Conversations at ESMO 2025

Featuring:

Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Rosemere Cancer Centre

Professor Alison Birtle

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Professor Alison Birtle is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist, MAHSC Honorary Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health at the University of Manchester, and Honorary Clinical Professor at The University of Central Lancashire, specialising in the treatment of urological cancers. Her MD thesis was in PSA negative prostate cancers at the Institute of Urology. She is advisor to Macmillan on patient information for prostate, bladder and testicular tumours, Trustee and medical advisor to Fight Bladder Cancer, and Secretary to the British Uro-oncology Group (BUG). Professor Birtle is a member of the EAU NMIBC and UTUC Guidelines Groups. She has published widely and lectures nationally and internationally. Professor Birtle has been Clinical Research Lead for Lancashire and South Cumbria Cancer Research Network, Specialty Group Lead for Cancer Research for North West Coast CRN and Associate Cancer Research lead for North West RRDN.

She is a former member of the prostate CSG and stepped down as chair of the Bladder/Renal NIHR Clinical Study Group in 2018 after two terms. Professor Birtle has been Principal Investigator and Chief Investigator on numerous urological clinical trials and is the Chief Investigator on the POUT trial which has been incorporated into European Urology Guidelines. In 2018, she was awarded one of the national 70 stars of the NHS award by NHS England and the NHS Confederations part of the NHS 70 anniversary. She has won numerous awards including best Oncology Abstract European Urology Association Congress 2018, Plenary abstract American Society of Clinical Oncology GU Symposium 2018, Best poster British Association of Urological Surgeons Annual meeting 2018, Researcher of the year North West Coast Health & Innovation Awards. She was appointed as a member of the RCR Academic Committee for Clinical Oncology in 2021. She was also awarded NWCCRN Research Practitioner of the Year in 2018, and more locally runner up in Lancashire Doctor of the Year. Professor Birtle is a member of the Education Faculty for the European Society of Medical Oncology. She is passionate about patient access to clinical trials and believes in the mantra of a trial for every patient.

Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Queen’s University Belfast

Professor Suneil Jain

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Professor Jain is an internationally recognised expert in the management of prostate cancer. He treats patients with prostate cancer with advanced radiotherapy (stereotactic radiotherapy and brachytherapy) and drug therapy (chemotherapy, hormone therapy). He held an international fellowship at University of Toronto in prostate cancer.

He is an innovator working to reduce side-effects and improve outcomes from prostate cancer treatment; he performed the first transperineal prostate biopsies, the first transperineal fiducial marker insertion and the first SpaceOAR insertion in Northern Ireland. He also introduced new services to NI, HDR brachytherapy for prostate cancer and stereotactic radiotherapy for prostate cancer and oligometastatic disease. He leads multiple drug and radiotherapy trials in Northern Ireland and is a member of trial management groups for national and international studies.

He is an invited member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Guidelines Development Group, the UK National Cancer Research Institute’s prostate cancer clinical research group and the NI NICAN radiotherapy clinical reference group. He is past-Chair of the Irish Radiation Research Society. He is Co-Director of the FASTMAN UK Prostate Cancer of Excellence. He has published papers in the most important journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Oncology and Journal of Clinical Oncology. He strongly believes in educating the next generation of doctors towards a career in academic oncology.

Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre

Dr Balaji Venugopal

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Dr Balaji Venugopal is a consultant in Medical Oncology at Beatson West of Scotland cancer centre and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at University of Glasgow. He completed his specialist training in Medical Oncology within West of Scotland Deanery, Glasgow and during his training was awarded Doctorate in Medicine by University of Glasgow for his research in drug delivery.

Dr Venugopal was appointed as a Consultant in Medical Oncology in 2013 at Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre where he specialises in management of genito-urinary cancers including kidney, bladder, prostate and penile cancers. Dr Venugopal is the Team Lead for the Regional Uro-oncology Cancer at the Beatson, and he was the Chair of the West of Scotland Regional Renal Cancer Multidisciplinary Team.

Dr Venugopal is actively in involved in clinical research and is a chief investigator and principal investigator for multiple clinical trials in renal and prostate cancers some which have been practice changing in the field of uro-oncology. He serves as a clinician expert in NICE and SMC technology appraisals and has been a member of National Cancer Research Institute renal cancer systemic therapies subgroup. He has published his collaborative clinical research in high impact journals along with global peers.