Dr Kevin N Franks
- Position: Honorary Clinical Associate Professor
- Areas of expertise: Lung Cancer; Radiotherapy; Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR); Systemic Therapy; Quality of Life; Novel Agent and Radiotherapy Combinations
- Email: K.N.Franks@leeds.ac.uk
Profile
I trained as a clinical oncologist in Leeds and completed a two-year research fellowship at Princess Margaret Hospital before being appointed as a consultant at the Leeds Cancer Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in 2009.
I am the Clinical Lead for Lung Oncology at the Leeds Cancer Centre and nationally was a was a founding member of the UK SABR consortium. Currently, I am a member of the NCRI Lung Clinical Studies Group (Local and regionally-Advanced Disease and Advanced Disease Sub-groups)
I was the co-chair of the National Cancer Action Team (NCAT) Image-guided Radiotherapy guideline working group (published 2012), was a member of the British Thoracic Society pulmonary nodules working group (guidelines published 2016) and am currently the co-chair of the national RCR/ROR/IPEM Image-guided Radiotherapy Guideline Working Group.
Publications 2015-present
1: Pompili C, Koller M, Velikova G, Franks K, Absolom K, Callister M, Robson J, Imperatori A, Brunelli A. EORTC QLQ-C30 summary score reliably detects changes in QoL three months after anatomic lung resection for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Lung Cancer. 2018 Sep;123:149-154.
2: Holch P, Pini S, Henry AM, Davidson S, Routledge J, Brown J, Absolom K, Gilbert A, Franks K, Hulme C, Morris C, Velikova G; eRAPID radiotherapy workgroup. eRAPID electronic patient self-Reporting of Adverse-events: Patient Information and advice: a pilot study protocol in pelvic radiotherapy. Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2018 Jun 5;4:110.
3: Baldwin D, Callister M, Akram A, Cane P, Draffan J, Franks K, Gleeson F, Graham R, Malhotra P, Pearson P, Subesinghe M, Waller D, Woolhouse I. British Thoracic Society quality standards for the investigation and management of pulmonary nodules. BMJ Open Respir Res. 2018 Apr 16;5(1):
4: Hanna GG, McDonald F, Murray L, Harrow S, Landau D, Ahmed M, Franks KN. UK Consensus on Normal Tissue Dose Constraints for Stereotactic Radiotherapy: Reply to Ghafoor et al. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2018 Jul;30(7):456.
5: Ashton M, O'Rourke N, Macleod N, Laird B, Stobo J, Kelly C, Alexander L, Franks K, Moore K, Currie S, Valentine R, Chalmers AJ. SYSTEMS-2: A randomised phase II study of radiotherapy dose escalation for pain control in malignant pleural mesothelioma. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2017 Nov 21;8:45-49.
6: Jones CM, Brunelli A, Callister ME, Franks KN. Multimodality Treatment of Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Where are we with the Evidence? Curr Surg Rep. 2018;6(2):5.
7: Frood R, Prestwich R, Tsoumpas C, Murray P, Franks K, Scarsbrook A. Effectiveness of Respiratory-gated Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography for Radiotherapy Planning in Patients with Lung Carcinoma - A Systematic Review. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2018 Apr;30(4):225-232.
8: Nguyen TK, Senan S, Bradley JD, Franks K, Giuliani M, Guckenberger M, Landis M, Loo BW Jr, Louie AV, Onishi H, Schmidt H, Timmerman R, Videtic GMM, Palma DA. Optimal imaging surveillance after stereotactic ablative radiation therapy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer: Findings of an International Delphi Consensus Study. Pract Radiat Oncol. 2018 Mar - Apr;8(2):e71-e78.
9: Rulach R, Hanna GG, Franks K, McAleese J, Harrow S. Re-irradiation for Locally Recurrent Lung Cancer: Evidence, Risks and Benefits. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2018 Feb;30(2):101-109.
10: Hanna GG, Murray L, Patel R, Jain S, Aitken KL, Franks KN, van As N, Tree A, Hatfield P, Harrow S, McDonald F, Ahmed M, Saran FH, Webster GJ, Khoo V, Landau D, Eaton DJ, Hawkins MA. UK Consensus on Normal Tissue Dose Constraints for Stereotactic Radiotherapy. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2018 Jan;30(1):5-14.
11: Pompili C, Franks KN, Brunelli A, Hussain YS, Holch P, Callister ME, Robson JM, Papagiannopoulos K, Velikova G. Patient-reported outcomes following video assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) resection or stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer: protocol for an observational pilot study (LiLAC). J Thorac Dis. 2017 Aug;9(8):2703-2713.
12: Holch P, Henry AM, Davidson S, Gilbert A, Routledge J, Shearsmith L, Franks K, Ingleson E, Albutt A, Velikova G. Acute and Late Adverse Events Associated With Radical Radiation Therapy Prostate Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review of Clinician and Patient Toxicity Reporting in Randomized Controlled Trials. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2017 Mar 1;97(3):495-510.
13: Pompili C, Velikova G, White J, Callister M, Robson J, Dixon S, Franks K, Brunelli A. Poor preoperative patient-reported quality of life is associated with complications following pulmonary lobectomy for lung cancer. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2017 Mar 1;51(3):526-531.
14: Snee MP, McParland L, Collinson F, Lowe CM, Striha A, Baldwin DR, Naidu B, Sebag-Montefiore D, Gregory WM, Bestall J, Hewison J, Hinsley S, Franks K. The SABRTooth feasibility trial protocol: a study to determine the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a phase III randomised controlled trial comparing stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) with surgery in patients with peripheral stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) considered to be at higher risk of complications from surgical resection. Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2016 Feb 1;2:5.
15: Murray P, Franks K, Hanna GG. A systematic review of outcomes following stereotactic ablative radiotherapy in the treatment of early-stage primary lung cancer. Br J Radiol. 2017 Mar;90(1071):20160732.
16: Haslett K, Franks K, Hanna GG, Harden S, Hatton M, Harrow S, McDonald F, Ashcroft L, Falk S, Groom N, Harris C, McCloskey P, Whitehurst P, Bayman N, Faivre-Finn C. Protocol for the isotoxic intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): a feasibility study. BMJ Open. 2016 Apr 15;6(4):e010457.
17: Murray L, Karakaya E, Hinsley S, Naisbitt M, Lilley J, Snee M, Clarke K, Musunuru HB, Ramasamy S, Turner R, Franks K. Lung stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR): dosimetric considerations for chest wall toxicity. Br J Radiol. 2016;89(1058):20150628.
18: Murray L, Ramasamy S, Lilley J, Snee M, Clarke K, Musunuru HB, Needham A, Turner R, Sangha V, Flatley M, Franks K. Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) in Patients with Medically Inoperable Peripheral Early Stage Lung Cancer: Outcomes for the First UK SABR Cohort. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2016 Jan;28(1):4-12. 26474546.
19: Shrimali RK, Mahata A, Reddy GD, Franks KN, Chatterjee S. Pitfalls and Challenges to Consider before Setting up a Lung Cancer Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy Service: A Review of the Reported Clinical Experience. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2016 Mar;28(3):185-97.
20: Callister ME, Baldwin DR, Akram AR, Barnard S, Cane P, Draffan J, Franks K, Gleeson F, Graham R, Malhotra P, Prokop M, Rodger K, Subesinghe M, Waller D, Woolhouse I; British Thoracic Society Pulmonary Nodule Guideline Development Group; British Thoracic Society Standards of Care Committee. British Thoracic Society guidelines for the investigation and management of pulmonary nodules. Thorax. 2015 Aug;70 Suppl 2:ii1-ii54. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-207168. Erratum in: Thorax. 2015 Dec;70(12):1188. PubMed PMID: 26082159.
21: Franks KN, Jain P, Snee MP. Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for lung cancer. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2015 May;27(5):280-9.
22: Henry AM, Rodda SL, Mason M, Musunuru H, Al-Qaisieh B, Bownes P, Smith J, Franks K, Carey B, Bottomley D. The Effect of Dose and Quality Assurance in Early Prostate Cancer Treated with Low Dose Rate Brachytherapy as Monotherapy. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2015 Jul;27(7):382-6
23: Murray LJ, Thompson CM, Lilley J, Cosgrove V, Franks K, Sebag-Montefiore D, Henry AM. Radiation-induced second primary cancer risks from modern external beam radiotherapy for early prostate cancer: impact of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and flattening filter free (FFF) radiotherapy. Phys Med Biol. 2015 Feb 7;60(3):1237-57.
Research interests
My current research interests include:
Chief investigator for the NIHR RFPB funded SABRtooth trial, which aimed to determine if a phase III RCT comparing StereotacticAblative Radiotherapy (SABR) with surgery in paTients with peripheral stage I nOn-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cOnsideredTo be at Higher risk of complications from surgical resection would be feasible. Trial completed and follow-on study in development,
Co-chief investigator of the Yorkshire Cancer Research (YCR) funded “Avoiding cardiac toxicity in lung cancer patients treated with curative intent radiotherapy”programme grant and is involved in national and international trials in lung cancer RT and SABR including trials of RT combined with novel therapies and trial of new agents/chemotherapy in the advanced disease setting.”
National Chief Investigator for the international PACIFIC-4 trial
Co-investigator, trial management group (TMG) member and local lead for the Biomarker Study within the Yorkshire Lung Cance Screening Trial (YLST) funded by YCR.
Co-investigator and TMG member for (1) CRUK funded CORE and SARON studies of SABR in oligometastatic disease (2) SYSTEMS-2 -randomised trial of different radiotherapy doses for palliation in mesothelioma.
Qualifications
- MBChB
- MRCP
- FRCR
Professional memberships
- Royal College of Radiologists (RCR)
- European Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ESTRO)
- International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)
- British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG)
Student education
I currently supervise MD and PhD students and provide undergraduate medical student teaching.
Research groups and institutes
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James's