Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation

The Sydney Breast Cancer Institute

The Sydney Breast Cancer Institute is an integral unit of the Sydney Cancer Centre at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The Institute is a treatment, research and education facility encompassing the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Canterbury Hospital and the Strathfield Breast Center.

Sydney Breast Cancer Institute - Beating Breast Cancer Together

Associate Professor Richard West AM is the Director of the Sydney Breast Cancer Institute. Associate Professor Hugh Carmalt is the Head of Department for Breast Surgery for the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital while Dr Norman Janu is the Head of the Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery at Concord Repatriation General Hospital.

Through its Breast Clinics, the Institute offers a comprehensive multidisciplinary service for patients with benign diseases of the breast, a new breast cancer diagnosis or symptoms that require investigation to exclude breast cancer. Being one of the largest cancer centres in Australia, we provide access to the latest chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments with a strong commitment to involvement in clinical trials.

The Institute is one of Australia's largest breast cancer treatment centres, providing over 17,000 patient consultations and operating on 542 new breast cancers in 2007. It is a leading centre of knowledge, providing information and support on all aspects of the care and management of breast cancer to women and their families, medical practitioners and researchers.

The Institute also follows up women with a past history of breast cancer and is committed to appropriate screening for women at high risk of breast cancer including a major contribution to our Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk Management Clinic on a monthly basis.

The Institute conducts educational programmes for patients and their families, nurses, general practitioners and other medical clinicians.

The Sydney Breast Cancer Institute receives vital funding and support from the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation, the fundraising arm for the Institute.

The Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation is a non-profit charity organisation, run largely by volunteers. The Foundation works to support the Institute's needs as it leads the way in research, diagnosis, support and treatment of women with breast cancer.

The Foundation has three goals:

  • To raise funds to support the work of the Institute
  • To raise awareness of breast cancer and breast self-examination, increasing the incidence of early detection and increasing the chance of survival
  • To support individuals and their families, who have been or are currently being treated for breast cancer.

The Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1994 and since that time, has raised in excess of $6 million in funding for the Institute, provideing financial assistance with:

  • Specialist medical equipment purchases
  • Training of specialist medical and allied health staff
  • Establishment of an advanced Diploma of Breast Care through the Sydney College of Nursing
  • Provision of a Research Fellowship
  • Provision of a Breast Care Coordinator, Breast Care Nurse and Data Manager
  • Breast Cancer Research, including genetic research at the Centenary Institute
  • Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Programs for health and medical professionals, young people, breast cancer patients, their families and supporters

A vital supporter of the Sydney Breast Cancer Institute, the Foundation employs a Fundraising Manger and part time Administrator, supported by a dedicated voluntary team including the Foundation's Management Committee and other volunteers who generously provide invaluable assistance to us throughout the year.

Their work encompasses a variety of fundraising activities including the management of pink ribbon merchandise and the Foundation's three signature annual events, the Rugby Long Lunch, Putting on the Pink Ladies Lunch and Pink Ribbon Ball

Volunteers also provide vital administrative assistance at the weekly Rachel Forster Breast Clinic. Their role is to greet the patients, answer non-medical questions, escort patients to other parts of the Hospital where necessary and do the non-professional work to help make the Clinic run as smoothly as possible.

Copyright © 2009 Sydney Breast Cancer Institute