Barts Health expertise in gynae-oncology reaching far and wide

Women with gynaecological cancer in Malta are benefiting from world-class care thanks to the expertise shared by The Royal London Hospital’s Gynaecological Oncology team.

Mark Brincat, a Surgical Gynaecological Oncologist at Mater Dei Hospital in Malta, completed his post-CCT fellowship training at The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust.

He joined as a Junior Fellow in 2020 and worked his way up to complete ESGO (European society of Gynaecological Oncology) fellowship with the Gynaecology Oncology Team at Royal London Hospital. After four and a half years of intensive training with the Barts Health Gynae-Oncology unit, Mark moved to Malta where he established a dedicated surgical gynaecological oncology service - a first for the country.

“I’m very grateful for the four and a half years of training I undertook at The Royal London Hospital,” said Mark. “It has defined my career and will hopefully improve the life of hundreds of Maltese women.”

Mark’s new team has already achieved major milestones, including setting up an advanced gynaecological cancer cytoreductive service that has significantly improved outcomes for women with advanced disease. The team has also performed Malta’s first robotic gynaecological operation and introduced essential services such as intraoperative frozen section testing and minimally invasive lymph node staging for women with suspicious ovarian masses.

Elly Brockbank, Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist and Clinical Lead at Barts Health, praised Mark’s achievements and the wider impact of the department’s training programme:

“Mark’s success is a wonderful testament to his hard work and to the strength of our Gynae-Oncology fellowship training. It shows how expertise developed here in north east London is having a real, tangible impact for women with gynaecological cancer far beyond our own community.”

Mark completed his core Obstetrics and Gynaecology training at Mater Dei Hospital, Malta, in 2020. He holds two Master’s degrees — in Oncology from Newcastle University and in Reproductive Health from the University of Malta — and went on to complete the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) subspecialisation programme during his time at Barts Health.

His areas of expertise include the surgical management of endometrial, ovarian, vulval, and cervical cancers. He is a BSCCP-accredited colposcopist and a SERGS-certified Da Vinci XI robotic surgeon.

Mark’s work in Malta demonstrates Barts Health’s ongoing commitment to collaboration, global knowledge-sharing, and improving outcomes for women everywhere.

“This is a shining example of how our training and mentoring can reach well beyond north east London,” added Elly. “We’re incredibly proud of Mark and of the difference he is making.”