Prof Robert Thomas

Professor Robert Thomas MRCP MD FRCR trained as a cancer doctor at the Royal Marsden Hospital and is now a Consultant Oncologist at the Primrose Oncology Unit, Bedford and Addenbrooke’s, Cambridge University Hospital Trusts, specialising in the treatment of breast, bowel and prostate cancer. He is a Professor of exercise and biological science at the University of Bedfordshire and a regular teacher at Cambridge University.

He is author of the books "How to Live" and "Keep-healthy after cancer" He is editor of the patient cancer and lifestyle website cancernet.co.uk and advises many of the UK charities on their information materials including the website keep-healthy.com

Although still embracing mainstream oncology research and treatments, he has now turned his academic attention into finding ways to improve patients’ quality of life, understand their treatment options and ways to integrate lifestyle and natural strategies into routine clinical practice. He is now head of a Lifestyle and Cancer Research Unit which designs and conducts government approved studies evaluating the impact of exercise, diet and natural therapies on cancer, other chronic diseases and more recently recovery from Covid-19. In collaboration with Universities in Southern California, Cambridge and Glasgow, this unit has published over 100 peer reviewed scientific papers. Notable clinical trials include the Pomi-T involving men with prostate cancer and the polybalm study preventing treatment related nail damage

He was editorial member of the NHS cancer plan; the NICE Committee on supportive care; the DoH funded working party on Complementary and Alternative Medicine; was commissioned by McMillan Cancer Support to write the evidence document for lifestyle and cancer for the National survivorship programme.

In 2001 he was voted Hospital Doctor Magazine “Doctor of the Year” and in 2007 The British Oncology Association “Oncologist of the Year”.