MULTIDISCIPLINARY MANAGEMENT OF BREAST CANCER
Athens, Greece, June 17 - 19, 2010

Course Director

Philip Poortmans, Radiation Oncologist, Dr B Verbeeten Instituut, Tilburg (NL) 

Teachers

Marianne Aznar, Physicist, The Finsen Center – Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen (DK)
Riccardo Audisio, Surgical Oncologist, University of Liverpool, St Helens Teaching Hospital (GB)
Liesbeth Boersma, Radiation Oncologist, MAASTRO Clinic, Maastricht (NL)
Sarah Darby, Epidemiologist, CTSU, Oxford (GB)
Youlia Kirova, Radiation Oncologist, Institut Curie, Paris (FR)
Thorsten Kühn, Gynaecologist, Breast Center, Klinikum Esslingen (DE)
Birgitte Offersen, Radiation Oncologist, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus (DK)
Birgit Vriens, Medical Oncologist, University Hospital, Maastricht (NL)

Course aim 

This  multidisciplinary course aims at promoting an integrated approach to the management of breast cancer. The goal is to individualise the treatment based on the clinical presentation, prognostic (tumour) factors and patient-related issues. Breast cancer is a very common cancer and its’ treatment involves several different health care professionals. In the last decades, we have seen first a change in the attitude towards the treatment as data on the effectiveness of systemic treatment came out, followed by a new shift towards optimising the use of loco-regional treatments in view of the long-term follow-up data of the EBCTCG. The challenge to integrate all treatments for every single patient appeals for an optimal cooperation between all specialities involved in the care of breast cancer. Against this background, radiation oncologists are currently improving several technical aspects of delivery of radiotherapy, starting from optimal target volume definition. This urges a refined collaboration with surgeons and pathologists.

The course will be very interactive through the integration of lectures, volume delineation workshops and case discussions and definitely multidisciplinary with a programme outlining the different treatments for breast cancer from evidence based medicine to ongoing research. The faculty includes a broad sample of the specialities involved in the management of breast cancer.

Target Group

The course is intended for specialists and trainees in the field of radiation oncology who are interested in extending their knowledge of the management of breast cancer. Other specialists active in the field of breast cancer and interested in an updated view of the possibilities of modern radiation oncology are very much invited to participate as well.

Educational programme   

• Epidemiology: lessons from cancer registries
• From screening to MRI
• The clinically relevant aspects of the biology of breast cancer
• Patient evaluation before treatment in a multidisciplinary setting
• Primary surgery: choices and techniques (including oncoplastic) 
• Axillary surgery including limitations of the SN concept
• Pathology: guidelines for treatment
• Radiotherapy techniques          
• Role of inverse treatment planning        
• Fractionation schedules
• Accelerated partial breast irradiation        
• Systemic treatment: interactions with RT; primary vs adjuvant   
• Treatment for locally advanced disease 
• The emerging role of genomics and proteomics 
• Lessons from meta-analyses of clinical trials  
• Follow-up of the breast cancer patient  
• Cosmetic outcome after BCT   
• Long-term effects        
• Reconstructive surgery 
• How to use Adjuvantonline?    
• Comparison of guidelines       
• Current clinical trials     
• Target volume delineation: thoracic wall, breast, boost, lymph node areas & OAR 
• Case discussions