Ms Tamzin Cuming

Tamzin trained at the University of Cambridge and Guy's and St Thomas's Hospitals in London. After early years experience at Guy's, Lewisham and Greenwich she completed basic surgical training in Brighton and then trained in the North East Thames surgical training rotation. She obtained her FRCS in General Surgery in 2010, a Masters in Surgical Education from Imperial College in 2012 and became a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at Homerton Hospital in 2013. She started her training in Anal Neoplasia at that time and took over the Homerton Anogenital Neoplasia Service (HANS) in 2018 as Lead Clinician. She is the Vice President of the International Anal Neoplasia Society (IANS) and became the Chair of Women in Surgery Forum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2021. She has three children and lives in London.

Anal cancer; anal cancer prevention; anal neoplasia (also known as AIN, anal intraepithelial neoplasia and anal HSIL, high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions); anal warts and HPV disease. I carry out high resolution anoscopy (HRA) with a colposcope which gives magnification and enhancement using acetic acid and iodine and this is the gold standard for identifying anal intraepithelial neoplasia and anal HSIL. On a typical visit I will carry out an HRA under local anaesthetic on the first visit and perform an anal cytology swab which is sent for high risk HPV testing, as well as assess any abnormal areas and biopsy them under local anaesthetic. Most people are able to tolerate this and the procedure is around 20 minutes long. There is an option to carry out treatment under local also but both assessment and treatment can be done under general anaesthetic if this is preferred. I have over ten years experience of HRA, and have now subspecialised within colorectal surgery in the prevention of anal cancer in both my NHS and private practice. Education and the promotion of women in surgery has always been an interest of mine.