Research

I am the lead for solid tumor research at Barts Cancer Institute. I also lead the genitourinary (GU) cancer group at BCI.

My work focuses on a spectrum of clinical studies from phase I to randomised phase III. The majority of the studies are translational phase II studies investigating novel targeted and immune therapies. They exploit functional imaging and tissue collection.

Alongside these trials, our research focuses on correlation of novel biomarkers and aims to define markers that are of prognostic value and can predict response or resistance to therapy.

I have written over 100 peer review papers in this area and have grant income from national and international funding bodies.

I am on the editorial board of a number of journals and am part of the faculty for the major global oncology meetings.

Other Activities

• NCRN bladder cancer CSG
• NCRN renal cancer CSG
• NCRN translational oncology group
• NCRN CRPC studies group
• EORTC-GU executive committee
• ESMO faculty for GU cancer
• Editorial board of Clinical Genitourinary Cancer
• Co chair of trans Atlantic bladder cancer consortium
• International guidelines for testis cancer and renal cancer

Major Funding

• 2015-2020- Astrazeneca UK Limited, PDL-1 combination targeted therapy with AZ6094 in metastatic renal cancer (CALYPSO)
• 2015-2020- F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder-ABACUS
• 2013-2018- Millenium Pharmaceuticals Inc, NEPTUNE study of neoadjuvant TAK-700 and leuprorelin acetate versus surgery alone in intermediate and high risk clinically localized
• 2012-2017- AstraZeneca UK Limited, Comparing AZD2014 and EVEROLIMUS
• 2010-2015- GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development, A phase II study investigating upfront pazopanib in metastatic clear cell renal cancer (PANTHER)

Recent Publications

Expression-based subtypes define pathologic response to neoadjuvant immune-checkpoint inhibitors in muscle-invasive bladder cancer Robertson AG, Meghani K, Cooley LF et al. Nature Communications (2023) 14(7)

Indications and Outcomes for Deferred Cytoreductive Nephrectomy Following Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Combination Therapy: Can Systemic Therapy be Withdrawn in Patients with No Evidence of Disease? Fransen van de Putte EE, van den Brink L, Mansour MA et al. European Urology Open Science (2023) 55(7) 15-22

Patient and Healthcare Professional Perspectives from ESMO 2022 on Bladder and Kidney Cancer: A Podcast Filicevas A, Powles T Oncology and Therapy (2023) 11(7) 277-289

Top advances of the year: Genitourinary cancer Jackson-Spence F, Young M, Sweeney C et al. Cancer (2023) 129(7) 2603-2609

Atezolizumab Plus Magrolimab, Niraparib, or Tocilizumab in Platinum-Refractory Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma: A Phase Ib/II Open-Label, Randomized Umbrella Study. Drakaki A, Powles T, Bamias A et al. Clin Cancer Res (2023) (2)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37651261

Patient-Reported Outcomes in KEYNOTE-564: Adjuvant Pembrolizumab Versus Placebo for Renal Cell Carcinoma. Choueiri TK, Tomczak P, Park SH et al. Oncologist (2023) (2)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37589219

Baseline and Dynamic Changes in Hemoglobin Levels Predict Treatment Response and Prognosis in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter Retrospective Study Yang YH, Ansel S, Meerveld-Eggink A et al. Clinical Genitourinary Cancer (2023) 21(7) e242-e251

Survival by Depth of Response and Efficacy by International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium Subgroup with Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab Versus Sunitinib in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma: Analysis of the Phase 3 Randomized CLEAR Study Grünwald V, Powles T, Kopyltsov E et al. European urology oncology (2023) 6(7) 437-446

Atezolizumab plus cabozantinib versus cabozantinib monotherapy for patients with renal cell carcinoma after progression with previous immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment (CONTACT-03): a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial Pal SK, Albiges L, Tomczak P et al. The Lancet (2023) 402(7) 185-195

Avelumab First-Line Maintenance for Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma: Results From the JAVELIN Bladder 100 Trial After ‰2 Years of Follow-Up Powles T, Park SH, Caserta C et al. Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023) 41(7) 3486-3492

Biography

I qualified from St Bartholomew’s Medical School in 1996 and trained in medical oncology at Imperial College. I completed post-graduate training in oncology in 2005 and received an MD from the University of London in 2006. My thesis was in mechanisms of resistance to therapy in urology cancers.