Ruth Langley, Professor of Oncology & Clinical Trials

Ruth is a medical oncologist and MRC Programme Leader with a particular interest in the design and management of oncology clinical trials. Her research training included time at the Joint Centre for Radiation Therapy, Boston USA studying for her PhD in radiation-induced apoptosis.

She has worked in a number of tumour areas including breast, colorectal and lung cancer. She has a particular interest in gastro-oesophageal malignancy coordinating a series of trials and associated translational studies (including OE05 and ST03). She has also led the investigation of the use of transdermal oestrogen in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer (PATCH).

A major focus of her recent work has been the development of an international trial to assess the effect of aspirin as an adjuvant agent in several common solid tumours (Add-Aspirin).

She has an honorary clinical consultant contract at the Brighton and Sussex University Hospital.


Selected publications

Alderson D, Cunningham D, Nankivell M, Blazeby JM, Griffin SM, Crellin A, Grabsch HI, Langer R8, Pritchard S, Okines A, Krysztopik R, Coxon F, Thompson J, Falk S, Robb C, Stenning S, Langley RE. Neoadjuvant cisplatin and fluorouracil versus epirubicin, cisplatin, and capecitabine followed by resection in patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma (UK MRC OE05): an open-label, randomised phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. August 2017

Cunningham D, Stenning SP, Smyth EC, Okines AF, Allum WH, Rowley S, Stevenson L, Grabsch HI, Alderson D, Crosby T, Griffin SM, Mansoor W, Coxon FY, Falk SJ, Darby S, Sumpter KA, Blazeby JM, Langley RE. Peri-operative chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab in operable oesophagogastric adenocarcinoma (UK Medical Research Council ST03): primary analysis results of a multicentre, open-label, randomised phase 2-3 trial. Lancet Oncology, 18 (3), 357-370, 2017

Mulvenna P, Nankivell M, Barton R, Faivre-Finn C, Wilson P, McColl E, Moore B, Brisbane I, Ardron D, Holt T, Morgan S, Lee C, Waite K, Bayman N, Pugh C, Sydes B, Stephens R, Parmar MK, Langley RE. Dexamethasone and supportive care with or without whole brain radiotherapy in treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases unsuitable for resection or stereotactic radiotherapy (QUARTZ): results from a phase 3, non-inferiority, randomised trial. Lancet, 388 (10055), 2004-2014, 2016

Coyle C, Cafferty FH, Rowley S, MacKenzie M, Berkman L, Gupta S, Pramesh CS, Gilbert D, Kynaston H, Cameron D, Wilson RH, Ring A, Langley RE. ADD-ASPIRIN: A phase III, double-blind, placebo controlled, randomised trial assessing the effects of aspirin on disease recurrence and survival after primary therapy in common non-metastatic solid tumours. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 51, 56-64, 2016

Langley RE, Kynaston HG, Alhasso AA, Trinh D, Paez EM, Jovic G, Scrase CD, Robertson A, Cafferty F, Welland A, Carpenter R, Honeyfield L, Abel RL, Stone M, Parmar MKB, Abel PD. A Randomised Comparison Evaluating Changes in Bone Mineral Density in Advanced Prostate Cancer: Luteinising Hormone-releasing Hormone Agonists Versus Transdermal Oestradiol. European Urology, 69 (6), 1016-1025, 2015





Research Interests

  • Aspirin
  • Transdermal oestrogen and prostate cancer
  • Gastro-oesophageal cancer
  • Trials methodology


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