Cancer Services
Family Cancer Clinic
The Family Cancer Clinic is funded by the NHS and the CRUK Imperial Cancer Centre. It is based at St Mark’s Hospital. We offer advice to people who have a family history of colorectal or associated cancers and provide screening, clinical follow up and counselling.
Click the link for further information on the Family Cancer Clinic:
History of the Family Cancer Clinic
Referral to the Family Cancer Clinic:
The Family Cancer Clinic welcomes referrals from from General Practitioners regarding individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer who are worried about their risk of developing colorectal cancer.
Click the links for referral and screening guidelines:
Referral Guidelines for St Mark’s Family Cancer Clinic
Information for people who have one immediate relative affected by bowel cancer over the age of 50 years. Please click here for our guidelines
For health professionals:
We are currently not on the choose and book system so a referral letter from the patient’s GP will need to be posted or faxed to:
Professor Huw Thomas, The Family Cancer Clinic, St Mark’s Hospital, Level 5V, Watford Road, Harrow, Middx, HA1 3UJ
Tel: 0208 235 4266 Fax: 0208 235 4277 Email: margaret.stevens@imperial.ac.uk
Information for patients:
-
A GP referral letter is needed in the first instance before we can offer advice
- You will be sent a family history questionnaire, which needs to be completed with as much information as possible before we can offer an appointment or advice. Alternatively a copy of this questionnaire can be printed off here and returned to us with the GP referral letter.
- It is helpful if you could also send us copies of any relative’s death certificates or relevant medical information. If these are not available then we try to confirm cases of cancer with the various cancer registries throughout the country, these have records from the mid 1970’s.
- Once we have obtained as much information as we can we will then offer you advice as to your risk of developing colorectal cancer, whether genetic testing is appropriate and advice on bowel screening. You may be offered an appointment in our outpatient clinic, telephone advice or referral to a local genetics service.
- IF IT IS NOT CONVENIENT FOR YOU TO BE REFERRED TO ST MARK’S HOSPITAL FAMILY CANCER CLINIC YOUR GP CAN REFER YOU TO YOUR LOCAL GENETIC SERVICE FOR ADVICE . The Genetic Alliance can provide a list of Regional Genetics Services www.geneticalliance.org.uk/services.htm
- The NHS is offering Bowel Cancer Screening for everybody from the age of 60years
Patient information leaflets:
Bowel cancer screening guidelines for a family history of colorectal cancer
Hereditary Mixed Polyposis Syndrome (HMPS)
Links to Useful Websites
NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk
Cancer Research UK www.cancerresearchuk.org/home/
Genetic Alliance for a list of Regional Genetics Services www.geneticalliance.org.uk/services.htm
St Mark’s Polyposis Registry www.polyposisregistry.org.uk
Macmillan Cancer Support www.macmillan.org.uk/home.aspx
St Mark’s Hospital www.stmarkshospital.org.uk
The North West Thames Regional Genetics Service www.nwlh.nhs.uk/nwthamesgenetics
Staff members
Professor Huw Thomas MA phD FRCP
Consultant Physician /consultant-staff
Carole Cummings
Genetic Nurse Counsellor/Clinical Nurse Specialist
Carole works part time in the Family Cancer Clinic usually on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Friday afternoons.
Margaret Stevens
Data Administrator
Elizabeth Goodband
Referrals administrator
Julie Jeffries
Secretary
The St Mark's Hospital Polyposis Registry
The St Mark's Polyposis Registry dates back to 1924 when the Consultant Pathologist at St Mark's, Dr Cuthbert Dukes, was working on his new theory, the adenoma carcinoma sequence. In the course of his search for adenomas he discovered the existence of families with multiple polyps and a family history of bowel cancer. A register of these families was started and continues today, eighty years later.
There are now over seven hundred families registered. Over eight hundred patients, who either have polyposis or who are at risk of inheriting it, are currently monitored at St Mark's Hospital. The Registry remains the hub for research into the different polyposis syndromes that have been identified over the decades; but in recent years the staff has taken on a more clinical role as well.
The main aims of the Registry are to:
- maximise cancer prevention by early detection and treatment of the polyps
- provide a help-line for patients and their relatives
- provide information about these rare syndromes for patients and staff both nationally and internationally
- maintain a database for research
The main aims of the research are to:
- increase knowledge regarding the natural history of the various polyposis syndromes
- identify the causative genes
- monitor screening programmes
- monitor the different types of surgical treatment
- test other forms of treatment
For more information please visit our website at www.polyposisregistry.org.uk
Colorectal Cancer Care
The Macmillan Cancer Unit is located alongside St. Mark's and Macmillan nurse specialists in colorectal cancer are available to support patients and their families through diagnosis and treatment of bowel cancer.
The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Centre
St. Mark's Hospital Endoscopy Unit became a nominated and chosen site for the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme through a rigorous accreditation programme. The accreditation process led to the NHS Bowel Screening Certificate administered by the Joint Advisory Group on Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
The Bowel Cancer Screening Centre is located within the Endoscopy Unit, Level 3, St. Mark's Hospital and currently covers the areas of Brent, Harrow & Hillingdon Primary Care Trusts.
The Bowel Cancer Screening Centre is in strong partnership and working closely with The London Programme Hub, Primary Care Trusts and Public Health Teams to promote the service and provide education and awareness locally.
Within the Centre we co-ordinate and aim to provide the highest level of holistic care to individuals identified through the Screening Programme.
All men and women aged 60-69 and registered with a GP will be automatically offered a Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) every two years. Those over 70 years and over will not be invited automatically but can call the free-phone number to request their free kit.
The invitations to the borough of Brent will commence 16th October, Harrow will follow in November and Hillingdon in January 2007.
Research has shown that screening men and women for bowel cancer using FOB Test can reduce the mortality rate from bowel cancer by 16% in those invited for screening.
The aim is to find diseases (in this case bowel cancer) at an early stage when there is a better chance of a person being successfully treated.
Those eligible for screening will receive a kit for use in the privacy of their home.
The FOB test kit is then analysed to detect traces of blood that may not be visible to the naked eye.
The FOB test is NOT a diagnostic test for cancer. Results will, however indicate whether further investigation is required.
Around 98% will receive a normal result and will be invited to participate again in a further 2 years time if still eligible.
Around 2 in 100 people will receive an abnormal/ positive result. They will be referred to see the Specialist Bowel Screening Nurse to discuss and arrange a Colonoscopy if appropriate.
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