Neil Ryan

Overview

I am looking at the gynaecological manifestations of Lynch Syndrome. Of note womb cancer is often the first cancer seen in women with Lynch syndrome, often presenting years before bowel cancer. I intend to investigate three key areas for the successful management of gynaecological cancer in women with Lynch Syndrome.
 
First I aim to define the prevalence of Lynch syndrome amongst women presenting with womb cancer. This is important, as currently there is no national policy in the UK by which women with gynaecological cancers are screened for Lynch Syndrome. It is the research teams’ view that many women are not screened for Lynch Syndrome despite presenting with womb cancer at a young age or having a strong family history. By defining the prevalence we hope to be able to better inform the way in which gynaecologists screen for the disease and raise its profile amongst clinicians.

Secondly I will explore the fundamental difference between non-Lynch Syndrome womb cancer and Lynch Syndrome womb cancer. It is our hope that we can identify a marker that could stream line the diagnosis of Lynch Syndrome in womb cancer and possibly act as a future target for treatment.

Finally, we are keen to explore the means by which women with Lynch Syndrome reduce their risk of womb cancer. This will be achieved by a questionnaire survey. Manchester has an established screening programme for women with Lynch Syndrome who still have a womb. This involves regular ultrasound scans and blood tests. We hope to evaluate this as a means of screening and explore how acceptable this would be to known carriers of the Lynch mutation.

It is odd that those who present with bowel cancer have a cellular marker that can be tested for and a criteria by which they are screened for Lynch; yet those who present with womb cancer are not. It is also unclear why women with Lynch syndrome are subject to a nationally agreed screening policy for bowel cancer in the UK and not one for cancer of the womb. Our overall objective is to provide pilot data that could not only raise the profile of the condition but also go towards informing a national/international policy.

Biography

Neil Ryan grew up in London and went to the University of Bristol to study Medicine. During his medical studies he undertook an intercalated degree in medical ethics being awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in 2007. He graduated from Bristol Medical School in 2010 being ranked in the upper quartile of his year. He returned to London for his intial ''house jobs'' in a variety of clinical specialties. Neil returned to Bristol to undertake core surgical training having secured an Ear Nose and Throat themed post. However, the draw of Obstetrics and Gynaecology proved to be too great and he was awarded a national training number in the specialty in 2012. It is his ambition to pursue a career in gynaecological oncology surgery. 

A keen academic he sought out and secured a PhD within the internationally renowned Institute of Cancer Sciences at the University of Manchester. This is funded by a competitive Fellowship awarded by the Medical Research Council UK. In addition he was awarded a Presidents Doctoral Scholarship by the University of Manchester. He has won numerous national and international prizes.   

Outside of medicine, Neil is a member of the British Army serving in the rank of Captain within the Royal Army Medical Corps. He enjoys travel, good food and good wine.