Sign inOpen the app
Artwork for Simply Oncology
Health & Fitness

Simply Oncology

John McGrane & Michael Rowe

Welcome to Simply Oncology. 
Cancer is daunting for both patients and for clinical teams.
Dr John McGrane and Dr Michael Rowe are oncologists who want to break down the complex parts of cancer care into clear and simple sessions.
We will dive deep into the world of cancer research, patient stories and the latest cancer breakthroughs. 
Simply Oncology will have patient focused episodes along with episodes that allow anyone with an interest in oncology to stay up to date.

We hope you join us as we unpick all parts of cancer. 

John & Mike

SubscribeListen in podnodRSS feedShow website
  • 114 episodes
  • Updated Friday

Episodes114

Newest first
  • Oct 14, 2025 · 19 min

    Episode 73: Influencing the Gut Microbiome in immunotherapy - the CBM 588 story (& beyond) with Professor Monty Pal

    Send us Fan Mail We are back for part 2 to finish our journey through the Gut Microbiome with the excellent Professor Monty Pal !! Few areas of cancer treatment have generated as much interest as the Gut Microbiome in recent years. We discuss work done by Monty's team on CBM588 on immunotherapy in kidney cancer. CBM 588 is a live bacterial product that is available in health shops in Japan where it is used to promote a healthy gut. Monty's team found incredible results where it improved response rates for immunotherapy containing treatment and significantly improved time to tumour progression. Plans are now afoot to trial this in a much larger phase 3 trial which could readout some exciting results! We discuss; - Should we run patient poo through an AI algorithm to see what gut microbiome changes are needed - Can we engineer gut bacteria to make more of useful proteins in our gut - Can we get more biotech companies to engage in this space to help move it forward at more pace Of course Monty knocks it out of the park so he gets a Simply Oncology wish!! Amazing to hear Professor Monty Pal share his thoughts on this exciting area of medicine.

  • Oct 14, 2025 · 23 min

    Episode 72: The gut microbiome influencing kidney cancer with Professor Monty Pal

    Send us Fan Mail Did you know that we have more bacterial DNA than human DNA in our bodies. This is because our guts contain trillions of bacteria and are now being thought of as another organ of the body. Join us this week as we discuss the Gut Microbiome (part 1 of 2) and its importance on drugs like immunotherapy response in cancer. We talk to none other than the excellent Professor Monty Pal from The City of Hope Hospital in California. Monty is an internationally respected kidney cancer expert and has been researching the impact of the gut microbiome on cancer outcomes in recent years. We discuss; The potential impact of fibre in our diet - any how much that looks like in Wheetabix. The need for balanced good versus bad bacteria in our guts. That probiotics are not recommended. The challenges of a faecal microbiome transplant. What a great episode!!

  • Oct 6, 2025 · 35 min

    Episode 71: Prostate cancer in Black and Ethnic groups with Professor Frank Chinegwundoh

    Send us Fan Mail Did you know that the lifetime risk of prostate cancer in a black man is 1 in 4 ? That’s twice the risk of prostate cancer in a white man. Did you know that men in Scotland are twice as likely to have advanced prostate cancer compared to those in the South of England? Professor Frank Chinewungdoh is a man on a mission. He is trying to make prostate cancer testing as possible to men across all groups. He makes an argument for prostate cancer screening and measures to make PSA testing more accessible.

  • Sep 26, 2025 · 21 min

    Episode 70: Cancer Vaccines - Challenges & Future Directions with Dr Lennard Lee

    Send us Fan Mail We are back to finish our journey through cancer vaccines with Dr Lennard Lee. We celebrate some of the heroes of UK cancer vaccine trials from centres Big & Small. Lennard gives us all some hope for the future. We now are officially Watching This Space for more Cancer Vaccine Trial results.

  • Sep 23, 2025 · 23 min

    Episode 69: Cancer Vaccines with Dr Lennard Lee (part 1)

    Send us Fan Mail Cancer Vaccines are Here!! We talk to a man who is on a mission! Dr Lennard Lee - associate Professor at Oxford University Hospital. Lennard has a vision where we use the technologies developed in Vaccines during COVID and turn them into effective treatments for cancer. This is some space age stuff but its HERE, its EXCITING, its HAPPENING!!

  • Sep 12, 2025 · 20 min

    Episode 68: In the Clinic - Future Advances in Rectal Cancer (Part 2) with Professor Richard Adams

    Send us Fan Mail We return on our odyssey through Rectal Cancer with the amazing Professor Richard Adams from Velindre cancer Centre, Cardiff. In this episode we discuss the immunotherapy revolution in the subgroup of rectal cancer that is MSI-High. We discuss future directions in rectal cancer. We also give Richard a wish - AND HE GOES BIG!!! What a treat to have these 2 episodes with Richard!

  • Sep 12, 2025 · 39 min

    Episode 67: In the Clinic - Advances in Rectal Cancer (Part 1) with Professor Richard Adams

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode we venture in to a new tumour site: Colorectal Cancer. We are joined by internationally renowned oncologist Professor Richard Adams from Velindre Cancer Centre. In Part 1 we dive in to treatment of localised rectal cancer, with a comprehensive overview of the role of radiotherapy, contact brachytherapy and total neodjuvant therapy. We also explore the evolving evidence of non-operative management of rectal cancer. We look into the OPERA (EU), OPRA (US) and RAPIDO trials and where that’s taking Rectal Cancer.

  • Sep 2, 2025 · 37 min

    Episode 66: Biliary Tract Cancer Masterclass with Professor John Bridgewater

    Send us Fan Mail Biliary Tract Cancers - Cholangiocarcinomas and Gallbladder cancers are often seen as rare and aggressive cancers. 🎙️We tackle Biliary Tract Cancers with the exceptional Professor John Bridgewater. 🎙️Few people are as knowledgable & linked to a cancer as Prof Bridgewater is to cholangiocarcinoma. 🎙️Prof Bridgewater has led practice changing studies in this area and is an internationally renowned expert. 🎙️This group of cancers is more common than you think! 🎙️If you don’t know your gallbladder cancer from your cholangiocarcinoma the check it out wherever you get your podcast!! Find out more about these cancers at AMMF – The UK's only Cholangiocarcinoma Charity Also - Check the Transcript!!

  • Aug 11, 2025 · 32 min

    Episode 63: Fundamentals - Discussing the importance of Clinical Trials in Oncology With Dr Mohini Varughese

    Send us Fan Mail Clinical Trials are the Stepping Stones for the progress we have made over the years in the treatment of cancer. We talk to Dr Mohini Varughese who is heavily involved in clinical trials in urology and passionate about the delivery of clinical trials across oncology. We discuss: 🎙️Phase 1,2 &3 trials 💊The benefits for patients 💉The benefits for clinical teams

  • Jul 30, 2025 · 24 min

    Episode 62: Demystifying the Language of Oncology with Dr Anthony Cunliffe

    Send us Fan Mail Join us as we return for Part 2 of our conversation with lead medical advisor to MacMillan - Dr Anthony Cunliffe. Anthony is also a practising GP with ideas on how we can work better together - starting with how we keep our patients and GP teams up to date with our oncology letters. We talk about Performance status and why it so important to us in oncology and also how we can make life easier for people to understand our letters without extra work. The oncology letters from clinics are the lifeblood of information for many patients care so we should try and make them as useful as possible.

  • Jul 30, 2025 · 24 min

    Episode 61: Fundamentals - Demystifying the Language of Oncology Letters with Dr Anthony Cunliffe

    Send us Fan Mail How we communicate is so important in all aspects of medicine. In this special 2 part episode we look at demystifying the Language of Oncology. Our letters go to GPs and patients and we speak to Dr Anthony Cunliffe who is the medical lead for Macmillan Cancer Support and a practising GP. If you are GP or acute medic who treats cancer patients or a patient with access to your letters this is a MUST LISTEN. Also those of us oncologists wanting to make our letters useful for GP teams there is a a LOT to learn! We try and explain the meaning behind the letters. He takes us to task about parts of our oncology letters that would be more useful for GPs and patients.

  • Jul 23, 2025 · 32 min

    Episode 60: Patient fundamentals - Discussing the principles of radiotherapy with Dr Grant Stewart

    Send us Fan Mail Join us for an episode looking at the role of radiotherapy in cancer treatment. We discuss the principles of radiotherapy with Dr Grant Stewart who has 20 years experience with radiotherapy treatments. This is a great episode for anyone wanting to understand the principles of radiotherapy. IF you are a patient wanting to understand your treatment or a doctor or nurse wanting to know more about radiotherapy please check this out!

  • Jul 18, 2025 · 23 min

    Episode 59: In the Clinic - Discussing the evidence for Renal SABR and its role in renal carcinoma with Dr Harshani Green (part 2)

    Send us Fan Mail We are back again discussing stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) with Dr Harshani Green from the Royal Marsden Hospital. Join us if : - You want to hear about the evidence from the FASTRACK II trial using renal SABR - You are a centre thinking about setting up renal SABR - You want to hear about the challenges of comparing renal SABR with surgery Will radiotherapy be able to replace cytoreductive nephrectomy in metastatic renal carcinoma? We discuss this and more (plus Mike produces a Magic Lamp!) Enjoy

  • Jul 10, 2025 · 24 min

    Episode 58: In the Clinic - Exploring Renal SABR (Part 1) with Dr Harshani Green

    Send us Fan Mail Join us for Part 1 of our 2 part Simply Oncology podcast with Dr Harshani Green on Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) in Renal Cell Carcinoma. We discuss the role of high precision radiotherapy treating renal cell carcinoma in those patients where an operation may not be possible. - We discuss the excellent control rates - What size of tumour can we treat? - Will we ever be able to compare Surgery versus SABR for primary renal cell carcinoma cancers?

  • Jun 20, 2025 · 37 min

    Episode 57: In the Clinic -Discussing bladder surgery and the GUSTO trial in Bladder Cancer with Professor Jim Catto

    Send us Fan Mail Surgery in Bladder Cancer Bumper episode! We talk to Professor Jim Catto about surgery in Bladder Cancer. 🎙️we discuss the GUSTO trial stratifying bladder cancer therapy by molecular subtype 🎙️we look at quality of life and #cystectomy🎙️we look at surgical outcomes from NIAGARA 🎙️we look at peri-operative trials A bumper Bladder Cancer issue