Cancer Research and Management

Breast Cancer Research Team

Clinical research in breast cancer continues to go from strength to strength: Drs. Nikoo Rajaee and David Lesniak and surgical resident Dr. Susie Youn have just completed a systematic review investigating the safety of preserving the nipple when performing mastectomy with breast reconstruction. Dr. Lashan Peiris and surgical resident Dr. Joanna Ryan have also completed a study looking at the differing perceptions of breast surgeons and plastic surgeons when it comes to decision-making between breast conservation surgery and a mastectomy with or without breast reconstruction. The surgical management of breast cancer in Edmonton is also moving ahead. The Department of Surgery has now advertised for its first Oncoplastic Breast Surgical fellowship and, Dr. Rajaee has recently spearheaded the Edmonton arm of a provincial trial utilizing magnetic seeds to localize impalpable breast tumours. This novel technology will hopefully enable patients to have a smoother journey through their breast cancer treatment and will also avoid the need for wire localization, which can be cumbersome, painful, and inconvenient. The Alberta Breast Surgical Oncology group  (from left to right: Drs. Lesniak, Rajaee, Peiris and Olson) is leading these developments.