Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation

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West Sydney Breast Cancer Institute

REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE SYDNEY BREAST CANCER INSTITUTE.

A/PROFESSSOR RICHARD HUGH WEST AM FRCS(Eng) FRACS.

The Sydney Breast Cancer Institute has had a very good year.

Dr. Cindy Mac has been appointed our first female breast surgeon. Cindy is currently in Edinburgh completing a fellowship in breast surgery. She has trained at Westmead and Concord Hospitals in Sydney. She will bring the latest techniques in breast oenological surgery to the unit. We are looking forward to welcoming her in January

The aim of the Sydney Breast Cancer Institute is to make it easier for patients to get through what is a very difficult time, we are very fortunate to have two new breast care nurses Ruth Mirto and Ann Carrigy. They are vital to the care and healing of our breast cancer patients.

The Key to successful treatment for breast cancer is early diagnosis. The best way is for women to detect breast lumps is by being breast aware.

Women need to know their breast and to note any changes. They need to be aware of any changes in shape of the breast or nipple discharge or inversion and any change of the skin of the breast. It is important for women to realize that 90% of the breast lumps and changes are in fact benign non-cancerous problems in the breast and need no treatment. If you feel the lump the main message is "do not ignore" I have had a number of patients who have recently presented with large advanced breast cancers which are difficult to treat. Mammograms will detect breast cancers, which cannot be palpated. 50% of breast cancers are impalpable; they can only be detected by mammograms.

All women above 40 years of age should have a mammogram every two years. These are freely available through the NSW Breast Screening Programs. Women with a strong family history of breast cancer should have annual mammograms. All women who have a breast lump or breast changes should have triple diagnostic testing. This involves:

  1. Consultation with a breast specialist or attending a breast clinic, where history can be taken, to assess the patients individual risk to for breast cancer, and physical examination of the breast can be performed.
  2. Investigations, mammograms and ultrasounds should be performed. In younger patients ultrasounds are preferable because the breasts are usually too dense for mammograms to be effective. In young patients and patients with a family history Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) should be considered.
  3. A needle biopsy of lumps should be obtained for a definite histological or cellular diagnosis.

All patients with breast lumps should insist in having triple testing. If the lump is small (under 1cm) the 5 year survival rate is excellent at 95%.

The multidisciplinary clinic meets each week and formulated an individual treatment plan for our Breast Cancer patients. The team consists of Breast Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons, Oncologists, Radiotherapists, Pathologists, Radiologists, Resident Medical Officers, Nurses, Genetics and Data Coordinator/ Research Nurse.

We enter all the clinical data for our breast cancer patients into the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Breast Cancer Data Base and the Sydney Cancer Centre Breast Unit Data Base. This enables to bench mark our results against National and International Best Practice.

Our research efforts continue. Dr. Jane Beith received a grant of $200,000.00 from the National Breast Cancer Centre for her research project - The Role of Serum H/terminal pro B/type natriuretic factor as a predictive marker for Trastuzumab induced Cardio Toxicity.

The Institute continues to enter our patients into international clinical trials so that the best treatments for breast cancer are tested and validated. I am very impressed with the courage and fortitude shown by our patients in battling breast cancer.

The fund raising arm of the institute is the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation This is a very active Foundation and over the last 15 years has raised over five million dollars for the Institute.

The funds raised by the Foundation pays the salaries of our Data Coordinator/ Research Nurse, Our Research Fellow and our very important Breast Care Nurses.

Their efforts have also enabled us to purchase new state of the art equipment a new faxitron machine for the operating theatres. This machine enables us to X-rays Breast Specimens in the theatre.

A contribution of $250,000 was made towards the purchase of two digital mammogram machines, which were purchased in conjunction with the NSW Breast Screening Program.

I would like to thank Sophie Capondanno, the fund raising manager and her assistant Karen Ward from the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation for their tireless efforts in raising funds for the Institute. Sophie untaken the role with great enthusiasm and has spent an active year starting initiatives such as community fundraising, donor relations and developing relationships with corporate sponsors. I would also like to thank the President of the Foundation Deborah West, the Vice President Danielle Walley, the Treasurer Harriett Harrison and all the Foundation Committee members for their continuing hard work and enthusiasm.


December 2008

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