David Dearnaley - Profile
David Dearnaley is developing and assessing new radiotherapy techniques and helping to care for patients with urological cancer, including cancers of the prostate, testes, bladder, kidney and penis. He is a Professor of Uro-Oncology and Honorary Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
Professor Dearnaley has been central to the development of better radiotherapy treatments for prostate cancer, including a high-tech method called IMRT which uses 3D modelling to target radiation precisely to the tumour shape. It reduces damage to healthy tissue, which means higher doses can be given without increasing side effects.
Professor Dearnaley first began treating patients using IMRT nine years ago, and the technology has since been adopted across the country. He is now running a major trial in 24 of Britain’s 58 treatment centres looking at whether more patients can be cured without an increase in side-effects by giving larger doses of radiation but in fewer treatments.
“In the future I would like to make further improvements in our radiotherapy techniques for prostate cancer, and get those introduced nationally – and I’m very hopeful that we can achieve this,” he says.
He is running several other patient trials involving prostate and testicular cancer, and among his projects is the development of a rectal device to localise the prostate, allowing doctors to better target treatment.
Professor Dearnaley became interested in radiotherapy while studying physics at Cambridge University and working over summer in a university hospital radiotherapy department. He switched to a medical degree, later graduating with a Masters of Arts and a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in 1975. Professor Dearnaley was granted membership to the Royal College of Physicians in 1978, and began his research career in immuno-pathology and oncology while studying for a Doctor of Medicine in Cambridge, which he completed in 1984. He was admitted to the Royal College of Radiologists in 1985 and the Royal College of Physicians in 1994.
Professor Dearnaley joined the ICR almost 30 years ago, and says it remains the best place for him to working on improving cancer treatments. He is a former head of the Urology Unit at The Royal Marsden and past chair of the UK National Cancer Research Institute Prostate Group. He currently chairs the ICR and The Royal Marsden Hospital’s Committee for Clinical Research, and is also Chair of the Urology Tumour Working Group within the South West London Cancer Network, which links and assesses organisations providing cancer care to ensure high standards.
Professor Dearnaley has already run a marathon to raise money for the ICR, and in 2009 is taking part in sponsored skydive Jump 100 to mark the organisation’s centenary. “Hopefully I’ll be looked after by my three guardian angel daughters who have decided to jump with me,” he says.
