Andrew Lyons is a consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital London, where he focuses on treating patients with Head and Neck Cancer. He has a particular interest in the surgical reconstruction of these patients and has published widely on this subject in scientific papers and textbooks. Related to this is a special interest in the complications of surgery and radiotherapy in head and neck cancer. These include a condition called osteoradionecrosis, which causes the bones and adjacent tissues of the jaws to “fall apart”. His current research focuses on the genetics of susceptibility to this condition. In the past he has researched the role of Human Papilloma virus in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Outside his surgery and research he:
- Organises conferences and courses for trainees and colleagues on surgical anatomy, reconstruction and on osteoradionecrosis.
- Has worked as Surgical Tutor at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
- Set up the section of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Royal Society of Medicine and is its President.
- Set up the John Anderson Cancer Research Trust in memory of his Uncle who was a couturier to the Queen.
In 2003 he sustained catastrophic injuries damaging his left arm in a widely publicised waterskiing accident, but with the support of his patients and his own determination to succeed he was able to resume surgery within a year. This drive to succeed was undoubtedly fuelled by the loss of two close relatives to oral cancer. It is also his motivation to pursue further research, in partnership with The Facial Research Foundation - Saving Faces to improve the treatment of head and neck cancer. He also receives financial support from the Inman Trust.
He lives with his wife, who works as a GP, and his two children.
