Photo of Dr Vasilios Karavasilis

Dr Vasilios Karavasilis

Telephone:

Email:

Location:

  • University College Hospital

GMC/GDC number:

6106585

Professional background

I was educated and started my training in Internal Medicine in Greece. I also conducted my PhD at University of Ioannina in angiogenesis and proteolysis in cancer of unknown primary site. I completed my specialist training in Oncology at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London during a 3 year fellowship. I followed an academical career in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and I led the Medical Oncology Department during my last year of my stay there. In 2015, I was appointed as a Consultant Medical Oncologist at UCLH and I am exclusively treating patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas with systemic treatment within the London Sarcoma Service.

I look after patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumours (TGCT) and lead on this pathway across the London Sarcoma Service. I am working towards setting up a dedicated clinic for TGCT patients who are considered for medical management. I have a strong interest in international and national clinical trials across multiple tumour types and more recently in sarcoma, acting as principal and co-investigator for a number of them. I was previously involved in early clinical trials, both in the UK and Greece, with novel agents, and have experience in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic models. 

I have published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals in clinical and translational research, and I regularly teach and lecture in the management of sarcomas. I also hold an honorary clinical senior lectureship contract with UCL and I contribute to the teaching of medical students. I am member of several scientific organisations including British Sarcoma Group, EORTC Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group, ESMO, ASCO, HeSMO etc.

Specialties

Research interests

I have  a strong interest in clinical and translational research in rare cancers, including sarcomas and my PhD thesis investigated the role of angiogenesis and proteolysis in cancer of unknown primary origin.

For almost 20 years, I have had significant experience in early clinical trials, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of novel agents both in Greece and in the UK.

Publications

  • Use of proteins as biomarkers and their role in carcinogenesis. Zarogoulidis P, Tsakiridis K, Karapantzou C, Lampaki S, Kioumis I, Pitsiou G, Papaiwannou A, Hohenforst-Schmidt W, Huang H, Kesisis G, Karapantzos I, Chlapoutakis S, Korantzis I, Mpakas A, Karavasilis V, Mpoukovinas I, Li Q, Zarogoulidis K. J Cancer. 2015 Jan 1;6(1):9-18. doi: 10.7150/jca.10560. eCollection 2015. Review
  • Acquired ichthyosis triggered by an osseous hemangiopericytoma: a case report and review of the literature. Patsatsi A, Kyriakou A, Karavasilis V, Tsatsou F, Lazaridis G, Kalabalikis D, Sotiriadis D. Case Rep Dermatol. 2014 Jan 18;6(1):10-5. doi: 10.1159/000358294. eCollection 2014 Jan.
  • Revisiting bleomycin from pathophysiology to safe clinical use. Froudarakis M, Hatzimichael E, Kyriazopoulou L, Lagos K, Pappas P, Tzakos AG, Karavasilis V, Daliani D, Papandreou C, Briasoulis E. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2013 Jul;87(1):90-100. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2012.12.003. Epub 2013 Jan 9. Review.
  • A phase I study of temozolomide and lapatinib combination in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas. Karavasilis V, Kotoula V, Pentheroudakis G, Televantou D, Lambaki S, Chrisafi S, Bobos M, Fountzilas G. J Neurol. 2013 Jun;260(6):1469-80. doi: 10.1007/s00415-012-6812-z. Epub 2013 Jan 5.
  • The insulin-like growth factor-I receptor inhibitor figitumumab (CP-751,871) in combination with docetaxel in patients with advanced solid tumours: results of a phase Ib dose-escalation, open-label study. Molife LR, Fong PC, Paccagnella L, Reid AH, Shaw HM, Vidal L, Arkenau HT, Karavasilis V, Yap TA, Olmos D, Spicer J, Postel-Vinay S, Yin D, Lipton A, Demers L, Leitzel K, Gualberto A, de Bono JS. Br J Cancer. 2010 Jul 27;103(3):332-9. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605767. Epub 2010 Jul 13.
  • Clinical benefit of second-line palliative chemotherapy in advanced soft-tissue sarcoma. Minchom A, Jones RL, Fisher C, Al-Muderis O, Ashley S, Scurr M, Karavasilis V, Judson IR. Sarcoma. 2010;2010:264360. doi: 10.1155/2010/264360. Epub 2010 May 20.
  • Phase I pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of LAQ824, a hydroxamate histone deacetylase inhibitor with a heat shock protein-90 inhibitory profile, in patients with advanced solid tumors. de Bono JS, Kristeleit R, Tolcher A, Fong P, Pacey S, Karavasilis V, Mita M, Shaw H, Workman P, Kaye S, Rowinsky EK, Aherne W, Atadja P, Scott JW, Patnaik A. Clin Cancer Res. 2008 Oct 15;14(20):6663-73. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-08-0376.
  • Leiomyosarcoma as a second metachronous malignant neoplasm following colon adenocarcinoma. A case report and review of the literature. Mavrodontidis A, Zalavras C, Skopelitou A, Karavasilis V, Briasoulis E. Sarcoma. 2001;5(1):31-3.
  • Identification of factors limiting patient recruitment into phase I trials: a study from the Royal Marsden Hospital. Karavasilis V, Digue L, Arkenau T, Eaton D, Stapleton S, de Bono J, Judson I, Kaye S. Eur J Cancer. 2008 May;44(7):978-82. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2008.02.040. Epub 2008 Mar 24.
  • Significant clinical benefit of first-line palliative chemotherapy in advanced soft-tissue sarcoma: retrospective analysis and identification of prognostic factors in 488 patients. Karavasilis V, Seddon BM, Ashley S, Al-Muderis O, Fisher C, Judson I. Cancer. 2008 Apr 1;112(7):1585-91.
  • Feasibility study and pharmacokinetics of low-dose paclitaxel in cancer patients with severe hepatic dysfunction. Briasoulis E, Karavasilis V, Tzamakou E, Piperidou C, Soulti K, Pavlidis N. Anticancer Drugs. 2006 Nov;17(10):1219-22.
  • Matrix metalloproteinases in carcinoma of unknown primary. Karavasilis V, Malamou-Mitsi V, Briasoulis E, Tsanou E, Kitsou E, Kalofonos H, Fountzilas G, Fotsis T, Pavlidis N. Cancer. 2005 Nov 15;104(10):2282-7.
  • Pharmacokinetics of imatinib mesylate in end stage renal disease. A case study. Pappas P, Karavasilis V, Briasoulis E, Pavlidis N, Marselos M. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2005 Oct;56(4):358-60. Epub 2005 May 10.
  • Angiogenesis in cancer of unknown primary: clinicopathological study of CD34, VEGF and TSP-1. Karavasilis V, Malamou-Mitsi V, Briasoulis E, Tsanou E, Kitsou E, Kalofonos H, Fountzilas G, Fotsis T, Pavlidis N. BMC Cancer. 2005 Mar 3;5:25.
  • Pharmacodynamics of non-break weekly paclitaxel (Taxol) and pharmacokinetics of Cremophor-EL vehicle: results of a dose-escalation study. Briasoulis E, Karavasilis V, Tzamakou E, Haidou C, Piperidou C, Pavlidis N. Anticancer Drugs. 2002 Jun;13(5):481-9.
  • Weekly docetaxel in minimally pretreated cancer patients: a dose-escalation study focused on feasibility and cumulative toxicity of long-term administration. Briasoulis E, Karavasilis V, Anastasopoulos D, Tzamakou E, Fountzilas G, Rammou D, Kostadima V, Pavlidis N. Ann Oncol. 1999 Jun;10(6):701-6.