A day in the life of a Medical Oncologist at Cancer Research UK
Meet Dr Sanjeev Kumar, PhD student in Dr Jason Carroll’s lab at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, and a Medical Oncologist. Find out what a day in Sanjeev’s shoes is like, in clinical trials for breast cancer.
Sanjeev is a part of the Sponsor a PhD Researcher programme at Cancer Research UK. You could support PhD researchers like Sanjeev and help beat cancer. Visit the website to find out more.
I’m responsible for…
I’m an Australian trained medical oncologist now (crazily) undertaking a genomics and molecular biology-heavy PhD in a steroid hormone receptor laboratory at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute.
A large part of my project involves bringing the fantastic science generated in the Carroll laboratory to the clinic, via a clinical trial in women with early, oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer.
Along with the study’s chief investigator, I’m responsible for a coordination team in our clinical trials unit dedicated to the smooth running of the study across multiple sites in the UK, as well as a very niche but highly skilled team of breast research nurses who divide their time across an entire repertoire of trials aiming to improve the outcomes of women with breast cancer. First and foremost, however, I’m responsible for the welfare of patients that I recruit and treat on the study.
My typical day…
2-3 days of the week I wake up bright and early to attend a multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT), where a cohort of surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, clinical geneticists and specialist breast nurses bicker and argue over the best course of action in managing often complex, newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, until we come up with a consensus decision. It is here that I and the research nurses also highlight the academic studies that patients are eligible to participate in. Following the MDT, we see the patients in an inevitably over-booked clinic.
Other than this, besides a cavalcade of meetings and sporadic trial patient bookings for consents and safety screens, I dedicate my time to science. On my study, I collect tumour samples on patients both before and after their study treatment is given, and then I take these precious samples to the laboratory to answer the efficacy endpoints of my study, as well as doing some really cool genomic and proteomic experiments to enrich the efficacy data with mechanistic insights.
The worst part of my job…
I hate the tiers of bureaucracy inherent to the NHS. Whilst simultaneously being in awe of its capacity to provide free, equitable and meticulous care to an entire population in the UK, dealing with the endless paperwork required for setting up and running a clinical trial can be a real challenge.
My other pet hate is the unpredictability of science. I have now been a clinician for a number of years, and when things aren’t going well with my patients, they can tell me, or they start looking a bit grey, prompting you to take action. Cell lines and samples in the laboratory, however, are less articulate. And sometimes, regardless of how diligent you are, lab experiments can suddenly and disastrously go horribly wrong.
The best part of my job…
My lab in the Cambridge Institute led by Dr Jason Carroll has become my Cambridge family. Jason has cherry-picked a simply delightful bunch of people who work harmoniously and productively together as a tight unit. We all have our reasonably well-defined set of skills that allows us to contribute to each other’s projects, further enhancing the cohesive working environment.
And I can’t deny that I’m extremely lucky to have carved out a project that allows me to continue to retain contact with patients. I honestly enjoy meeting patients at a time of vulnerability and imparting on them both the knowledge and reassurance that they have a team of clinicians, nurses and researchers doing the best to optimise their outcomes from their cancer diagnosis.
Advice to others…
If you’re a clinician interested in academic pursuits and are disgruntled with endless lists of patients to see on the wards or in clinics, challenge your comfort levels and think about stepping away from the bedside and into the lab. I never did high school biology and genomics/molecular biology was not formally taught during my medical degree from 2001-6. But I will never regret the decision to dive into the world of cancer biology, particularly with the capacity to translate brilliant Cambridge science to the clinic.
I want to be remembered for…
Being the outrageously friendly Australian who always puts his patients 1st and doesn’t take himself too seriously (particularly within the Cambridge context).
My Plan B… (If not this – what else would I be doing?)
I also (curiously) trained as a drama teacher. The University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, where I undertook my undergraduate medical degree, is directly across the road from the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). In a grandiose gesture, my father stood me on Anzac Parade when I was 17 years old, the road separating UNSW from NIDA, and told me I had a choice. He then swiftly reminded me that, actually, I didn’t really have a choice, as medicine was ‘in the blood’! Only now can I look back and say that I don’t begrudge this unsubtle parental pressure, and certainly feel that my height of acting and dramatic prowess is behind me!
About the programme
Sponsor a PhD Researcher is a programme run by Cancer Research UK, where you can directly support the next generation of leading cancer researchers. From just £25 per month, or £300 per year, you can invest in the future of young scientists and their life-saving cancer research. By becoming a Sponsor you can choose to receive updates directly from a selected researcher every 6 months, so you can read first-hand their exciting progress in the lab. Sanjeev is one of the amazing students you could hear from. To find out more about the Sponsor a PhD Researcher programme, click here.
