St. Luke’s Lectures

In January of 1970 at a General Council meeting Dr. Malachy Powell mentioned the possibility of a suggestion being made to institute an annual lectureship sponsored by St. Luke’s Hospital on the lines of the present Graves Lecture. It was some years later in January 1975 when the secretary Dr. Malachy Powell raised the question of an annual lecture on oncology. He said that St. Luke’s Hospital were exploring the possibility of using some research funds to finance an annual lecture on oncology. It was suggested that this could be run in the same way as the Graves Lecture with St. Luke’s Hospital co-operating with the Academy.  There was further discussion and it was decided that the matter should be further explored with St. Luke’s Hospital.  In June 1975 a letter was read from St. Luke’s Hospital agreeing to the arrangements for the St. Luke’s Lecture. Dr. Francis P. Muldowney (General Council Fellow) proposed and Dr. Pauline O’Connell seconded the names of the President of the Academy, Dr. Alan Browne and Dr. Towers, Editor of the journal to represent the Academy on the appointing committee. This was agreed.

The Saint Luke’s Lecture is sponsored by Saint Luke’s Hospital. The annual lecture is in the field of oncology. The lecturer is selected by a committee with representatives from St. Luke’s Hospital and the Academy. The lecturer receives the Academy’s silver medal.

The inaugural lecture was held in 1975. Professor James Fennelly

Previous presenters of the St. Luke’s Lecture :

2016     Bryan Hennessy

• From biology to treatment – how understanding of the PI3K pathway has influenced cancer research and therapy

2015     Richard Kennedy

• From poison gas to precision medicine

2014     Malcolm R Kell

• Breast cancer; from Halstead to Harney

2013     Gary Charles O’Toole

• Soft tissue sarcoma management and orthopaedic oncology in Ireland. Are we united?

2012     Joe O’Sullivan

• Prostate cancer in 2012- A Titanic story

2011     Francis J Giles

• Optimising Ireland’s contribution to curing cancer

2010     John V. Reynolds

• Diet, obesity and cancer

2009     Paul Browne

• Stem cell transplantation: implications for future cancer therapy in Ireland

2008     William Gallagher

• Breast cancer research: A translational perspective

2007     John O’Leary

• Cervical cancer – Molecular targeting approaches to an old problem

2006     Owen Smith

• Improving outcome in adolescent cancer: avoiding throwing the baby out with the bath water

2005     Arnold D.K. Hill

• Molecular oncology – Current themes and future directions

2004     Paul Redmond

• The evolution of cancer management in Ireland

2003     Eoin F. Gaffney

• Apoptosis in cancer: Archaeology, functional significance and exploitation in novel treatment strategies

2001     David J. Bouchier-Hayes

• Surgery, vascular biology and evolving anti cancer strategies

2000     Donal Hollywood

• Radiation oncology: A molecular renaissance in the 21st century

1999     John Armstrong

• Advances in radiation technology can improve survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients

1998     Patrick J. Morrison

• Genetic testing and cancer prevention – a modern day curates egg

1997     John P. Crown

• Novel chemotherapeutic strategies for metastatic breast cancer

1996     Mark P. Lawler

• Molecular approaches to haematological malignancy in the next millennium

1995     Thomas F. Gorey

• Advances in breast cancer: Clinical and biological lessons from screening

1994     Thomas N. Walsh

• Oesophageal cancer: On the threshold of hope

1993     Dermot P. A. Kelleher

• Cancer and the immune system: Shared pathways, different goals

1992     Adrian L. Harris

• Aberrant angiogenesis – a new target for cancer therapy

1991     Gerald O’Sullivan

• Immunology of gastro-intestinal malignancy – Opportunity or obstacle to therapy?

1990     Colm O’Morain

• Dietary risk factors and intervention studies in patients with adenomtous colorectal polyps and colorectal cancer

1989     Michael J. Turner

• The genesis of cervical cancer

1988     Brian Hurson

• Limb sparing surgery for high-grade malignant musculo-skeletal tumours

1987     Carmel Mothersill

• Radiation, cancer and cell culture models

1986     Shaun R. McCann

• Applications of bone marrow transplantation

1985     Diarmuid P. O’Donoghue

• Of polyps and cancers – a study of colorectal carcinoma

1984     Joseph Ennis

• Breast cancer diagnosis – New developments

1983     Michael Joseph Duffy

• A biomechanical approach to cancer management

1982     Desmond N. Carney

• Biological studies in the clinical research of human small cell lung cancer

1981     Bernadette Herity

• The prevention and early detection of cancer

1979     Petr Skrabanek –

• Ectopic hormones in cancer : a reappraisal

1978     Michael Moriarty

• Nutrition and malignant disease – a dual role in causation and management

1977     Gordon M. Mullins

• Tumour immunity and immunotherapy

1976     John F. Murphy –

• Some researches on the origins of cervical cancer

1975     James Fennelly

• Leukaemia – a decade of progress