Webinar: Treatments for Breast Cancer – Options and Considerations

ABOUT

Join Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) for insight into the latest treatments for breast cancer, as well as for a glimpse into the pioneering research shaping the future of how we treat the disease. This virtual conference is a must-join for people wanting to know about what treatments are available, what treatments are on the horizon and the options and considerations that might impact your own experience, including managing side effects.

Renowned international guest speaker, Medical Oncologist and Director of the Breast Oncology Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the United States Dr Eric Winer will deliver a session on ‘new frontiers’ – what the future of breast cancer treatment holds.

The conference will be held online on Thursday 15 July from 6:00pm to 9:00pm and will provide information relevant to patients with both early breast cancer and metastatic disease, delivered by a panel of national experts.

The program includes breakout sessions which will provide opportunities for attendees with different needs to access information relevant to their diagnosis and situation, as well as connect with others going through a similar experience. Breakout session options include lymphoedema, genetics and family history, supportive care for metastatic breast cancer and long-term side effects of breast cancer treatment. The conference will also address the important role of your GP in follow-up care.

To watch the breakout session of Dr Belinda Kiely at 6:15pm, please click on this link here to join

When: Thursday 15 July 2021
What Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM AEST
Local Times:

• WA: 4:00 PM
• NT, SA: 5:30 PM
• QLD, ACT, NSW, TAS, VIC: 6:00 PM

 

REGISTER

Register today >>

 

FACILITATOR

Kirsten Pillati, CEO Breast Cancer Network Australia

Kirsten Pilatti was appointed CEO in March 2018.  She has an exceptional understanding of the cancer sector having spent over a decade at BCNA and five years at Cancer Council Victoria where she was responsible for delivering communications and campaigns around prevention messages.

 

Kirsten has held a variety of roles at BCNA including:

• Director of Programs and Services
• General Manager, Strategic Projects – State of the Nation
• Partnerships Manager
• National Marketing and Communications Manager.

 

Highly regarded for her passion and focus on Australian women and men who have been affected by breast cancer, she is committed to giving everyone a voice and reducing the disparity of care across the country.  Kirsten firmly believes that members are at the heart of what we do at BCNA and is dedicated to delivering services and supports that ensure women, men, families, colleagues and friends affected by breast cancer have a place to turn to for information, connection and support.

Her deep connection to our 150,000 members was recently cemented after spending 18 months travelling around Australia interviewing more than 3,500 women and men about their experience of breast cancer treatment and services to find out where the gaps in service delivery are occurring. The findings were outlined in the State of the Nation report, which was delivered to Federal Parliament in June 2018.She is also proud of the work she has done to turn the spotlight on important issues such as access to breast reconstruction for women in Cairns and driving changes to the Australian healthcare system including access to drugs through the PBS such as the CDK inhibitors for Australians with metastatic breast cancer.Taking up the role in BCNA’s 20th anniversary year was not lost on Kirsten who is committed to working closely with members, staff and partners such as Bakers Delight, Berlei, Sussan, Red Energy, Focus On Furniture and Australian Paper to ensure that we can continue to ensure that Australians affected by breast cancer receive the very support and care appropriate to their individual needs.

Born and raised in Western Australia, she lives in Melbourne with her partner and two sons.

 

SPEAKERS

Dr Michelle White, Medical Oncologist

Dr. Michelle White is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. She completed her training through the Victorian Medical Oncology Training Group in Melbourne before completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Palliative Medicine. She now specializes in treating women diagnosed with breast cancer at Monash and Cabrini Hospitals.

Dr White is the lead investigator for a number of local research studies and is involved in the development and conduct of clinical trials. She is a member of the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group. She has published a number of research papers, abstracts, many of which have been presented at national conferences.

She is a member of the steering committee for the development of Breast Cancer Services at Cabrini Brighton.

Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis, General Practitioner

Magdalena Simonis is a GP, government health advisor, primary care researcher with the University of Melbourne and a leading women’s health expert and advocate. Magdalena holds positions on several not-for-profit organisations bridging gaps across the health sector, whilst informing their health initiatives. She is on the Stratgey and Policy Committee for BCNA, on the Board of Women’s Health Victoria and a member of the National COVID-19 Taskforce Expert Advisory Group. Magdalena is on the RACGP Expert Committee of Quality Care, President of the Australian Federation of Medical Women (AFMW), Chair of the Medical Women’s international Association (MWIA) Scientific and Research Subcommittee and Chair of the MWIA Mentoring group. Magdalena’s interests are in women’s health, chronic disease prevention and the development of sustainable, equitable healthcare services.

Dr Belinda Kiely, Medical Oncologist

Dr Belinda Kiely is a medical oncologist working part time at Concord and Campbelltown hospitals in Sydney, Australia. She specialises in breast cancer. She also works part-time as a senior research fellow at the NHMRC Clinical Trials centre, University of Sydney. Her main research interest is prognostication in advanced cancer.

Dr Belinda Kiely completed her PhD in 2013 titled “Estimating and communicating prognosis in advanced cancer” and developed a web-based tool “iTool” to help oncologists estimate and explain typical, best-case and worst-case scenarios for survival time to their patients with advanced cancer.

Her other research interests include breast cancer treatment, survivorship and end of life care. She is also a co-chair of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia Breast Cancer Group and a member of the Breast Cancer Trials Scientific Advisory Committee and Breast Cancer Network Australia Strategic Advisory Group.

Dr Louise Koelmeyer, Occupational Therapist and Lymphoedema Practitioner

Louise Koelmeyer is an occupational therapist and lymphoedema therapist with over 30 years of clinical experience in both public and private settings specializing in breast cancer rehabilitation and lymphoedema management in all areas of assessment, education, early detection and treatment.

Louise has a strong passion for achieving best practice in lymphoedema management in both the physical and psychosocial aspects of treatment. Louise is passionate about supporting women in the Survivorship phase of treatment. She also works as the Director of the Australian Lymphoedema Education, Research and Treatment (ALERT) Program at Macquarie University where she is involved in studies in achieving better outcomes in early and advanced lymphoedema.

Associate Professor Yoland Antill, Medical Oncologist and Cancer Genetics Specialist

Associate Professor Yoland Antill is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and works as a Medical Oncologist and Cancer Genetics specialist within Family Cancer Centres in Victoria. She holds an adjunct clinical position in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at Monash University. Her working and research interests are in the management of Breast and Gynaecological cancers together with Hereditary Cancer Syndromes. She is a member of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia, the American Society of Clinical Oncology. She is the current chair of the Australian and New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group Uterine Tumour Working Group and an invited member of ANZGOG’s Research Advisory Committee together with membership of Australia’s  Breast Cancer Trials Group. She has published widely in the areas of hereditary cancer risk breast and gynaecological cancers and is regularly invited to speak at national and international meetings. Yoland is the lead investigator for a number of local and international research studies and is involved in the development and conduct of clinical and supportive care trials. She has more than 20 years’ experience in both medical oncology and in the diagnosis and management of hereditary cancer syndromes.

Dr Eric Winer, MD Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston MA, USA

Dr Winer received his MD from Yale University in 1983, and later completed training in internal medicine and served as chief resident at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He subsequently was a fellow in haematology-oncology at Duke University Medical Centre, and from 1989 to 1997 served on the Duke faculty, where he became codirector of the multidisciplinary breast program. In 1997, he joined Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber, where he is director of the Breast Oncology Centre.