St. Luke’s Lecture 2014
29/01/2014 in Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, No 6, Kildare St, Dublin 2
Professor Malcolm R Kell, MBChB, FRCS Glasg. (Gen Surg), FRCSI, MD, Consultant Surgeon, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin.
Breast Cancer; from Halstead to Harney
The management of Breast cancer has changed dramatically since the early 1970s. Numerous studies have helped develop modern breast cancer surgery whereby conservative surgery is now the standard of care. Both the management of the breast and the axilla have evolved to not only achieve the best oncological outcomes but also limit patient morbidity from treatment. Breast reconstructive surgery is now routinely used to rebuild breasts after mastectomy and a range of techniques are now available to obtain the optimum results and also avoid potential problems associated with radiotherapy.
As our understanding of the pathogenesis of breast cancer has improved, we can now identify patients at risk and then offer genetic screening to high risk individuals. Once identified with a BRCA abnormality, patients can be radiologically screened and offered potential prophylactic measures to reduce the risk of developing cancer. Prophylactic mastectomy provides excellent risk reduction for high risk patients and novel tools are now available to measure patient quality of life after this prophylactic surgery.
Breast screening has been the model of cancer screening over the last 4 decades. However numerous controversies exist regarding the efficacy of mammographic screening. Recent evidence strongly supports mammographic screening when different screening studies are examined uniformly. The Irish Breastcheck program exemplifies best outcomes from screening, and data from the Irish program strongly supports breast cancer screening.
This being the thirty-eight St. Luke’s Lecture since its beginnings in 1975.
A canapés and wine reception will follow in the Graves Hall.
Pictured from left to right: Dr Jennifer Kell, Genevieve Kell, Robyn Kell and Prof Malcolm Kell.
For more photos click here