Dr James Wilson - Lung Cancer Specialist UK

Dr James Wilson - Lung Cancer Specialist UK Stop waiting. Get clarity from a leading UK lung cancer specialist. Fast access to personalised treatment for all stages. End the uncertainty and take control.

Book a consultation within 48 hours - expert answers, honest options, personal care. Dr James Wilson is a London-based private oncologist with expertise in lung cancer, skin cancer, and advanced radiotherapy for Stage 4 cancers. He offers rapid access to chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and precision radiotherapy - including proton beam therapy. Known for clear communication and pers

onalised care, Dr Wilson helps patients take control with expert second opinions and tailored treatment plans. Appointments are often available within days, either in person or via video. Video consultations are often possible on the same or next day. Trusted by patients
Specialist in complex and advanced cases
Precision-led, consultant-delivered care

04/04/2026

If you’ve just been diagnosed with cancer, the next thing most people have to do is wait.

Wait for the letter.
Wait for the appointment.
Wait to be seen.

For many people with lung cancer, they don’t even meet their oncologist until molecular profiling is back, which can take two to three weeks.

That window doesn’t have to be wasted.

→ Seeing a private oncologist doesn’t commit you to anything:

A single appointment can give you clarity, reassurance, or simply the right questions to ask when you reach your NHS appointment.

It’s information. That’s all.

And that time before treatment is also an opportunity to:

– Improve your fitness
– Optimise your nutrition
– Understand what to expect

All of this can affect how well you tolerate treatment.

→ How to find the right oncologist:

Start with the Bupa consultant finder. Search your cancer type and location, read profiles, and look for someone who specialises in your condition and works somewhere with access to the treatments you may need.

Then check their website:

How do they communicate?
Do they inspire confidence?
Could you trust them?

Once you have one or two options, contact their secretary and ask about availability and cost.

→ How to prepare for your first appointment:

1. Write down every question. Don’t filter them
2. Bring someone with you if you can
3. Share any previous test results in advance

Afterwards, you should receive a summary letter.
Use it to guide future conversations and your own research.

→ What to look for in an oncologist:

A good oncologist asks about more than symptoms.

What matters to you?
What does your life look like outside treatment?
Who are your people?

My approach is simple: understand who you were before cancer, and help you get back to that as quickly as possible.

→ That means:

– Personalised care
– Access to the best treatments
– Honest conversations about your options

It’s completely fine to meet two or three oncologists before deciding.

You should leave that first appointment feeling understood, supported, and confident in their expertise.

If you have questions, feel free to send me a DM or an email.

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If your doctor has mentioned performance status and you’re not sure what it means or why it matters, this is worth readi...
28/03/2026

If your doctor has mentioned performance status and you’re not sure what it means or why it matters, this is worth reading.

→ What is a performance status score?

Performance status is a simple way of describing how well someone is functioning day to day.

It helps doctors balance the potential benefits and risks of treatment and it plays a significant role in which treatments are considered appropriate for a given patient.

→ The scale doctors use:

The most commonly used tool is the ECOG Performance Status scale, which runs from 0 to 4. Lower numbers indicate a more active person.

ECOG 0 means fully active with no restrictions.

ECOG 1 means some symptoms but still able to walk and do light work.

ECOG 2 means up and about more than half the day but unable to work.

ECOG 3 means limited self-care, spending more than half the day in bed or in a chair.

ECOG 4 means completely unable to carry out self-care.

→ What is important to understand:

Performance status is not fixed. It is a dynamic assessment that can improve.

Sometimes a decline in function is caused by things that can be treated or supported and addressing those things can change what treatment becomes possible.

→ A question worth asking if performance status has been raised as a barrier to treatment:

“Is there a reversible cause of this functional decline, and if so, what could help improve it?”

Performance status is not a judgement.

It is simply a way to help guide treatment decisions and ensure that care is safe.

Save this post or share it with someone who needs to understand what their team means when they use this term.

—

17/03/2026

Why Shame Shouldn’t Be Part of a Lung Cancer Diagnosis

When I ask a patient if they smoked, it isn’t about blame.
It helps me plan the best lung cancer treatment.

Lung cancer can happen to people who smoked, people who never smoked, and people somewhere in between.
You didn’t earn this diagnosis.

But shame can make people feel like they did - and that can make an already difficult journey even harder.

If you’re feeling that weight, talk to someone.
Your clinical nurse specialist is there for support as well as treatment.

A small cell lung cancer diagnosis comes with a lot of information, very quickly. This is what you need to understand fi...
15/03/2026

A small cell lung cancer diagnosis comes with a lot of information, very quickly.

This is what you need to understand first.

→ What is small cell lung cancer?

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) behaves differently to other lung cancers.

It tends to grow quickly and can spread early and that fundamentally changes how it is treated.

Most lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which usually grow more slowly and where surgery is often part of treatment.

Small cell lung cancer is different.

→ Why treatment has to treat the whole body:

SCLC often spreads early through the bloodstream, even when scans show cancer only in the chest.

This is why treatment almost always starts with therapies designed to reach the whole body, not just the area where the cancer is visible.

→ The first key question your team will ask:

When someone is diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, one of the first things we establish is whether it is limited stage or extensive stage disease.

This single question shapes the entire treatment strategy.

→ What limited stage means:

The cancer is confined to one side of the chest and can be contained within a single radiotherapy field.

Limited stage disease may be treated with the aim of cure.

→ What extensive stage means:

The cancer has metastasised, spread beyond that area: to the brain, bones, liver, or adrenal glands, for example.

Extensive stage disease is usually treated with systemic therapy aimed at controlling the disease.

→ A question worth asking your team:

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, ask your oncologist directly:

“Do I have limited stage or extensive stage disease?”

Understanding the answer will help to inform you about your diagnosis, treatment plan, prognosis - everything that follows.

Save this post or share it with someone navigating a new small cell lung cancer diagnosis.

If you have questions, send me a DM or an email and let’s chat.

—

If you’ve just been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, you might be wondering why the treatment plan looks the way i...
08/03/2026

If you’ve just been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, you might be wondering why the treatment plan looks the way it does.

Here’s what you need to understand.

→ Why chemotherapy remains the backbone of treatment:

Small cell lung cancer often spreads early through the bloodstream, even when scans show disease only in the chest.

This means cancer cells may already be present elsewhere in the body but are simply too small to appear on any scan.

That’s why treatment has to be systemic. It needs to travel through the whole body, not just target one area.

Chemotherapy does exactly that.

Why the most common regimen is Carboplatin and Etoposide:

These two medicines circulate through the entire body, going after cancer cells wherever they are.

And one important feature of small cell lung cancer is that it often responds to chemotherapy quickly. Many patients feel noticeably better even after the first cycle.

→ What about immunotherapy?

In some patients, immunotherapy is added alongside chemotherapy.

It helps the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells.

But it’s important to understand that immunotherapy does not replace chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy still does the majority of the work in controlling the disease.

→ A question worth asking your team:

If you are starting treatment for small cell lung cancer, ask your oncology team: “What systemic therapy is recommended for me and why?”

Understanding why chemotherapy remains the foundation of treatment for small cell lung cancer helps you make sense of the decisions being made about your care.

If you have questions about small cell lung cancer treatment options? Send me a DM or an email.

—
SCLC

Lung cancer: What every EGFR+ patient needs to know.If you’ve been diagnosed with EGFR-positive lung cancer, this guide ...
24/02/2026

Lung cancer: What every EGFR+ patient needs to know.

If you’ve been diagnosed with EGFR-positive lung cancer, this guide covers what you need to know at every stage.

→ What is EGFR?

Some lung cancers carry a change in the EGFR gene. This change causes the cancer but it also gives us something we can target with precision treatment.

→ Targeted therapy explained:

Medicines like osimertinib block the exact pathway cancer uses to grow. Taken as a daily tablet at home, they’re designed to hit a weak point in the tumour.

→ Treatment by stage:

Early-stage (after surgery):

The ADAURA trial (2022) showed that taking osimertinib for 3 years after surgery greatly reduces recurrence risk, especially brain metastases.

Stage 3:

After chemoradiotherapy, consolidation osimertinib helps keep cancer under control longer (LAURA trial evidence, 2024).

Stage 4:

Osimertinib is usually first treatment. The FLAURA2 trial (2025) showed adding chemotherapy can slow progression slightly but increases side effects.

NORTHSTAR trial (2025) demonstrated that adding radiotherapy to visible disease sites extends control by around 8 months.

→ Why radiotherapy still matters:

Even with targeted therapy, radiotherapy can add more control, treating the primary tumour and limited spread sites without significantly increasing side effects.

→ Questions to ask at your next appointment:

∙ Is my cancer EGFR-positive?

∙ Which treatment is right for my stage?

∙ Would I benefit from osimertinib?

∙ Is radiotherapy recommended in my situation?

∙ How do we monitor my response over time?

Save this guide to refer back to when making treatment decisions.

If you want help understanding what EGFR-positive lung cancer means for your specific situation, get in touch.

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18/02/2026

Talking about getting more out of life when you’re living with advanced cancer might seem odd.

Some patients tell me that when they’re told treatment is no longer aiming at cure, they feel like they’ve completely lost control.

If you’ve stopped living because you’ve been given an advanced cancer diagnosis, it might be because you need to have an honest conversation about what’s ahead.

→ The book I recommend:

“With the End in Mind“ by Kathryn Mannix - an exceptional palliative care consultant who taught me at medical school.

She gives stories about what the end of life actually looks like, and importantly, what it doesn’t look like.

→ Why I recommend this book:

It transformed conversations I had with my own parents. Particularly with my dad when my mum was unwell, it gave him vocabulary he needed for conversations with me, extended family, and my mum.

It made him feel much more in control. He could recognise what was happening.

When we understand what’s ahead, you can get on with life more easily. In my experience, time with patients who’ve done this work becomes more fruitful.

They ask direct questions rather than skirting around issues. They have information needed to make practical decisions.

→ The most common question: “How long have I got left?“

My answer frustrates some patients: “You’re going to tell me long before I tell you.“

You’re an expert in your own body. By reading books like this and having conversations with your doctors, you’ll start recognising clues your body gives that time may be shorter.

Generally, things slow down. Sleep becomes irresistible. Food loses interest.

When those changes happen, that’s when things point towards the end.

→ When should someone be offered palliative care:

When you do become unwell, I don’t want strangers coming into your life.

When treating advanced cancer, my goal is giving good quality time.

For many patients, having these important conversations early transforms the quality of time they have left.

If you need to have this conversation with someone, share this video, buy this book, or send me a message if I can help.

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16/01/2026

Your final lung cancer radiotherapy session is done. Now what happens?

Understanding what to expect after finishing radiotherapy can help you navigate this transition period with more confidence.

Immediate post-treatment period (days to weeks):

Some side effects may actually worsen before they improve: fatigue, skin irritation, difficulty swallowing can all deteriorate temporarily before recovery begins. This is normal.

We schedule close follow-up appointments during this time to monitor your symptoms and provide support as side effects peak and then gradually resolve.

Why we wait to scan:

Your first CT scan is typically scheduled a few months after radiotherapy finishes, not immediately.

Here’s why: radiotherapy continues working on cancer cells for weeks after your final treatment session.
Cancer cells need time to recognise DNA damage, breakdown, and then be cleared by your immune system.

Scanning too early might incorrectly suggest radiotherapy hasn’t worked when the treatment is actively destroying cancer cells.

Enhanced monitoring options:

Depending on your cancer type, circulating tumour DNA blood tests may be recommended.

These liquid biopsies offer an additional layer of monitoring for cancer recurrence, sometimes detecting changes before conventional scans.

The emotional adjustment:

Finishing treatment can feel surprisingly difficult.
You’ve stopped actively fighting cancer, and it’s common to feel like you’ve lost your safety net.

Many patients report feeling more anxious after treatment ends than during active radiotherapy - this is completely normal.

Follow-up, monitoring, managing late side effects, and supporting your recovery all remain part of your ongoing oncology care.

Got questions about what happens after finishing lung cancer radiotherapy? Drop me a DM or an email.

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13/01/2026

If you’ve been asked about smoking history after a lung cancer diagnosis, here’s why that question matters - and it’s not about blame.

When oncologists ask patients about smoking history, it’s clinical information that helps provide better, more personalised care.

As a lung cancer specialist, smoking history helps to understand:

Tumour biology: Certain genetic mutations are more common in smokers, whilst others appear more frequently in never-smokers (like EGFR and ALK). This affects which targeted therapies might work best.

Comprehensive support: If you’re currently smoking, evidence shows that stopping improves treatment outcomes and reduces complications. Offering cessation support is part of complete cancer care, not judgment.

Risk factor patterns: Building a full picture of potential contributing factors helps inform treatment decisions and screening for family members.

Beyond smoking history, lung cancer specialists also ask about:

- Family history of cancer
- Environmental exposures like air pollution or proximity to busy roads
- Radon exposure in your geographical area
- Occupational exposures (asbestos, diesel fumes, certain chemicals)

It’s worth knowing that up to 20% of lung cancers occur in people who’ve never smoked, and we’re seeing increasing diagnoses in younger never-smokers.

Whether you have a smoking history or not doesn’t change the seriousness of your care or treatment approach. Lung cancer requires the same evidence-based, personalised treatment regardless of cause.

No shame, no blame. Just getting you the right treatment.

If you have concerns about how your medical history affects your lung cancer treatment options, send me a DM or an email and we can discuss your situation.

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07/01/2026

If you’ve been diagnosed with early stage lung cancer and you’ve been told you need SABR, here’s what that actually means.

SABR stands for stereotactic ablative radiotherapy. It delivers very high doses of radiation in a small number of treatments.

For early stage lung cancer, this usually means between one and eight sessions. That’s very different from conventional radiotherapy, which often runs daily over six to seven weeks.

So how does SABR work?

It’s extremely precise. We track your breathing, target the tumour with millimetre accuracy, and carefully protect the surrounding healthy lung tissue.

Some patients describe SABR as “surgery with radiation”. That’s because the aim isn’t just to slow the cancer down, but to destroy it completely.

For early stage lung cancer, SABR achieves local control rates that are comparable to surgery.

Surgery does have advantages, such as removing lymph nodes and providing more pathological information.

But when it comes to treating the tumour itself, outcomes are very similar.

That means if surgery isn’t an option for you, or if you choose not to have surgery, SABR is a very strong alternative.

It’s fast.
It’s highly focused.
And it’s very effective.

If you’ve been offered SABR and want to talk it through, you’re very welcome to send me a DM or email.

- - -

02/01/2026

Just been diagnosed with lung cancer and hearing about radiotherapy?

Here's what it actually means.

Radiotherapy uses focused beams of high-energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells by targeting them at a cellular level.

These beams damage the DNA inside cancer cells, stopping them from dividing and growing.

Healthy cells around the tumour are affected too, but here's the crucial difference: normal cells are far better at recovering from radiation damage than cancer cells.

That's why radiotherapy for lung cancer is divided into multiple fractions. By delivering small doses daily over weeks, we accumulate irreparable damage in cancer cells whilst giving normal tissues time to heal between treatments.

This therapeutic window is what makes radiotherapy effective and tolerable.

Radiotherapy is used in approximately half of all cancer patients.

It's one of our most trusted treatments for lung cancer, whether aiming for cure, local control of the disease, or relief of symptoms.

It's powerful, precisely targeted, and backed by decades of clinical evidence in lung cancer treatment.

Over this series, we'll cover everything involved in lung cancer radiotherapy, from planning to delivery to what you can expect.

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Facing a lung cancer diagnosis? Here are the clear, simple steps that come next.Why so many tests?It’s natural to want t...
21/12/2025

Facing a lung cancer diagnosis? Here are the clear, simple steps that come next.

Why so many tests?

It’s natural to want treatment immediately. But these tests aren’t delays, each one answers a critical question about your specific cancer.

This is precision, not over-testing.

1. CT Scan

Shows where the tumour is, how large, and how it interacts with surrounding tissues. It’s painless, just a few minutes.

2. PET Scan

Reveals how active the cancer is and if it’s spread to lymph nodes or bones. It tells us if treatment needs to be local or systemic.

3. Brain MRI

Checks for silent spread to the brain. If clear, we proceed with the main plan. If not, we treat it effectively.

4. Biopsy

Identifies whether it’s small cell or non-small cell lung cancer, and finds gene mutations like EGFR or ALK. This matches you to targeted therapy or immunotherapy.

5. Lung Function Tests

Determines if your lungs can handle surgery or radiotherapy safely.

Then everything comes together.

With all results, your multidisciplinary team - surgeons, oncologists, respiratory physicians, radiologists - reviews everything together and creates your personalised treatment plan.

This comprehensive lung cancer diagnostic pathway ensures we get your treatment right from the start.

If you or a loved one would like to discuss diagnosis or treatment pathways, drop me a DM or an email and let’s find some time to chat.

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London
SW50TU

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Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
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Friday 8am - 6pm

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+442079936716

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