Occtopus - Oxford Colon Cancer Trust

05/10/2026

Welcome to the Oxford University Hospitals colore**al department team Tom & Ed!

➡️ Ed is a Consultant Colore**al Surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals. He graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2010 and completed surgical training in both Nottingham and Oxford. He later undertook the Royal College of Surgeons of England Robotic Fellowship at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.

He has a specialist interest in inflammatory bowel disease providing care for patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis including ileoanal pouch surgery. His practice also expands to the provision of surgery for patients with colon and re**al cancer.

➡️ Tom completed his Core Surgical Training in Merseyside before undertaking Higher Surgical Training in the Oxford Deanery.

During this time, he was awarded a DPhil (PhD) from the University of Oxford for his research in fluorescence-guided surgery, including leading a first-in-human clinical trial using a novel fluorescent dye to highlight the ureter during colore**al procedures.

Following completion of his surgical training, Tom undertook a 12-month fellowship at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. His fellowship focused on the management of colore**al cancer, with particular emphasis on advanced and recurrent re**al cancer, peritoneal surface malignancy (including pseudomyxoma peritoneii), and cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

He gained extensive experience across robotic, laparoscopic and open approaches in both complex and standard colore**al procedures.

His special interests include minimally-invasive colore**al cancer surgery, including robotic techniques, Proctology (haemorrhoids, fissure, fistula) and HIPEC for peritoneal malignancy and advanced re**al cancer surgery.

Welcome to the team!

22/09/2026

We are excited to announce we are sponsoring the next Kangaroo Club patient information day on 10 October at the Leonardo Hotel in Oxford where our Trustee, Kat Baker will be giving a talk.

There are still places left for this, the details are below👇

The team have secured a fabulous programme of sessions around the theme of ‘The Bigger Picture’. They are particularly pleased that three sessions cover subjects that have never been covered before:

🦠The Microbiome in Pouches
🔬Pharmacology Relating to Pouches
🧠How Does the ‘Gut-Brain Connection’ Work When You Don’t Have a Colon?

For the full programme, and to confirm your slot, please go to kangarooclub.org.uk.

15/09/2026

We had a great two days at the TGLU The University of Oxford IBD Master Class at Rhodes House Events, Oxford .

The conference was full of thought provoking talks and panel discussions, with a talk from our Trustee Kat Baker on surgery and IBD and fellow Trustee James East chaired an engaging panel discussion.

It was also great to see members from the Oxford University Hospitals colore**al nursing team and researchers we are funding. A huge thanks to everyone involved in organising the event.

Image 1: Professor Sir Neil Mortensen and Trustee Kat Baker

Image 2: Members of the colore**al nursing team

Image 3: Trustee James East.

08/09/2026

Who can spot one of the Oxford University Hospitals Colore**al Cancer Specialist Nurses in this Oxford Half Marathon photo?!

Nurse Danny ran for us before and is running again this year to give even more back to the department he works for. If you want to donate to his page, the link is in the comments 👇

07/09/2026

Our Chair, Professor Neil Mortensen, wanted to send a huge thank you and good luck to the 20 people running for Occtopus at next month’s .

We hope the final weeks of training goes well and we look forward to cheering you on, on the day!

01/09/2026

Let’s talk about IBD - Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a lifelong condition that causes inflammation in the digestive system. The two main types are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — and symptoms can vary from person to person.

Common signs and symptoms include:

🔹 Persistent diarrhoea or frequent loose stools
🔹 Blood or mucus in your poo
🔹 Abdominal pain or cramping
🔹 A frequent or urgent need to use the toilet
🔹 Feeling like you haven’t fully emptied your bowels
🔹 Unexplained weight loss
🔹 Extreme or persistent tiredness
🔹 Loss of appetite
🔹 A raised temperature or feeling generally unwell
🔹 Symptoms outside the gut, such as joint pain, mouth ulcers or skin problems

Symptoms can come and go, with periods of flare-ups and remission.

⚠️ Don’t ignore persistent changes in your bowel habits. These symptoms can have many causes, but if they’re ongoing or affecting your daily life, speak to your GP. Getting the right diagnosis is the first step towards getting the right treatment and support.

24/08/2026

📣 Early detection saves lives!

🔬Bowel cancer is easily treated if caught early.

🤎 If you have a noticeable change in your bowel habits, contact your GP. This includes, looser stools, blood in your stool or an urge to use the bathroom but then don’t have a bowel movement.

**alcancer

20/08/2026

Have you seen our video on what to expect during a cancer diagnosis?

Our Trustee and Consultant surgeon Kat Baker talks through the journey from diagnosis to treatment.

It has important information you or a loved one may need to ease any anxieties or answer any questions.

Watch it here 👇🏾

https://youtu.be/VAGpQohvSZo?is=fvz2WOawvgO7Cnnq

This production is intended to give patients and their family and f...

16/07/2026

Welcome to the Occtopus Oxford Half Marathon team, Tim 👋

Tim is running in memory of his mum, Deb, who passed away from colon cancer.

To read his story, or to donate, visit his JustGiving page on our page.

08/07/2026

Heatwaves 🤝 ice creams

☀️ As the summer heat continues to raise the temperatures at the JR and Churchill, we wanted to show our appreciation for the colore**al nurses and consultants by dropping off some ice creams to keep them cool.

🍦Thank you to the team, we appreciate it’s not easy in the heat!