Breast Cancer Update: Advances in Breast Cancer Treatment

Over recent years there has been significant improvement in mortality and morbidity from breast cancer treatment.

This session covers the new treatments and management to update our view to a more optimistic one for this common cancer.

We will also introduce the new eReferral aimed at improving our service to our population.

Presented by Dr Will Anderson and Dr Maxine Ronald in conjunction with Te Whatu Ora.

Will has been a consultant General Surgeon at Whangārei Hospital since 2022, where he has taken on leading roles in both skin and breast cancer services. Will began his medical journey in Yorkshire, UK, where he completed his undergraduate training at the University of Leeds. He then ventured to New Zealand for a year abroad and decided to stay. He completed specialty training in New Zealand, earning his Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Having completed a 2-year BreastSurgANZ fellowship Will has a special interest in all aspects of breast surgery and reconstruction.

Maxine is a General and Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon who completed Colorectal/Acute Surgical Unit and Oncoplastic fellowships in Perth before returning to Northland. She is the Deputy Chair of the Indigenous Health Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. She is a descendant of Nga Puhi and Ngāti Wai and has a special interest in improving Māori cancer health outcomes which remain below those of non-Māori.

The eReferral system will be introduced and explained by Dr Di Davis and Dr Libby Prenton.