Oncology | Bermuda Hospitals Board

1st Floor, Acute Care Wing, KEMH

8am to 4pm Monday to Friday

Tel: (441) 239-2044 Fax: (441) 239-6330 Email: oncology@bhb.bm

 

The BHB Oncology Department is a restful, naturally sunlit area where patients receive chemotherapy treatments and meet with their oncology specialist and nurses.

Our priority is your comfort and your care. Our staff members are highly trained and experienced.

BHB is working with partners and patients on integrated cancer pathways that aim to improve the experience and outcomes for people in Bermuda who have cancer.

You can read about the integrated breast cancer pathway here, including what the pathway looks like from screening through to treatment, what support is available, and breast health information.

Oncology Team

Who will I see?

  • Dr Michael Hawking, MD MSc, Acting Director of Oncology
  • Dr Racquel Smith, MD FRCR, Consultant Oncologist
  • Dr Alisha Tucker, MD MPH, Locum Consultant Oncologist
  • Dr Christopher Price, MD FRCP, Locum Consultant Oncologist

Our oncologists are supported by a team.

  • Oncology nurses: Registered nurses who have gone through specialist training for oncology. They will administer your treatments and meet with you from time to time about your care.
  • Receptionist: When you come to the oncology waiting room on the first floor of the Acute Care Wing, you will first be helped by our dedicated receptionist.

The oncology team at BHB will work with your family physician, director of palliative care, PALS and overseas treatment facilities to ensure you receive the best possible care and support.

Tumour boards are standard in cancer care centres, and BHB is no exception. Our tumour board confers about every patient under our care in a weekly meeting of specialists, including oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and family physicians. These experts will explore and evaluate your condition and potential treatment options.

We are all part of the team who will help you through your cancer journey. We are here for you and will do all we can to help you.

Chemotherapy Clinic

The Chemotherapy Clinic

When you attend for chemotherapy, our clinic has eight comfortable reclining chairs with views across Paget. Each chair has its own television with access to TV, radio and internet. You can also bring your own reading materials, knit, sew, do crafts, or use your tablet or laptop computer.

Patients experience different feelings, but getting ready for chemotherapy can be scary. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions. Please also review our guide Introduction to Chemotherapy.

What to expect for your first visit

Before you arrive, the oncology nurse will contact you with your appointment time and advise you how long your visit will be. You can ask any questions you have about your first visit at this time.

For your appointment, it’s a good idea to bring someone with you. A companion can be supportive, can help you remember what was said, and can drive you home if you feel unwell afterwards.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy will be recommended for about two thirds of our patients. Bermuda residents can now receive their radiation therapy on the island rather than leaving their friends and family to travel overseas for extended periods of treatment.

Our partners at Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, led by Dr Christopher Fosker, can now provide the same level of care and treatment as an overseas facility in their new radiation therapy clinic on Point Finger Road.

Click here to learn more about radiation therapy in Bermuda.

Bermuda National Tumour Registry

Bermuda National Tumour Registry

The Bermuda National Tumour Registry is Bermuda’s first population-based, government-supported cancer registration body. The registry began data collection in 1979. It underwent restructuring in 2004 and was re-launched in September 2008.

According to the Bermuda Health Council, cancer is the second leading cause of death in Bermuda, accounting for 31.2% of all deaths in 2014. Reducing the burden of this disease involves many programmes, including a comprehensive database of all cancer cases island wide – a tumour registry. The registry requires input from primary care physicians, specialists on island and overseas, pathology departments and healthcare planners in order to obtain the most current and concise data.

The data collected by the tumour registry includes: patient information (demographics, social habits and family history), tumour diagnosis specifics, treatment and hospital information, and follow-up particulars. The data can be analysed to compare the frequency and types of cancer between years, find patterns that identify possible risk factors, and predict future incidence.

Data collected by the registry can be used for population-based research, public health programme planning, evaluation of current practices and patient care improvement. The information helps health professionals to better understand the disease and to use resources effectively for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

The objectives of the Bermuda National Tumour Registry are to:

  • reduce the incidence of cancer in the community
  • help identify potential environmental risk factors, genetic links and high-risk behaviours which may increase the likelihood of a cancer diagnosis
  • assist in determining the efficacy of screening practices and ensuring that lifetime follow-up is conducted with every patient
  • provide accurate island-wide data for the government, health service providers, medical researchers and the general community.

The data gathered by the tumour registry serves the following purposes within Bermuda and overseas:

  • ongoing surveillance of cancer incidence and trends
  • provision of information for public and professional education
  • epidemiologic and academic research

 

Annual Reports

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Michael Hawking MD MSc
Acting Director of Oncology
Oncology, Internal Medicine, Bioethics

Dr Michael Hawking joined BHB in 2021 as a consultant oncologist. He was appointed acting director of oncology in 2023. Dr Hawking received his BA in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame and his MD from the University of Michigan. He also attended the University of Oxford, where he received an MSc in comparative social policy and a certificate in bioethics. He then moved to the University of Chicago, where he completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowships in medical oncology and clinical medical ethics. Dr Hawking is a well-published author who has taught seminars to University of Chicago undergraduates, medical students and ethics fellows.

Bermuda Hospitals Board, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, 7 Point Finger Road, Paget, DV04
Tel: (441) 239-2215 - Email: michael.hawking@bhb.bm

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Michael Hawking MD MSc
Acting Director of Oncology
Oncology, Internal Medicine, Bioethics

Dr Michael Hawking joined BHB in 2021 as a consultant oncologist. He was appointed acting director of oncology in 2023. Dr Hawking received his BA in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame and his MD from the University of Michigan. He also attended the University of Oxford, where he received an MSc in comparative social policy and a certificate in bioethics. He then moved to the University of Chicago, where he completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowships in medical oncology and clinical medical ethics. Dr Hawking is a well-published author who has taught seminars to University of Chicago undergraduates, medical students and ethics fellows.

Bermuda Hospitals Board, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, 7 Point Finger Road, Paget, DV04
Tel: (441) 239-2215 - Email: michael.hawking@bhb.bm

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Christopher Price MD FRCP
Locum Consultant Oncologist
Oncology

Dr Christopher Price serves as a locum medical oncologist at BHB. He achieved his Bachelor of Science in medical science with pharmacology and MBBS (Medicine) from the University of London (Kings College). Dr Price completed his training in medical oncology at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, and the University Hospitals of Nottingham and Southampton, UK. In 1993, he was awarded his MD for his research into molecular techniques to monitor response to treatment in lymphoma. Dr Price was a consultant medical oncologist at University Hospitals Bristol, UK, for almost 20 years. From 2003 to 2013, he was also director of medical oncology training for the UK South West Region. He then moved to Worcestershire Royal Hospital to help develop and run a new oncology department. Dr Price also served as director of research and development at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals from 2014 to 2018, and as clinical service lead for oncology from 2017 to 2018.

Bermuda Hospitals Board, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, 7 Point Finger Road, Paget, DV 04
Tel: (441) 236-2345 - Email: christopher.price@bhb.bm

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Michael Hawking MD MSc
Acting Director of Oncology
Oncology, Internal Medicine, Bioethics

Dr Michael Hawking joined BHB in 2021 as a consultant oncologist. He was appointed acting director of oncology in 2023. Dr Hawking received his BA in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame and his MD from the University of Michigan. He also attended the University of Oxford, where he received an MSc in comparative social policy and a certificate in bioethics. He then moved to the University of Chicago, where he completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowships in medical oncology and clinical medical ethics. Dr Hawking is a well-published author who has taught seminars to University of Chicago undergraduates, medical students and ethics fellows.

Bermuda Hospitals Board, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, 7 Point Finger Road, Paget, DV04
Tel: (441) 239-2215 - Email: michael.hawking@bhb.bm

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Christopher Price MD FRCP
Locum Consultant Oncologist
Oncology

Dr Christopher Price serves as a locum medical oncologist at BHB. He achieved his Bachelor of Science in medical science with pharmacology and MBBS (Medicine) from the University of London (Kings College). Dr Price completed his training in medical oncology at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, and the University Hospitals of Nottingham and Southampton, UK. In 1993, he was awarded his MD for his research into molecular techniques to monitor response to treatment in lymphoma. Dr Price was a consultant medical oncologist at University Hospitals Bristol, UK, for almost 20 years. From 2003 to 2013, he was also director of medical oncology training for the UK South West Region. He then moved to Worcestershire Royal Hospital to help develop and run a new oncology department. Dr Price also served as director of research and development at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals from 2014 to 2018, and as clinical service lead for oncology from 2017 to 2018.

Bermuda Hospitals Board, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, 7 Point Finger Road, Paget, DV 04
Tel: (441) 236-2345 - Email: christopher.price@bhb.bm

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Christopher Fosker MBChB, BSc, MRCP, FRCR
Medical Director
Oncology

Dr Christopher Fosker is the medical director of Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, where he oversees the radiation programme and provides care as a radiation oncologist. He is an affiliate medical staff member at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a consultant at Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston. Dr Fosker previously worked at BHB as a consultant oncologist from 2015 to 2022, serving as director of oncology from 2020 to 2022. Prior to his arrival in Bermuda, Dr Fosker worked at St James' Institute of Oncology in Leeds, UK. He has a Bachelor of Science in genetics and graduated from Leeds Medical School in 2003. He completed a Fellowship at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, where he received the RS Bush Award for academic excellence.

Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, 46 Point Finger Road, Paget, DV04
Tel: (441) 236-1001 - Fax: (441) 236-0880