Professor Sam H Ahmedzai BSc, MBChB, MRCP, FRCPS, FRCP
Department of Oncology
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 114 271 3792
Secretary: +44 (0) 114 271 3082
Fax: +44 (0) 114 271 3314
Email: s.ahmedzai@sheffield.ac.uk
Biography
I am chair and head of the Academic Unit of Supportive Care in the University of Sheffield. I am honorary consultant physician in palliative medicine, working in a hospital supportive care team and am lead clinician for supportive and palliative care in the North Trent Cancer Network. I also head the Sheffield Adult Cancer Survivorship project. I am editor-in-chief of the Oxford University Press book series on supportive care; the journal `Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care´; the section on supportive and palliative care for `BMJ Clinical Evidence´; and am the clinical lead for the NHS Evidence Specialist Collection for Supportive and Palliative Care.
Research Interests
1. Symptomics – advancing the science of symptoms
• Pre-clinical
a. Mechanisms of opioid effects on human immune system
b. Brain processing of chemotherapy-induced painful neuropathy
c. Genetics of pain in cancer
• Clinical
a. Pain
b. Opioid-induced constipation
c. Cachexia
d. Drug-induced adverse-effects
2. Evaluation of symptoms and holistic needs and quality of life in cancer and chronic disease
a. Development and application of Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral for Care, SPARC
b. Development and validation of EORTC BM-22 module
c. Pain and quality of life in Myeloma X trial
d. Sheffield Adult Cancer Survivorship Project
e. Quality of life, symptoms and late effects in myeloma survivors
f. Assessment tools for chronic pain
3. Delivery of supportive and end of life care in cancer and chronic disease
a. EuroPALL funded (PHEA) project to map and benchmark palliative care developments in European countries
b. End of life care in motor neurone disease patients, focusing on the use of non-invasive ventilation
c. Respiratory and palliative medicine physicians´ involvement in management of COPD
4. Consumer and public engagement in cancer
a. Consumer Research Panel´ for cancer
b. riprap - website for teenage children who have a parent with cancer
c. Specialist Collection for Supportive and Palliative Care in NHS Evidence
Teaching Interests
Undergraduate
a. Responsiblity for the symptom science part of the University of Sheffield Medical School lecture programme for medical students
b. Supervision of medical students during their optional clinical attachments in Sheffield.
c. Participation in the finals medical student exams (OSCE)
d. Supervision of visiting medical students from other countries who are taking clinical and research attachments in Sheffield
Postgraduate
a. Advise the specialist registrar training programme for North Trent region
b. Supervision of medical trainees from other specialties (Oncology, Gynaecology, Haematology, Pain etc) who have attachments to Palliative Medicine
c. Supervision of visiting medical and other specialists undertaking clinical or research attachments in Sheffield
Outside education
a. Invited guest lecturer for the annual Palliative Care Course run in Bergen, Norway, from 2002-2005
b. Harry H Horvitz Visiting Professor at the Cleveland Clinic Palliative Care Department in 2004
c. Invited guest lecturer and Masterclass leader for the Palliative Care Courses (Basic and Advanced) run in Beekbergen, Netherlands, from 2007 until present
d. Invited Spinoza Visiting Professor at University of Amsterdam, November 2010
e. Invited and keynote lecturer at courses run by national societies and regional/international conferences in many European countries ; Russia; China including Hong Kong; Japan; USA; Canada; Argentina; Mexico; Australia, New Zealand; South Africa; Saudi Arabia (by satellite video-link).
Professional Activities
a. Head of Task Force on guideline for cancer pain for International Association for Study of Pain
b. Council Member of British Pain Society
c. Member of Council of British Thoracic Oncology Group
d. Member of Circulatory and Respiratory Policy Group of National Council for Palliative Care
e. Member of Advisory Group for Department of Health on National Service Framework for COPD
f. Member of Nutrition Group of Help the Hospices
g. Member of Intercollegiate Cancer Committee on Multidisciplinary Team Working in Cancer
h. Member of Advisory Group of National Oesophago-Gastric Cancer Audit of Royal College of Surgeons
Current Projects
1. EU – PHEA: EuroPALL – Defining best practice in palliative care in Europe. Co-director with Prof K Vissers (NL). 2008-2010.
2. RHH Leukaemia and Myeloma Research Fund: Establishing a translational research programme for supportive care in myeloma. SH Ahmedzai, J Snowden. 2009-2010.
3. RfPB (NIHR): Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in motor neurone disease: Establishing current use, identifying obstacles and developing pathways for optimising care. C McDermott, P Shaw, SH Ahmedzai, W Baird, H Hollinger, S Bianchi, A Proctor. 2009-2012.
4. Myeloma UK: Living with advanced relapsed myeloma: a study to identify unmet needs and preventable and manageable late effects. J Snowden, SH Ahmedzai, C Eiser, R Ross. 2007-2010.
5. NHS - Connecting for Health: Systematic review of assessment of chronic pain in older children and adults. SH Ahmedzai, N Ahmed. 2008-2010.
6. Department of Health: Riprap: developing and testing a website for teenage children who have a parent with cancer. SH Ahmedzai, HH Ahmedzai. 2008-2010.
7. NICE (NHS Evidence): Specialist Collection for Supportive and Palliative Care. SH Ahmedzai, R Stevens. 2009-2011.
Key Publications
1. Ahmedzai SH et al (2011). Managing passengers with stable respiratory disease planning air travel: British Thoracic Society recommendations. Thorax 66 Suppl 1; i1-30
2. Snowden JA, Ahmedzai SH, Ashcroft J, D´Sa S et al (2011). Guidelines for Supportive Care in Multiple Myeloma 2011. Brit J Haematol 154(1);76-103
3. Cachia E, Ahmedzai SH (2011). Transdermal opioids for cancer pain. Current Opinion in Supportive & Palliative Care 5;15-19
4. Wright J, Ahmedzai SH (2010). The management of painful crisis in sickle cell disease. Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care 4;2:97-106
5. Raphael J, Ahmedzai SH, Hester J, Urch C, Barrie J et al (2010). Cancer Pain: Part 1: Pathophysiology; oncological, pharmacological, and psychological treatments: a perspective from the British Pain Society endorsed by the UK Association of Palliative Medicine and the Royal College of General Practitioners. Pain Medicine 11;5:742-764
6. Holzer P, Ahmedzai SH, Niederle N, Leyendecker P, Hopp M et al (2009). Opioid-induced bowel dysfunction in cancer-related pain: causes, consequences, and a novel approach for its management. Journal of Opioid Management 5;3:145-151
7. Partridge MR, Khatri A, Sutton L, Welham S, Ahmedzai SH (2009). Palliative care services for those with chronic lung disease. Chronic Respiratory Disease 6;1:13-17
8. Chow E, Hird A, Velikova G, Johnson C, Ahmedzai SH et al (2009). The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire for patients with Bone Metastases: The EORTC QLQ-BM22. Eur J Cancer 45;7:1146-52
9. Ahmed N, Bestall JC, Payne SA, Noble B, Ahmedzai SH (2009). The use of cognitive interviewing methodology in the design and testing of a screening tool for supportive and palliative care needs. Support Care Cancer 17;6:665-73
10. Cachia E, Ahmedzai S (2008). Breathlessness in cancer patients. Eur J Cancer 44;8:1116-23