A metastatic cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. My priority is to support you in understanding your situation and prioritizing treatment – whether it’s radiotherapy, symptom control, or drug treatment.

I see patients with any type of metastatic cancer. I’m frequently referred people who have colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma and prostate cancer for treatment. The patients I see tend to be in one of the following situations:

  1. ‘Oligometastatic’ cancer: where cancer has returned in up to 5 places after previous treatment.
  2. ‘Oligoprogression’: where cancer becomes active in a few places during ongoing treatment.
  3. Symptomatic cancer causing pain, swelling, bleeding, or cough.

For oligometastatic or oligoprogressive disease, I am able to offer stereotactic radiotherapy to eradicate spread with minimal side effects. For symptom control, I use IMRT/VMAT to target cancer while limiting radiation to normal tissue.

In my private clinic, I am able to offer the most up-to-date treatments, including MRLinac stereotactic radiotherapy, which may not be available at all centres.

You’ll always see me personally and my clinics run to time. I share reports same-day and take time to answer all questions. I’m available for family discussions and prompt responses to non-urgent inquiries.

Treatments I offer for metastatic cancer:

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SABR or SBRT)

Stereotactic radiotherapy is highly precise, high dose radiotherapy that is given in a small number of treatments (normally 1-5). It has a high likelihood of shrinking or eradicating the area of cancer that we are treating. Because the dosing of radiation is so precise, the side effects of SABR are usually minimal. I’ll always talk to you about which side effects you might experience before we start treatment.

SABR can be used to treat metastases in the lung, liver, bones, lymph nodes.

If you have oligometastatic cancer, depending upon your individual situation we’ll talk about the need for medication (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy) in addition to SABR. If you have oligoprogressive cancer, I’ll advise if you need to stop your medication while we give the SABR or not.

I’m able to offer you SABR using CyberKnife [insert link] or the MRLinac [insert link].

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brain metastases

Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) offers a non-invasive treatment that can control or eliminate brain metastases effectively. The name of the treatment may make you think that this is a surgical treatment – in fact, SRS involves delivering concentrated radiation doses precisely to the affected areas of the brain in 1-3 treatment sessions. You remain at home throughout and only need to attend the hospital for the treatment (which can be around an hour or so). I’m able to offer you SRS using CyberKnife or a modern linear accelerator (Linac). We’ll talk about which method is best for you.

Supportive radiotherapy for symptom control

My first priority when we meet will be to address your symptoms. For example, pain is not only unpleasant to live with, it can also impact upon your ability to receive effective treatments for your cancer – as it can affect your appetite, mobility, sleep and ability to get on with your life. The radiotherapy I can give you offers an excellent chance of improving your symptoms, thereby allowing you to return to your normal life. In private hospitals, I’m able to offer advanced radiotherapy techniques, quickly, to get on top of your symptoms without adding in side effects.

If your cancer is causing you pain, a troublesome cough, visible swellings, or any other symptom that is causing you concern, I can personalise a radiotherapy plan to help you.

Medications (Systemic therapy)

Drug treatments for cancer are improving all the time. A medication plan to treat your metastatic cancer might include immunotherapy, chemotherapy or a combination of them both. Depending upon the genetic driver of your cancer, a drug that targets the particular molecules involved in the growth, progression, and spread of your cancer cells might be used. When I see you in my private clinic, I am able to access all treatments that are of proven benefit to get the best results, based on the most up-to-date clinical evidence, for you.

Case studies

Surivor of oligometastatic cancer

Mr DD, 71, had returned to normal life after he’d had surgery to remove a colorectal cancer 5 years previously. He’d recently retired and was now spending most of his time renovating his house in France. The only reminder of his previous cancer treatment was the tingling he still experienced in his fingers during cold weather – something he’s had since the chemotherapy he received after his surgery.

Finding out that he had three small lung nodules on a scan arranged by his oncologist at the 5 year mark was a major blow. At our first meeting, I could see his mood was low and he was anxious about what the future might hold.

I arranged a PET scan for the next day, and a biopsy later that week confirmed that the nodules were a recurrence of his colon cancer. He’d already discussed his systemic therapy (medication) options, but was keen to hold off on these for the time being – not least because he wanted to spend as much time in France as he could renovating his house while he felt so well.

After a discussion about stereotactic radiotherapy, he decided this was the treatment for him. We performed a radiotherapy planning scan and then he returned to France while I worked to personalise the treatment for him – to target the cancer deposits, while avoiding the normal parts of the body.

A week after the planning CT, he returned to London and received the 5 radiotherapy treatments on alternate days, over the course of a week and a half. The hospital provided hotel accommodation for him close by, and he made the most of his time in London! He walked through Hyde Park every day, met friends for dinner and went to the theatre and cinema with his wife.

When I spoke with him a week after the treatment had finished, he was feeling slightly more tired than usual and had noticed that he had a mild cough after he had dashed up the stairs. He had caught the train back to France and had been able to work in the garden which gave him great pleasure.

Three years on, we’re keeping an eye on him with scans. Thankfully, the cancer has not returned, and he hasn’t needed any further treatment. At each appointment with me, he shows me photos of his renovation project – the house in France looks magnificent. I keep dropping hints about various DIY tasks I need help with, but whenever I do, he seems to think that I’m joking…

Patient testimonials

Dr Wilson’s clinical knowledge and expertise is second to none. He is very personable and has a great understanding of the anxiety patients are experiencing. He always has time to explain the journey ahead and treatment that will be delivered. Following my consultation I felt confident the I was going to receive the best possible care and treatment. Both during and after my radiotherapy I felt fully supported by Dr Wilson and his team

[Doctify review]

Comfortable , safe and soooo reassuring. In my entire experience with this cancer and Dr Wilson’s care throughout Covid not one single appointment was ever delayed or rescheduled. Despite the fear of cancer I have always felt confident and that I am in very safe hands. I feel extremely lucky to have this tenacious and kind Doctor in my life!!

[Doctify review]