BSI Report

BSI Report

Gaurav Agarwal President BSI

Sharon W.W. Chan Honorary Secretary BSI

Breast Surgery International at the World Congress of Surgery 2019 in Krakow In Krakow at the World Congress of Surgery 2019, Breast Surgery International (BSI) delivered a very successful and stimulating program in collaboration with our fellow Polish faculty. Over 30 high profile international faculty and leaders were invited, and it was well attended by more than 150 participants from all over the globe, including our young scholars from low- and middle- income nations. The BSI hall was packed to capacity in most sessions, and we received tremen dous positive feedback regarding the program, the scientific contents and the extensive experience shared by our prom inent speakers.

The program was specifically designed with a theme of breast cancer in young women. Dr Sharon Chan, our program chairlady, had put together a diverse and comprehensive program. It kicked off on Sunday 11 August 2019 with 2 preconference workshops, one on “Oncoplastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgery”, and the second workshop on “Innovative Surgical Procedures”. Participants found the Video presentations and the Live Model workshops interactive and fruitful. The main sessions covered full spectrum of important topics including epidemiology, genetics, surgery and survivorships in young breast cancer women. It climaxed with a debate and concluded with a consensus making session in collaboration with Polish Society of Surgical Oncology

BSI Prize session – Best free paper presentation with moderators and adjudicators

BSI poster presentation session with moderators and adjudicators

(PSSO). The BSI lunch symposium, debates and consensus session - all invoked keen interest and participation from the participants and faculty alike. In addition, we were excited to have a joint session with ASAP discussing issues on Global Management of Breast Cancer.

BSI received over a hundred research abstracts for oral and or poster presentations, from which we selected our BSI paper and poster prizes as well as our BSI travel scholars. The calibre of these young surgical researchers demonstrates the benefit they will bring to their local communities and bodes well for their bright and productive surgical careers.

This year we honoured our Umberto Veronesi Lecturer 2019, Professor Kerstin Sandelin, who is a founding member of BSI and Honorary Fellow of the International Society of Surgery. She recalled the story of Professor Umberto Veronesi in relation with the foundation and growth of our society. Furthermore, she took the opportunity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our society, which in the past two decades, contributed significantly to the education and development of breast surgery globally.

One of the highlights of our meeting was the Presidential address, delivered by our much loved and departing president – Prof Omar Youssef. We had a small glimpse of what has been a remarkable life of his dedication to surgery, especially oncoplastic breast surgery. His aspiration and contributions to BSI was highly commented.

New team of officers and council members took over during the World Congress of Surgery. We welcome our new BSI president Prof. Gaurav Agarwal, Professor of Endocrine & Breast Surgery at SGPGIMS Lucknow, India. Prof. Owen A. Ung, Australia, is our president elect, while Dr. SVS Deo, India and Dr. Sharon Chan, Hong Kong, were appointed as Treasurer and Secretary of the Society respectively. Dr. Jean-François Boileau, Canada, was entrusted with the responsibility of being the Program Co-ordinator for the next World Congress of Surgery / International Surgical Week. The Society thanks Prof. Cheng Har Yip, Malaysia and Prof. Elisabeth Elder, Australia who step down from Council after serving it over 4 years. We welcomed Prof. Ines Buccimazza, South Africa, Dr. Farid Meybodi, Australia and Prof. Nur Aishah Mohd Taib, Malaysia who join the existing councillors Dr. Shigeru Imoto, Japan, Dr. Michael Douek, United Kingdom and Dr. Bahadir Gullouglu, Turkey. We also need to thank our ex-officio councillors: Kerstin Sandelin, Sweden, Sarkis Meterissian, Canada, and Mikael Hartman, Singapore (Chair Scientific Committee) for their continued, and unwavering dedication and service to the BSI.

We had a most enjoyable dinner at Wesele in a beautiful setting with fantastic local Polish food. We sincerely thank Prof. Wojciech Wysocki, our Polish local coordinator, for his support and contributions to the success of the Krakow meeting.

The meeting ended with the “Stump the expert” session with Travel Scholars presenting interesting and difficult cases for discussions. We all agree that the meeting was a great success with excellent and enthusiastic faculty and engaged and enthralled delegates. Everyone departed having learnt a great deal and shared in the excellent fellowship and conviviality of the meeting.

BSI Scientific Meetings / BSI Outreach

Breast Surgery and Thai Breast Disease Society Meeting in Bangkok 1 st September 2019 This year, BSI outreach was in Bangkok for the Southeast Asian Breast Cancer Symposium (SEABCS). The BSI faculty this year was BSI President, Prof. Gaurav Agarwal and Secretary Dr. Sharon Chan. SEABCS is an annual programme organised by civil societies and healthcare professionals in Southeast Asia. This is the 4th year BSI supported the symposium. The first was in Hue, Vietnam in 2016, followed by Yangon, Myanmar in 2017, and Kuching Sarawak in 2018, and this year in Bangkok, Thailand. There was a good mix of local and international speakers covering not only surgical topics, but pathology, oncology, survivorship and palliative care. We will look forward to the SEABCS in Jakarta, Indonesia next year.

Future events: 1. Breast Surgery Advanced course in Kuching, Malaysia (Part of MOU with College of Surgeons of Malaysia and BSI) Oct 2019 2. BSI collaboration for next SGPGI Breast Course 2020, to be held on 15-16 February 2020 in Lucknow, India

BSI 2017–2019 council members and ex-officio councillors

Membership There has been a gradual and steady flow of new members. The Society now has over two hundred active members. We are lean but well represented by high calibre breast surgeons from every corner of the globe. It is important to maintain and increase membership. Membership fee for ISS/SIC has been reduced to facilitate membership from low- and middle-income countries. BSI would continue to look for opportunities to improve visibility and attract new members.

SEABCS Faculty: Prof Julie Gralow, Prof Nur Aishah, Prof Cheng Har Yip,Prof Jane Brock, Prof Gaurav Agarwal and Dr Sharon Chan (left to right)

BSI at the International Surgical Week ISW 2021 (World Congress of Surgery) in Kuala Lumpur The next ISW (WCS) will be held in Kuala Lumpur. Jean-François Boileau, our Program Chair, along with the Program Committee is organising an exciting program to welcome you in Malaysia in 2021 and we look forward to meeting many old and new friends of the BSI community.

BSI Council members in SEABCS. Dr Sharon Chan, Prof Nur Aishah Taib, Prof Cheng Har Yip and Prof Gaurav Agarwal (left to right)

Gaurav Agarwal, President BSI / Sharon Chan Honorary Secretary BSI