Stephen Whitaker - retired Consultant Oncologist
Dr Stephen Whitaker - retired Consultant Oncologist
Dr Stephen Whitaker is a retired Consultant Oncologist who worked for St Luke’s for more than 25 years.
“I remember moving from the old St Luke’s, an old fashioned, decrepit building to occupy a modern, well-designed cancer centre. At this time, I was the fourth consultant oncologist and now there are twenty-six.
“There have been huge advances in technology. In 1997, we had two Cobalt machines and two new linacs to deliver our radiotherapy treatment. We had CT and MRI scanning for diagnosis and staging but relied on simple 2D X-ray simulation to plan treatments. Today, CT and MRI are integral to planning, and state-of-the-art linac machines ensure cancer patients benefit from the most precise treatments with fewer side effects.
“Other changes include the rapid increase in systemic therapies leading to improved rates of survival and recovery from cancer. In addition, the closer integration of hospitals has improved the patient journey as has closer partnerships between different specialties and research networks.
“I enjoyed many aspects of my work especially the opportunity to work alongside radiographers, physicists, chemotherapy teams, medical and surgical colleagues and the wider team. These colleagues, together with the amazing technology I was privileged to use, gave me a great sense of achievement and doing something worthwhile.”