Dr Alastair Thomson BM MRCP FRCR PGCME

Dr Alastair Thomson qualified as a doctor after completing his medical training at the University of Southampton in 1996. He gained medical and surgical experience at the Queen Alexandra Hospital (Portsmouth) and Dorchester/West Dorset Hospitals, before completing higher medical qualifications in London whilst working at Salisbury District Hospital.

His specific oncological experience
started at Salisbury District Hospital, before he progressed to work at the internationally renowned cancer centre in London, the Royal Marsden Hospital. He went on to complete his fellowship in the treatment of cancer whilst based at the Gloucestershire Oncology Centre and Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, before becoming a locum Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Gloucestershire Oncology Centre. He accepted the post of Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro in 2005.

 

Medical qualifications (and what they mean)

Dr Alastair Thomson BM MRCP FRCR PGCME

BM- Bachelor of Medicine

An example of a medical degree that is required to become a doctor. Received from the University of Southampton in 1996.

MRCP- Member of the Royal College of Physicians

A higher medical degree, that could only be obtained after three years of medical experience, and involved a series of written and clinical (patient based) examinations. It is typically one of the requirements to become a Consultant in medicine in the National Health Service. Received from the Royal College of Physicians of London in 1999.

FRCR - Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists

An oncological (cancer treatment) degree. This or an equivalent is required to be able to work as a Consultant Clinical Oncologist in the UK. A minimum of five years oncological experience is required before this can be achieved, and a stringent set of written and clinical examinations must all be passed before the qualification is awarded. Received from the Royal College of Radiologists (London) in 2004.

PGCME - Post Graduate Certificate of Medical Education

A qualification that can be taken after an initial higher education degree. It focuses on improving education in medicine for both medical staff and patients. Received from the University of Bristol in 2007.

 

Publications

This is a list of Dr Thomson’s work that has been published in peer reviewed medical journals. This means that other doctors and editors have deemed the work to be of interest and importance to other medical professionals and thereby suitable for publication in the medical literature.

1. Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. Prostate cancer: round up of studies presented at the Symposium.
   Tuma, RS. [Selected Thomson AH, Lewis PD, Thomas DC, Brooks KS study on clinical guidelines for docetaxel for publication in this review] Oncology Times 2010; 7 (5): 16-17.
   
   
2. The effect on pelvic lymph node dose after reducing the internal margin of the planning target volume for bladder cancer.
   Thomson AH, Watterson A, Liddicoat A.
   Clinical Oncology (RCR) 2009, 21 (10):787-788.
   
   
3. Extended analysis of hypofractionated radiotherapy set-up parameters for breast cancer patients on the FAST trial.
   Thomson AH, Culley M.
   Clinical Oncology (RCR) 2009; 21 (3): 279
   
   
4. Primary cryotherapy with salvage external beam radiotherapy for locally recurrent prostate cancer.
   Thomson AH, Kulkarni S, Bahl A.
   Clinical Oncology (RCR) 2008; 20 (5): 385.
   
   
5. Effects of waiting times and adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with glioblastoma multiforme.
   Thomson CL,Watterson A, Pritchard C, Thomson AH.
   Clinical Oncology (RCR) 2007; 19 (3): S47-S48.
   
   
6. The views of oncology specialist registrars on non-clinical skills training.
   Thomson AH, Foy C, Benstead K.
   Clinical Oncology (RCR) 2006; 18 (10): 781.
   
   
7. Losing my touch- decline in self-reported confidence in performing practical procedures in Consultant Oncologists.
   Thomson AH, Foy C, Benstead K.
   Medical Teacher 2006; 28(5): e139-141.
   
   
8. Management issues in the treatment of early stage testicular seminoma.
   Thomson AH.
   CME Cancer Medicine 2005; 3 (1): 05-08.
   
   
9. Radiation pneumonitis following treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with CHART.
   Thomson AH, Jenkins P.
   Clinical Oncology (RCR) 2005; 17 (2): S17.
   
   
10. Use of telephone advice line for oncology patients.
    Thomson AH, Welch J, Benstead K.
    Clinical Oncology (RCR) 2005; 17 (2): 127-128.
    
    
11. Brain metastases and steroid reduction after radiotherapy
    Thomson AH, Tomlinson MJ.
    Palliative Medicine 2004; 18: 665-666.
    
    
12. Chylothorax after radiotherapy in oesophageal carcinoma.
    Thomson AH, Sivalingham S, Rajesh PB, Elyan SAG.
    Lancet Oncology 2003; 4: 703-4
    
    
13. The frequencies of HLA DR genotypes examined in families with two or three generations of asthma.
    Standring P, Warner JA, Warner JO, Jones AC, Thomson AH, Howell WM. 
    Clinical Experimental Allergy 1995; abstract.
    
    

 

Presentations

This is a list of work that Dr Thomson has been involved with and that has been presented at clinical and scientific meetings. This means that other doctors and editors have deemed the work to be of interest and importance to other medical professionals and thereby suitable for presentation at these meetings.

1. Docetaxel for castrate resistant prostate cancer - clinical practice compared with the TAX 327 trial.
   Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, San Francisco, Mar 2010.
   
   
2. The effect of national guidelines on prescribing practice for docetaxel in castrate resistant prostate cancer.
   Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, San Francisco, Mar 2010.
   
   
3. Extended analysis of hypofractionated radiotherapy set-up parameters for breast cancer patients on the FAST trial.
   Presented at UK Radiation Oncology Conference, Cardiff, Apr 2009.
   
   
4. Is the incidence of malignant melanoma continuing to increase in the South West of the United Kingdom?
   Presented at the British Association of Dermatology Annual Meeting, Birmingham, Jul 2007.
   
   
5. Effects of waiting times and chemotherapy on patients with glioblastoma multiforme.
   Presented at UK Radiation Oncology conference, Edinburgh, Mar 2007.
   
   
6. Clinical factors influence the risk of developing pneumonitis following treatment of NSCLC with radiation therapy.
   Presented at American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology conference, Philadelphia, Nov 2006.
   
   
7. Radiation pneumonitis following treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with CHART.
   Presented at UK Radiation Oncology Conference, York, Apr 2005.
   
   
8. Losing my touch- Decline in self-reported confidence in performing practical procedures in Consultant Oncologists.
   Presented at Association for the Study of Medical Education Annual Scientific Meeting, Liverpool, Sep 2004.
   
   
9. Breast scar and tumour cavity visualisation using MR imaging in the conventional treatment position.
   Presented at European Cancer Conference, Copenhagen, Sep 2003.
   
   
10. Acute radiation oesophagitis following treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy.
    Presented at 10th World Conference on Lung Cancer, Vancouver, Aug 2003.
    
    
11. Specialist Registrars in oncology and practical procedures- frequency, confidence and role of teaching.
    Presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting, Royal College of Radiologists, London, Sep 2002.
    
    
12. Inheritance of skin prick test sensitivities.
    Presented at the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
    Meeting, London, 1995.