Marina Reeves is a Professor in the School of Public Health and Deputy Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Queensland. She is also an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian coordinating a research program that is focused on breast cancer epidemiology and the role of supportive care interventions in improving outcomes and quality of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer. We spoke with Professor Reeves about the importance of optimising care for metas...
Sep 26, 2024•7 min
Dr Eva Zopf is an exercise physiologist whose research interest focuses on the role of exercise as medicine for the management of cancer. Aside from developing, conducting, and evaluating exercise intervention studies in cancer patients, Eva is also dedicated to improving the supportive care services available for cancer survivors. We spoke with her about the PREFERABLE-EFFECT study, and the role of structured exercise in metastatic breast cancer and quality of life outcomes.
Sep 20, 2024•9 min
Professor Bruce Mann is the Director of Research at Breast Cancer Trials, Professor of Surgery at The University of Melbourne, and Director of the Breast Tumour Stream at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre. His research interests focus on tailored screening and treatment for early breast cancer, and we spoke to him about some of the key challenges in diagnosing very early breast cancer.
Sep 17, 2024•12 min
Professor Prue Francis is the Clinical Head of Breast Medical Oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and a consultant Medical Oncologist at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne. Associate Professor Steven David is an experienced Radiation Oncologist based at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, bringing a strong interest in implementing cutting-edge radiation technology to provide his patients with the highest level of care. We spoke to Prue and Steven about Oligometastatic breast cancer from...
Aug 30, 2024•12 min
OLIO is an immunotherapy clinical trial which is examining whether the addition of olaparib to standard chemotherapy, with or without durvalumab, will improve outcomes for young, pre-menopausal women with high-risk, early breast cancer. Dr Stephen Luen is the Study Chair of the OLIO clinical trial, and we spoke to him about the aim of this research, how it might improve patient outcomes, and his hopes for the future of breast cancer research.
Jul 07, 2024•10 min
For more than four decades, the Cole Classic has been a cornerstone event at the iconic Manly Beach and is one of the world’s most celebrated ocean swims. The event hosts a 1km, 2km, or 5km swim option and allows participants to raise funds for a number of charities, including Breast Cancer Trials. In this episode, you’ll hear a recap on the 2024 Cole Classic with race director, John Thompson, and the team at Fugen Constructions. By becoming a Pink Champion and entering a sporting event, your wo...
Jun 25, 2024•16 min
Naomi Richards is a wife and mum of three daughters, Mila, Lottie, and Eden, living in Wagga Wagga, Australia. In 2023, Naomi felt a lump in her left breast, and after undergoing days of testing, including a mammogram and an ultrasound, she was diagnosed with breast cancer on March 8th, 2023, which also happens to be International Women's Day. We spoke with Naomi about her shock diagnosis, navigating breast cancer with a young family, and the importance of supporting breast cancer clinical trial...
Mar 21, 2024•10 min
Jenna Dean is a Radiation Therapist at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre, with an interest in patient-centered care, research, breast planning, and particle therapy. This is the third year of the Breast Cancer Trials Clinical Fellowship Program, and Jenna has been successful in receiving a fellowship in 2024. Her project is called OPRAH MRL and will investigate the benefits and limitations of lying on your stomach versus lying on your back during treatment with the MR Li...
Mar 05, 2024•13 min
Naveena Nekkalapudi is a member of the Breast Cancer Trials Consumer Advisory Panel, where members provide a patient's perspective in the development of trials and the conduct of our research program. Naveena was diagnosed with Stage 3, Grade 3, Triple Negative breast cancer on Christmas Eve in 2014, after finding a lump in her breast during a self-examination. Due to the long-term side effects of her treatment, Naveena is unable to return to full-time work. However, she is still working part-ti...
Mar 05, 2024•19 min
Dr Tivya Kulasegaran is a Medical Oncologist at the University of Queensland's Centre for Clinical Research. This is the third year of the Breast Cancer Trials Clinical Fellowship Program and Dr Kulasegaran has been successful in receiving a fellowship in 2024. Her project involves establishing tools for the early detection of Invasive Lobular Carcinoma, that aims to improve clinical practice and treatments for patients. We spoke with Dr Kulasegaran about her project and what she is hoping to ac...
Feb 26, 2024•9 min
Dr Kylie Snook is a Breast Surgeon based in Sydney, Australia, and the Vice-President of BreastSurgANZ, with an interest in implant reconstruction. We spoke with Dr Snook about the treatment changes that have occurred over recent years in breast reconstruction and radiotherapy, and the importance of giving patients a choice when it comes to their treatment.
Jan 25, 2024•6 min
East's Leisure and Golf Club is one of the longest-supporting golf clubs in Australia of Breast Cancer Trials. The club held its first fundraising event in 1997, the inaugural year of the Tee Off fundraising program, initially referred to as ‘Chip-In’. We spoke to their Lady President, Caroline Norrie, about the event, and why they continue to support breast cancer clinical trials research.
Dec 14, 2023•7 min
Ann-Maree is an Aqua Aerobics Instructor who runs a class known as Aquafit, and has hosted a number of events to support the research of Breast Cancer Trials. This year, the event raised an incredible $3,700, and we spoke with Ann-Maree about the Aquafit community, her inspiration behind the event, and the importance of breast cancer clinical trials research.
Dec 11, 2023•13 min
Dr Belinda Kiely is a Medical Oncologist working at both Campbelltown and Concord Hospitals in Sydney, specialising in breast cancer treatment. We spoke with Dr Kiely about Multigene Assays, which look at tumour samples and genes that can predict the risk of recurrence in patients.
Dec 04, 2023•8 min
Dr Holly Keane is a Breast Surgeon at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, with an interest in the areas of pain management and tailored screening for breast cancer patients. We spoke with Dr Keane about pain after breast cancer therapy, its implications on day-to-day life for breast cancer patients, and some ways to reduce pain during recovery.
Dec 04, 2023•6 min
Dr Cristin Print is a Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine in Auckland, New Zealand. Dr Print has an interest in bioinformatics in breast cancer, which involves taking large amounts of data and distilling clinically useful information from that data. We spoke to him about the opportunities for research in this area, and how it can be used to generate better care for future patients.
Dec 04, 2023•4 min
For many young women with a breast cancer diagnosis, starting a family following their treatment can be a primary point of concern. The POSITIVE clinical trial was looking to investigate if it was safe to temporarily stop endocrine therapy in young women with estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer, who wanted to become pregnant after their breast cancer diagnosis. We spoke with Professor Christobel Saunders about the outcomes of this clinical trial.
Nov 30, 2023•6 min
Ms Karen Alexander has been a member of the Breast Cancer Trials Consumer Advisory Panel since 2017. She was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2011 and carries a BRCA1 gene mutation. We spoke with Karen about the importance of consumer-led research.
Nov 29, 2023•6 min
Dr Ben Green is a Breast Surgeon in Brisbane, Australia, with an interest in the current oncoplastic and reconstruction capabilities in 2023 and beyond. We spoke with Dr Green about breast reconstruction, techniques to preserve the breast, and the importance of using the breast shape to your advantage during reconstruction to achieve the best outcome for patients.
Nov 24, 2023•7 min
Dr Cindy Tan is a dietician working in a cancer survivorship clinic at the University of Sydney, who is researching lifestyle interventions to improve diet and exercise for cancer survivors, as well as the psychosocial aspects of cancer recovery. We spoke with Dr Tan about the importance of dietary considerations for patients with early-stage breast cancer.
Nov 21, 2023•7 min
Dr Richard Isaacs is a Medical Oncologist at Palmerston North Hospital in New Zealand, with an interest in delayed nausea after chemotherapy. His interest in this area began when he was involved in the administration of chemotherapy to his wife, who suffered from extreme nausea during her treatment. We spoke to Dr Isaacs about the PantoCIN clinical trial, which is looking to prevent delayed nausea and vomiting in patients who have received chemotherapy.
Nov 16, 2023•8 min
Professor Sibylle Loibl is the Chair of the German Breast Group and a Professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Goethe University of Frankfurt. Professor Loibl was an International Guest Speaker at Breast Cancer Trials 44th Annual Scientific Meeting in Auckland, New Zealand and we asked her about her research in the area of Neoadjuvant Treatment for Triple Negative Breast Cancer.
Nov 16, 2023•4 min
Alastair Thompson is a Professor of Surgery and Associate Director of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Centre, at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston Texas. Professor Thompson was an International Guest Speaker at Breast Cancer Trials 44th Annual Scientific Meeting in Auckland, New Zealand and we asked him about his research in the areas of DCIS, Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy, and postoperative recovery.
Nov 16, 2023•3 min
Professor Philip Poortmans is a Radiation Oncologist at Iridium Netwerk and the University of Antwerp in Belgium.He completed his medical studies at the University of Antwerp and was trained as a Radiation Oncologist at the Middelheim and Vincentius Hospitals in Antwerp.Professor Poortmans was an International Guest Speaker at the Breast Cancer Trials Annual Scientific Meeting in Auckland, New Zealand and we asked him about his research in the area of axillary management.
Oct 30, 2023•12 min
Associate Professor Andrew Redfern is a Medical Oncologist and Translational Researcher from Western Australia, with a particular interest in understanding why breast cancer treatments may or may not work in certain population groups. Part of his focus is working with Aboriginal Australians to try and answer this question.
Oct 17, 2023•11 min
Jenni Scarlet is a Research Nurse and Clinical Trial Coordinator at Waikato Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. Her role involves coordinating clinical trials from their set-up stage, obtaining ethics approvals, enrolling and following up with patients, and reporting and analysis of trial information. During her career of more than 25 years, she has seen vast improvements in patient care and outcomes due to breast cancer trials research. We spoke to Jenni about her experiences in cancer care and ...
Oct 01, 2023•11 min
Jan White is a 75-year-old retired Nurse living in Auckland, who used to work in health, disability, and aged care. Since she can remember, Jan has been having 2-yearly mammograms, and like any other appointment, she went in asymptomatic, and expecting the ‘all clear’. However, the mammogram displayed a lump in her breast, and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Jan is a participant in the EXPERT clinical trial, which aims to improve the personalised use of radiation therapy in early breast ca...
Sep 25, 2023•14 min
Despite CALD Australians representing almost a third of the population, they are often excluded from clinical trials research within Australia. Barriers can include a mistrust and lack of comfort around the clinical trials process, lack of information and resources, time constraints, financial burden, and geographic location. Dr Rob McNeill is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland, and we spoke to him about his research into the challenges of recruiting Indigenous and CALD patients to ...
Sep 19, 2023•18 min
Laura Yang lives in Melbourne with her husband and her 6-year-old daughter, where she enjoys listening to music, playing piano, and spending time with her loved ones. At the end of 2022, Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer, and we spoke to her about her diagnosis and her decision to participate in a clinical trial.
Sep 12, 2023•17 min
Maria Bodnar is a retired nurse, living in Victoria Australia with her husband. In 2013 Maria went in for her routine Breast Screen test and the following day she received a call from one of the nurses asking her to come in so they could review her results, and Maria knew it was breast cancer. Maria is a participant in the TUGETHER clinical trial, which aims to find out if adding tucatinib and pembrolizumab to the usual treatment given to people with advanced (metastatic) HER2-positive breast ca...
Jun 20, 2023•20 min
