Dr Susannah Bloch
Respiratory physician and lung cancer specialist at
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London
Are you worried about a persistent cough, or have you been told that you have a ‘shadow’ on your lung?
Are you worried that you might have lung cancer and want it to be looked into as quickly as possible?
Are you concerned that you might be at risk of lung cancer and have heard about screening, which isn’t yet widely available on the NHS?
I understand how worrying this time can be for you. I specialise in the diagnosis of lung cancer, and it’s my aim to help pick up lung cancer early, or be able to reassure people that all is well. Thankfully most people who come to see me don’t have lung cancer, and I am happy to help manage all other respiratory problems.
You might choose to come to see me if you a have:
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Persistent cough
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Chest infection
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Breathing difficulties
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Weight loss
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Coughing blood
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Hoarseness
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Fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
I am very happy to see people who have no symptoms but are concerned about their risks, and I can talk you through the pros and cons of screening tests.
Going through a diagnostic pathway can more be complicated than it seems and can be a worrying time. Many patients who come to see me have been reassured that they have a normal chest X-ray,
but chest X-rays cannot rule out lung cancer. Early detection with the right diagnostic tests is crucial for a good outcome.
Often people have a scan of their chest for another reason and a nodule is found on their lung. This requires expert follow up to ensure any changes in the nodule are acted upon swiftly, but also it enables us to confidently and appropriately reassure you when no further action needs to be taken.
This removes the need for unnecessarily prolonged testing and all the associated anxiety.
People tell me that the thing they appreciate about me the most is that I listen to their concerns, I explain things in a way that makes sense, and I completely coordinate the process, so that they don’t have to worry about what they need to do next.
Dr Susannah Bloch currently leads the lung cancer service at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
I spend most of my NHS practice looking after lung cancer patients. It's my aim is to make sure patients have rapid access to diagnostics and all the support they need through their pathway, including timely reassurance and the discharge of patients who don’t have lung cancer. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has one of the best lung cancer survival rates in the country, and I use my NHS expertise to similarly look after my private patients.
I trained at St Mary Hospital and completed my PhD at the Royal Brompton Hospital. I have many years’ experience of looking after very unwell respiratory patients in high dependency care, and in my current role, I am responsible for all of the lung cancer referrals to Imperial as well as the respiratory high dependency units. I also see and looks after all general respiratory issues, run a busy general respiratory clinic, cover the wards and I am part of the general medical on call rota.
Area of expertise
CONTACT ME
If you’re concerned that you might have symptoms of lung cancer or
if you’re been told you have a lung nodule, I’m here to help.
I see patients in these hospitals:
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Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital London
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Platinum Medical Centre at Wellington Hospital London
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OneWelbeck Lung Health London
Since the COVID-19 pandemic I am now able to offer remote consultations by phone or video call where appropriate.
To book an appointment or to get in touch please email sbloch@denovomedic.co.uk or telephone 0208 004 6662.