Urological Cancer Surgeon Professor Noel Clarke has been awarded the prestigious St Peter’s Medal by the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS). It recognises his sustained contributions to the advancement of urology.
The St Peter’s medal is the highest honour that the national association can give. It is awarded annually and it is the first time in 48 years that it has been awarded to a urologist in the North West.
Professor Clarke has been a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Salford Royal and The Christie since 1993 and has an international reputation for his expertise in the treatment of bladder, prostate, renal and testis cancer and in the management of complex pelvic and retroperitoneal tumours.
He heads the genito-urinary cancer research team at the MCRC / Manchester Cancer Institute and The Christie and was appointed as Professor of Urological Oncology at The University of Manchester in 2007. He is joint Principal Investigator for the STAMPEDE study, the world’s largest prostate cancer trial. Since its opening in 2005 more than 10,000 participants have joined the study, which has already reported internationally practice-changing results and improved cancer outcomes and survival with novel treatments.
Professor Clarke advises various organisations, including NHS England, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and Cancer Research UK.
Professor Clarke was presented with the medal at the BAUS annual meeting in June.
This award continues Salford Royal’s distinguished record in the development of urological surgery in the UK. The very first medal winner was another Salford Royal pioneer, James Barlow (JB) MacAlpine, who was awarded the prize in 1949. MacAlpine established and was in charge of Salford Royal’s genito-urinary department. This was the first ever specialised department of urology in the country.
As well as writing a key textbook ‘Cystoscopy and urography’ (1927), he made improvements to the procedures for prostatectomy and described the first series of tumours of the bladder attributable to dye-manufacture in England.
The second St Peter’s medal winner was Mr Dennis Poole-Wilson CBE, one of the seven founder members of the British Association of Urologists and a surgeon at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Salford Royal Hospital.
Mr Kieran O’Flynn, another senior member of the current Salford team, has just completed his two- year tenure as BAUS President. He is pictured above left, presenting Professor Clarke with the medal.