For Patients
The British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG) is not a patient organisation. However, BTOG works to represent the needs and perspectives of people affected by thoracic malignancies through its three key areas of activity: Education, Research and Representation.
BTOG primarily supports and educates healthcare professionals working in thoracic oncology. If you are looking for patient support or information, you can find links to organisations supporting people affected by thoracic malignancies further down this page.
Patient Advocates in Research
People with lived experience of thoracic malignancies – as a patient, survivor or caregiver – can play an important role in shaping and improving research.
This involvement is often referred to as PPI: Patient and Public Involvement.
Patient advocates may contribute to areas including:
- Grant and research proposals
- Clinical studies and trial management groups
- Advisory boards and groups
- The development and review of patient information
To help people with lived experience contribute confidently and effectively to research, BTOG is producing a series of webcasts exploring the role of patient advocates.
Patient Advocate Webcast Series
Webcast 1: Introduction to the Role of Patient Advocates in Research
Available now
This webcast introduces patient advocacy in research, the support and training that may be available, and the contribution patient advocates can make to the development of research.
The webcast is also available through podcast platforms. Support for video podcasts varies between apps.
Webcast 2: Research Essentials for Patient Advocates
Available from 19 August 2026 12pm
This webcast introduces some of the key concepts, terminology and processes patient advocates may encounter when becoming involved in research.
The webcast is also available through podcast platforms. Support for video podcasts varies between apps.
Your Advocacy Webinar Series Faculty
Cecilia Pompili is an Associate Professor in Psychosocial Oncology and a Thoracic Surgeon at University of Hull. She is a Director on the Board of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) and a Board member of the British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG). Her research focuses on lung cancer outcomes, patient-reported outcomes and experiences, psychosocial determinants of health, and health inequalities, with particular attention to women and underrepresented populations. She leads and contributes to national and international collaborations developing evidence-based approaches to preoperative evaluation, risk stratification, and fitness for curative lung cancer treatment, including international clinical practice guidelines. She is Principal Investigator on nationally and internationally funded studies, including projects supported by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Her work integrates quantitative and qualitative methodologies to inform patient-centred care, improve shared decision-making, and embed inclusive, equitable research practices across surgical oncology.
Allan Hackshaw, Professor is Director of Cancer Research UK and University College London, CRUK Cancer Trials Centre. Allan is a former member of the BTOG Steering Committee and a current member of the BTOG Research Group. Allan has worked in medical research since 1992. He has substantial experience in a variety of disease areas, especially cancer screening and treatments, and tobacco and health. He has worked in several cancer types (notably lung, thyroid, and gynaecological) and many types of interventions. His special interest is in adult and prenatal screening, for which he is Vice-Chair of the UK National Screening Committee Adult Reference Group. Several of the large scale studies for which he has been a key investigator has changed national and international clinical or public health screening practice.
Sally Hall was diagnosed with EGFR+ lung cancer with the Exon 19 mutation over 10 years ago. Sally is an advocate member of the BTOG Steering Committee and the BTOG Research Group and she also participates in numerous advisory boards, trial design groups and committees sharing her experience to raise awareness and to ensure the patient is central in research development and related patient information.
Additional Information and Resources
The resources below provide further information for people interested in becoming involved in research.
Please note that these lists are intended as useful starting points rather than exhaustive directories.
Abbreviations and Common Terms
Research documents, presentations and meetings can include unfamiliar abbreviations and terminology.
BTOG has produced a practical glossary explaining some of the terms, abbreviations and organisations commonly encountered in thoracic oncology and research.
Read the BTOG Abbreviations List
Patient and Public Involvement Resources
The following organisations provide further information about involving patients and the public in research:
Patient Involvement at Cancer Research UK | Cancer Research UK
Public involvement in research | NIHR National Institute for Health and Care Research
Personal and Public Involvement (PPI) in Research | Public Health Agency – Research & Development in Northern Ireland Health & Social Care Northern Ireland
Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Groups | NHS Research Scotland | NHS Research Scotland
Public activity in research | Health Care Research Wales
Patient Organisations for Thoracic Malignancies
The organisations below provide information, support and resources for people affected by different thoracic malignancies in the UK.
If you represent a UK thoracic malignancy patient organisation and would like your organisation to be considered for inclusion on this page, please email info@btog.org.
You may also wish to contact Macmillan Cancer Support or Cancer Research UK for broader cancer information and support.
ALK Positive UK
EGFR Positive UK
Mesothelioma UK
Neuroendocrine Cancer UK
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
Thymic UK
External Links
BTOG provides links to external organisations and websites for information purposes only. Inclusion of a link does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by BTOG, and BTOG is not responsible for the content of external websites.