Bill Duncan

Bill (William) Duncan was a pioneering radiation oncologist who demonstrated the ineffectiveness of 1970s fast neutron therapy compared to conventional methods. Born in Aberdeen in 1930 and after serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps, he trained in radiotherapy at Christie Hospital, Manchester, becoming a consultant before joining the University of Edinburgh in 1971. Except for five years in Toronto, he served as professor until 1995.

 

At Edinburgh he cultivated close links with the surgeons working there, and those relationships brought about joint clinics and joint theatre sessions, prefiguring the multidisciplinary team approach that is now standard in the management of cancer care. 

 

At the MRC Cyclotron Unit at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, he recruited a strong team of physicists, engineers, radiographers and oncologists and conducted 25 meticulous trials. The trials failed to confirm the benefits previously claimed for neutron therapy in the treatment of cancer, and therefore allowed efforts to be focused more profitably on other areas. For his contributions, he and his team were awarded the Röntgen Prize in 1987 from the British Institute of Radiology.

 

Beyond his professional achievements, he was deeply committed to the NHS, chaired the Maggie’s Centres’ professional advisory board, and enjoyed music, painting, and training dogs. A compassionate clinician, Duncan left a lasting impact on the field of oncology and patient-centered care.