Pioneering Solihull surgeon calls for others to join him to help raise funds for Cancer Research UK - The Solihull Observer

Pioneering Solihull surgeon calls for others to join him to help raise funds for Cancer Research UK

Solihull Editorial 17th May, 2022   0

A PIONEERING Solihull surgeon is calling on people across the borough to get on their bikes.

Simon Bach’s research has already spared scores of bowel cancer patients from the trauma of major surgery and managing a colostomy bag for the rest of their lives.

Now he wants cyclists to follow his lead and sign up to Cancer Research UK’s Cycle 300 challenge.

Participants are asked to raise money by cycling 300 miles during June.




The challenge can be completed indoors, outdoors, solo or as part of a team – and cycling to work, the shops or taking on a spin class all count towards the distance.

Simon is a consultant colorectal surgeon at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital and chief investigator for the Cancer Research UK STAR-TREC trial.


He said: “These studies wouldn’t be possible without Cancer Research UK and they’re life-changing for people, so it’s great to be able to give something back through my cycling.

“What we’re doing for people with early-stage rectal cancer is substituting big operations that remove the rectum for outpatient treatment with radiotherapy that only takes 10-20 minutes.”

Currently, standard treatment for rectal cancer is major surgery to remove the organ with seven to ten days recovery time in hospital. Patients signed up to the STAR-TREC trial, run by the CRUK Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Birmingham, receive either high dose radiotherapy over five days or chemotherapy and low-dose radiotherapy over a course of five weeks.

Simon added: “There’s no better motivation than knowing you’re helping to save lives while keeping fit, so I hope that people will jump in the saddle and help bring hope to the many thousands of families dealing with cancer.

“We’re making progress every day but we’ve still got a long way to go so every mile counts.”

For more or to sign up click here.

Online Editions

Catch up on your local news by reading our e-editions on the Solihull Observer.

Subscribe

Receive a weekly update to your inbox by signing up to our weekly newsletter.

Reader Travel

Check out all of the latest reader travel offers to get your hands on some free gifts.

Business Directory

From plumbers, to restaurants, we can provide you with all the info you need.