His clinical interests are cancer genetics, inherited cancer, cancer screening and the introduction of tumour genetic tests into clinical cancer care. Dr Mackay established regional cancer genetics services in East Anglia and North East Thames and developed a remote cancer genetics service, using real-time teleconferencing technology, based in Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust.
He was the clinical principal investigator of an evaluation of regular mammography in women under 50 with a family history of breast cancer funded by the NHS Research and Development Programme. He was a principal investigator in the UK Familial Ovarian Cancer Screening Study (UKFOCSS). He initiated the Genetic Breast Cancer Trial, which was a trial of chemotherapy in women with breast cancer, who carry a faulty breast cancer gene. This was the first randomised trial of chemotherapy based on inherited genetic make-up in the world.
He has been on the advisory board of several UK cancer charities and has acted as medical advisor to several genetic testing companies
Areas of Specialist Interest
Areas of clinical interest (adult-onset cancers):
- Breast cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Bowel cancer
- Upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers
- Gynaecological cancers
- Thyroid cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Gastric cancer
- Melanoma
Patient groups:
- Adults aged 18 years and over
- Individuals with or without a personal history of cancer
- Individuals with or without a family history of cancer
- Patients who have previously undergone genetic testing and are seeking further advice, interpretation, or ongoing management