Prof. Charles Joslin died on 30 October 2025 at the grand age of 97. He retired 32 years ago, so many colleagues may not remember him or his major contributions to radiation oncology, but he is an individual well worth remembering.
He was born in 1928 and developed an interest in electronics, qualifying in 1950. He trained in medicine at Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital in London, marrying Ann Gibson, who was a medical art student at Charing Cross Hospital Medical School. They had two sons and a daughter.
Prof. Charles Joslin, 1928-2025.
Joslin led a double life in electronics and medicine; his electronics work continuing to 1970. He recalled that from 1958, he did the usual pre- and postregistration jobs, starting radiotherapy training in 1961 at Charing Cross Hospital. His engineering background led to an interest in the technical aspects of radiotherapy.
The U.K.’s first Cathetron unit was being evaluated at Charing Cross. The Cathetron unit employed remotely controlled positioning of high-activity radioactive sources within the patient. This replaced the earlier forms of brachytherapy, which involved the manual positioning of low-activity sources, and it removed the radiation protection problems for staff. At that time, there was minimal clinical experience in this area.
Joslin then moved to Velindre Hospital, Cardiff, continuing his Cathetron work, moving from treating patients preoperatively to treating on a radical basis. In 1974, he was appointed professor of clinical Oncology at Leeds University. He continued brachytherapy work, becoming one of a small number who led to its successful application. He was committed to all aspects of clinical oncology. He was an advisor to the Chief Medical Officer and assisted with enquiries into two radiation accidents. In 1988, he was awarded “The Ulrich Henschke Award” for high-activity source afterloading in gynaecological cancer. This award is the highest honour of the American Brachytherapy Society.
Joslin believed that if we could detect cancers at an earlier stage, this would have a greater impact on cure rates than would result from any treatment advance, hence the need for screening programmes. He was appointed vice-chairman of the Forrest Committee, which developed the U.K. breast cancer screening program.
He was a high-profile figure at innumerable meetings, and he became president of the British Institute of Radiology in 1990-1991. He gave several eponymous lectures, and he published widely. He was joint editor of the highly commended “Principles and Practice of Brachytherapy: Using Afterloading Systems,” published in 2001.
Joslin retired in 1993, having enjoyed his professional life with few regrets, and hoping to resist serving on any more committees or writing papers. He had a reputation for “collecting committees.” He noted that his “last professional lecture was four years ago, and it's time to open another bottle. Cheers!”
Along with his wife Ann, he lived life to the full. Joslin wrote some short autobiography notes, pointing out that “they read like an obituary!” He then commented: “It will be up to the reader to decide whether I am alive or dead, if only from the neck up!” Sadly, this is now an obituary, and the world is a lesser place for his passing.
Dr. Adrian Thomas is former chairman of the International Society for the History of Radiology and honorary librarian at the British Institute of Radiology.
