with Distinction (2014).

In 2015 Dr Thomson was appointed Consultant Clinical Oncologist at The Christie and Honorary Senior Lecturer at The University of Manchester, specialising in the treatment of head and neck cancer. He is a member of the National Cancer Research (NCRI) group for head and neck cancer, research lead for the head and neck team at The Christie, Deputy Chief Investigator for the UK phase 3 NIMRAD trial (assessing the benefit of hypoxia modification using nimorazole with radiotherapy in those unsuitable for concurrent chemotherapy), Principal Investigator for a number of portfolio studies, Proton Beam Therapy national panel member and policy lead for head and neck cancer, member of the Clinical Innovation Board and clinical lead for electronic patient reported outcomes in head and neck cancer at The Christie. As the Clinical Director of the Greater Manchester Head and Neck Cancer Pathway Board he is passionate about improving survival outcomes and long-term quality of life for patients treated for head and neck cancer.