Scientific program
Click HERE to view the Congress Book
Session Key:
| Pre-Congress Workshop |
Plenary Session |
Parallel Session |
Free Papers Session |
Industry Symposium |
Thursday, October 8, 2026
| 09:30-12:30 |
Pre-Congress Workshop 1:
Breast imaging masterclass: Limitations and pitfalls of common breast imaging tools |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
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| 11:00-11:20 |
Coffee Break |
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| 09:30-12:30 |
Pre-Congress Workshop 2:
The expanding role of genetic testing in breast cancer: Therapeutic, surgical and surveillance implications
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Hall C
(Room M1) |
| Chairperson |
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| 11:00-11:30 |
Coffee Break |
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| 09:30-12:30 |
Pre-Congress Workshop 3:
Survivorship Workshop: Treating the extremes – optimising the management of our youngest and oldest breast cancer patients
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Hall D
(Room M2) |
| Chairperson |
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| 11:00-11:20 |
Coffee Break |
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| 09:30-12:30 |
Pre-Congress Workshop 4:
Communication workshop: How to improve a patient’s understanding of risk, prognosis, treatment choices and expectations
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Hall B
(Great Hall 2) |
| Chairperson |
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| 11:00-11:20 |
Coffee Break |
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| 13:30-14:30 |
Industry Symposium
|
Hall C
(Room M1) |
| Chairperson |
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| 15:00-15:15 |
Congress Opening |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons: |
Bruce Mann, Melbourne, Australia
Caroline Baker,Melbourne,Australia
Peter Chin, Tauranga, New Zealand
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|
Welcome to Country |
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Welcome from Congress chairpersons |
| 15:15-17:00 |
Plenary Session 1:
Neoadjuvant therapy |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
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15:15-15:55
15:15
15:30
15:45 |
Debate: That cT1cN0 TNBC should have Neoadj CT and IO
Yes: Javier Cortes, Madrid, Spain
No: Alistair Ring, London, UK
Discussion |
| 15:55-16:15 |
Didactic: How best to monitor a patient during neoadjuvant therapy
Elizabeth A. Morris, Davis, CA, USA |
16:15-17:00
16:15
16:30
16:45
16:55 |
Debate: That patients with pN+ luminal cancer who are ypN0 after NAST should receive regional nodal radiotherapy
Yes:
No:
Discussion
Consumer perspective |
| 17:00 |
Networking Reception |
|
Friday, October 9, 2026
| 07:30-08:30 |
Morning Industry Symposium:
Supported by TBA
Please note breakfast will be served prior to the session. at 07:00 |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| 07:30-08:30 |
Morning Industry Symposium:
Supported by TBA
Please note breakfast will be served prior to the session. at 07:00 |
Hall B
(Great Hall 2) |
| 07:30-08:30 |
Morning Industry Symposium:
Supported by TBA
Please note breakfast will be served prior to the session. at 07:00 |
Hall C
(Room M1) |
| 08:30-09:30 |
Parallel Session 2:
Screening |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
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08:30-09:10
08:30
08:45
09:00 |
Debate: That there is sufficient evidence already to implement a risk-adjusted breast screening program
Yes:
No: Carolyn Nickson, Sydney, Australia
Discussion |
| 09:10-09:30 |
Didactic: Artificial intelligence in breast cancer screening
Elizabeth A. Morris, Davis, CA, USA |
| 08:30-09:30 |
Parallel Session 3:
Fear of cancer recurrence |
Hall B
(Great Hall 2) |
| Chairpersons |
Ben Smith, Sydney, Australia
Lesley Stafford, Melbourne, Australia
|
| 08:30-08:50 |
Fear of cancer recurrence: What is it, and how common is it?
Clinician-led fear of cancer recurrence intervention for breast cancer patients
Howard Yu, Sydney, Australia |
| 08:50-09:10 |
Is it possible to conquer fear of recurrence?
Fear of cancer recurrence in First Nations women
Mackenzie Rhodes, Brisbane, Australia |
| 09:10-09:30 |
Consumer representative |
| 08:30-09:30 |
Industry Symposium:
Supported by TBA
|
Hall C
(Room M1) |
| 09:30-11:00 |
Plenary Session 4:
Genetics |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
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| 09:30-09:50 |
Didactic: Panel testing in early breast cancer: Who, when and why? |
| 09:50-10:30
09:50
10:05
10:20 |
Debate: That Breast-Conserving Surgery is an inappropriate recommendation for most patients with high-penetrance germline mutations
Yes: Michael Boland, Dublin, Ireland
No: Shelley Potter, Bristol, UK
Discussion |
| 10:30 |
Didactic: Management of ovaries/fallopian tubes in gene carriers – what to do and when to do it?
Amy Tang, Brisbane, Australia |
| 10:50 |
Consumer perspective |
| 11:00-11:30 |
Coffee break, poster viewing and exhibition visit |
| 11:30-12:30 |
Parallel Session 5:
Lymphoedema |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
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| 11:30-11:50 |
What is the evidence behind advice regarding lymphoedema prevention? |
| 11:50-12:10 |
Evidence based treatment modalities for established lymphoedema: What works? What doesn’t? |
| 12:10-12:30 |
Surgery for lymphoedema: Prevention and treatment
Satomi Koide, Melbourne, Australia |
| 11:30-12:30 |
Industry Symposium:
Supported by TBA
|
Hall B
(Great Hall 2) |
| 11:30-12:30 |
Industry Symposium:
Supported by TBA
|
Hall C
(Room M1) |
| 12:30-13:30 |
Lunch break, poster viewing and exhibition visit |
| 13:30-14:30 |
Parallel Session 6:
DCIS |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
Steven David, Melbourne, Australia
Caroline Baker, Melbourne, Australia |
13:30-14:00
13:30
13:40
13:50 |
Debate: That genomic assays should be used to help make decisions regarding adjuvant RT for DCIS
Yes:
No:
Discussion |
14:00-14:30
14:00
14:10
14:20 |
Debate: That active surveillance for low risk DCIS is a reasonable option
Yes:Alastair Thompson, Houston, TX, USA
No: Judy Boughey, Rochester, MN, USA
Discussion |
| 13:30-14:30 |
Parallel Session 7:
Triple negative breast cancer
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Hall B
(Great Hall 2) |
| Chairpersons |
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| 13:30-13:45 |
TNBC subtypes: Do they have clinical significance?
Nirmala Pathmanathan, Sydney, Australia |
13:45-14:30
13:45
14:00
14:15 |
Debate: That all stage 2/3 TNBC patients should be treated according to Keynote522 regimen
Yes: Kevin Kalinsky, Atlanta, GA, USA
No: Alistair Ring, London, UK
Discussion |
| 13:30-14:30 |
Parallel Session 8:
Free Papers: Supportive care |
Hall C
(Room M1) |
| Chairpersons |
Yoland Antill, Melbourne, Australia
Marissa Stevens, Melbourne, Australia |
| 13:30-13:40 |
“Linking risk with screening” – the impact of an online decision aid for risk-stratified breast screening on understanding, acceptance and decision-making
Jocelyn Lippey, Melbourne, Australia |
| 13:40-13:50 |
What is women with breast cancers’ experience and perception of genitourinary symptoms?
Antonia Pearson, Sydney, Australia |
| 13:50-14:00 |
Estimating end of life care costs to different funders for breast cancer patients in Queensland, Australia: A data linkage study
Shafkat Jahan, Brisbane, Australia |
14:00-14:10
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Supporting LGBTQI communities impacted by breast cancer: Results and translational outcomes of the out with cancer study
Julie Rae, Red Hill, Australia |
| 14:10-14:20 |
Patient perceptions of physical rehabilitation and its method of delivery for a variety of adverse physical effects following breast cancer surgery
Deirdre McGhee, Wollongong, Australia |
14:20-14:30
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No association between breast pain and breast cancer. A prospective cohort study of 10,830 patients presenting to a Breast Cancer Diagnostic Clinic
Rajiv Dave, Manchester, UK |
| 14:30-15:50 |
Parallel Session 9:
Adjuvant endocrine therapy |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
Prudence Francis, Melbourne, Australia
Alistair Ring, London, UK
|
14:30-15:05
14:30
14:40
14:50 |
Debate: That CDK4/6i’s should be part of adjuvant treatment of high risk ER+HER2- early breast cancer
Yes: Richard de Boer, Melbourne, Australia
No: Nick Zdenkowski, Newcastle, Australia
Discussion |
| 15:05-15:15 |
Real world evidence and its value in breast cancer management
Sheau Wen Lok, Melbourne, Australia |
15:15-15:50
15:15
15:25
15:35 |
Debate: That all pre-menopausal women with LN+ve ER+HER2- EBC should have adjuvant chemotherapy
Yes: Nicole McCarthy, Brisbane, Australia
No: Belinda Yeo, Melbourne, Australia
Discussion |
| 14:30-15:50 |
Parallel Session 10:
Free Papers: Locoregional therapy |
Hall C
(Room M1) |
| Chairpersons |
Michael Alvarado, San Francisco, CA, USA
Jill Dietz, Pittsburgh, PA, USA |
| 14:30-14:40 |
Outcome of atypical or b3 lesions in Breastscreen NSW
Richard Chou, Condell Park, Australia |
| 14:40-14:50 |
Contrast Enhanced Mammography in further assessment of screen-detected breast cancer
Caroline MacCallum, Melbourne, Australia |
| 14:50-15:00 |
Comparison of local recurrence after simple and skin-sparing mastectomy performed in patients with pure ductal carcinoma in situ
Rajiv Dave, Manchester, UK |
| 15:00-15:10 |
Using Radio-Occult Lesion Localization (ROLL) techniques to identify the clipped node in Targeted Axillary Dissections (TAD)
Alec Winder, Townsville, Australia |
| 15:10-15:20 |
Comparing direct-to-implant and two-stage breast reconstruction in the Australian breast device registry
Sheymonti Hoque, Melbourne, Australia |
| 15:20-15:30 |
Trends and variations in post-mastectomy breast reconstruction rates in Australia over 10 years
Nirmal Dayaratna, Sydney, Australia |
| 15:30-15:40 |
Surgical outcomes of post-mastectomy radiotherapy following immediate prosthetic breast reconstruction: Six-year experience
Negin Sedaghat, Sydney, Australia |
| 15:40-15:50 |
Therapeutic mammaplasty with contralateral symmetrising reduction mammaplasty: Oncologically safe with satisfied patients
Susannah Graham, Camperdown, Australia |
| 15:50-16:10 |
Coffee break, poster viewing and exhibition visit |
| 16:10-17:30 |
Parallel Session 11:
Imaging |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
Jane Fox, Melbourne, Australia
Alastair Thompson, Houston, TX, USA
|
| 16:10-16:30 |
How can imaging assist management of patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy?
Julia Camps Herrero, Valencia, Spain |
| 16:30-16:50 |
The PROSPECT of selective omission of RT based on MRI findings
Bruce Mann, Melbourne, Australia |
| 16:50-17:10 |
That Contrast Enhanced Mammography (CEM) is ready for prime time
Allison Rose, Melbourne, Australia |
| 17:10-17:30 |
Discussion |
| 16:10-17:30 |
Parallel Session 12:
Metastatic breast cancer |
Hall B
(Great Hall 2) |
| Chairpersons |
Nick Zdenkowski, Newcastle, Australia
Javier Cortes, Madrid, Spain |
| 16:10-16:30 |
Should molecular testing of tumours be routine for patients with metastatic breast cancer?
Yes: Elgene Lim, Sydney, Australia |
16:30-17:15
16:30
16:45
17:00 |
Debate: Routine imaging vs clinical follow-up for high risk EBC: Time to change the paradigm?
Yes: Sally Baron-Hay, Sydney, Australia
No: Catherine Shannon, Brisbane, Australia
Discussion |
| 17:15-17:30 |
What’s the optimal timing for Bone Targeted Agents in MBC?
Belinda Yeo, Melbourne, Australia |
Saturday, October 15, 2022
| 07:30- 08:30 |
Morning Industry Symposium:
Future-proofing breast surgical guidance with Sentimag®
A total magnetic conversion
Supported by Endomag/GRC Surgical
Please note breakfast will be served prior to the session. |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| 07:30-08:30 |
Morning Industry Symposium:
Time to start CDK4&6 inhibition in EBC: Verzenio in HR+ HER2- node positive EBC at high risk of recurrence
Supported by Lilly
Please note breakfast will be served prior to the session. |
Hall B
(Great Hall 2) |
| 07:30-08:30 |
Morning Industry Symposium:
The role of the nurse in assessing, triaging and managing metastatic TNBC
Supported by Gilead
Please note breakfast will be served prior to the session. |
Hall C
(Room M1) |
| 08:30-10:00 |
Parallel Session 13:
Controversies in reconstruction |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
Kirsten Pilatti, Melbourne, Australia
Sanjay Warrier, Sydney, Australia |
08:30-09:10
08:30
08:40
08:50 |
Debate: That immediate breast reconstruction prior to post-mastectomy radiotherapy should be avoided
Yes: Caroline Baker, Melbourne, Australia
No: Dean Trotter, Melbourne, Australia
Discussion |
| 09:10-09:30 |
Patient-reported outcomes to guide decisions regarding breast reconstruction
Douglas MacMillan, Nottingham, UK |
| 09:30-09:50 |
Consumer voice informing the future of breast reconstruction Australia
Sam Mills, Melbourne, Australia
Jodi Steel, Sydney, Australia
|
| 09:50-10:00 |
Discussion |
| 08:30-10:00 |
Parallel Session 14:
Survivorship |
Hall B
(Great Hall 2) |
| Chairpersons |
Jenny Gilchrist, Sydney, Australia
Jocelyn Lippey, Melbourne, Australia |
| 08:30-08:35 |
Introduction
Jenny Gilchrist, Sydney, Australia |
| 08:35-08:45 |
What matters most to consumers?
Andrea Smith, Sydney, Australia |
| 08:45-08:55 |
GP perspective
Elysia Thornton-Benko, Sydney, Australia |
| 08:55-09:05 |
Survivorship MoC based around nurse led clinics
Kerry Shanahan, Melbourne, Australia |
| 09:05-09:15 |
McGrath model of survivorship care
Kerry Patford, Benalla, Australia |
| 09:15-09:25 |
#JustTextMe: Empowering women’s health during survivorship
Anna Singleton, Sydney, Australia |
| 09:25-09:35 |
IBIS
Raymond Chan, Adelaide, Australia |
| 09:35-10:00 |
Discussion |
| 08:30-10:00 |
Parallel Session 15:
Free Papers: Medical oncology |
Hall C
(Room M1) |
| Chairpersons |
Nick Zdenkowski, Newcastle, Australia
Sally Baron-Hay, Sydney, Australia |
| 08:30-08:40 |
Update on the use of topical estrogens in symptomatic women with early breast cancer
Antonia Pearson, Sydney, Australia |
| 08:40-08:50 |
Contrast Enhanced Mammography in breast cancer surveillance
Kenneth Elder, Melbourne, Australia |
| 08:50-09:00 |
Contralateral breast cancer: Influence of molecular subtype, clinical features and treatment given in a single institution study
Mohammad Amira, Perth, Australia |
| 09:00-09:10 |
The effect of age and menstrual cycling on gene expression profiling tests
Wendy Ingman, Adelaide, Australia |
| 09:10-09:20 |
Concordance between core needle biopsy and surgical excision for breast cancer tumor grade and biomarkers
Aswin Shanmugalingam, Sydney, Australia |
| 09:20-09:30 |
The design and development of an individualised training program for Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) nursing incorporating remote and onsite learning experiences during a pandemic
Gillian Kruss, Sydney, Australia |
| 09:30-09:40 |
ATNEC – patient experience sub-study (IRSCTN: 36585784):
What patients think about taking part in breast cancer treatment de-escalation trials?
Janet Dunn, Coventry, UK |
| 09:40-09:50 |
Monitoring of breast cancer treatment response by analysis of breast cancer-derived extracellular vesicles
Katherine Wongtrakul-Kish, Sydney, Australia |
| 09:50-10:00 |
Enhanced toxicity with trastuzumab emtansine and concurrent adjuvant radiotherapy: Non-consecutive case series
Steven David, Melbourne, Australia |
| 10:00-11:00 |
Parallel Session 16:
Locoregional therapy |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
Heidi Peverill, Brisbane, Australia
Caroline Baker, Melbourne, Australia |
| 10:00-10:30
10:00
10:10
10:20 |
Debate: That patients with heavy axillary nodal disease pre-NACT should have axillary dissection irrespective of response to NACT
Yes: Alastair Thompson, Houston, TX, USA
No: Bruce Mann, Melbourne, Australia
Discussion |
10:30-11:00
10:30
10:40
10:50 |
Debate: That omission of SNB should be considered for all women >70 with clinically negative axillae
Yes: Melanie Walker, Melbourne, Australia
No: Sanjay Warrier, Sydney, Australia
Discussion |
| 10:00-11:00 |
Industry Symposium:
A CDK4/6i is a ‘once in a lifetime treatment’ for patients with HR +ve HER2 -ve breast cancer
Supported by Novartis
|
Hall B
(Great Hall 2) |
| 11:00-11:30 |
Coffee break, poster viewing and exhibition visit |
| 11:30-13:00 |
Parallel Session 17:
Local therapy |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
Christobel Saunders, Melbourne, Australia
Melanie Walker, Melbourne, Australia |
| 11:30-12:30 |
Time to cut the wire? |
| 11:30 |
That hook needles are perfectly satisfactory for lesion localisation
Owen Ung, Brisbane, Australia |
| 11:40 |
The case for SCOUT
Cindy Mak, Sydney, Australia |
| 11:50 |
The case for Magseed
Michael Alvarado, San Francisco, CA, USA |
| 12:00 |
The case for ROLLIS
Rhea Liang, Gold Coast, Australia |
| 12:10 |
Discussion |
12:30-13:00
12:30
12:40
12:50 |
Debate: That five-fraction radiotherapy should be standard of care for most patients
Yes: Alice Ho, Boston, MA, USA
No: Frank A. Vicini, Royal Oak, MI, USA
Discussion |
| 11:30-13:00 |
Parallel Session 18:
HER2 positive disease |
Hall B
(Great Hall 2) |
| Chairpersons |
Nicole McCarthy, Brisbane, Australia
Elgene Lim, Sydney, Australia |
11:30-12:15
11:30
11:45
12:00 |
Debate: Do anthracyclines still have a place in the treatment of early stage HER2+ve BC?
Yes: Nick Murray, Adelaide, Australia
No: Fran Boyle, Sydney, Australia
Discussion |
| 12:15-12:35 |
HER2 heterogeneity: Interpretation of low HER2 amplification and HER+ve hotspots
Cameron Snell, Melbourne, Australia |
| 12:35-13:00 |
Management of brain mets in those with HER2+ve disease
Rebecca Dent, Singapore, Singapore |
| 13:00-14:00 |
Lunch break, poster viewing and exhibition visit |
| 13:10-13:55 |
Lunch Industry Symposium:
Innovative approaches to help improve patient outcomes: Case-based discussion
Supported by 3M
Lunch boxes will be served to session participants.
|
Hall B
(Great Hall 2) |
| 10:30-17:00 |
Breast Cancer Network Australia
|
Hall C (Room M1) |
| 14:00-15:00 |
Plenary Session 19:
Palliative care |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
Antonia Pearson, Sydney, Australia
Nick Murray, Adelaide, Australia
|
14:00-14:30
14:00
14:10
14:20 |
Debate: That palliative care should ditch the word ‘palliative’
Yes: Brian Le, Melbourne, Australia
No: Andrew Broadbent, Gold Coast, Australia
Discussion |
| 14:30-15:00 |
Medicinal cannabis in advanced cancer: Pot or panacea?
Phillip Good, Brisbane, Australia |
| 15:00-16:15 |
Plenary Session 20:
Breast cancer 2030 |
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
Bruce Mann, Melbourne, Australia
Richard de Boer, Melbourne, Australia |
| 15:00-15:15 |
Early detection in 2030
Ritse Mann, Nijmegen, The Netherlands |
| 15:15-15:30 |
A pathologist’s view of breast cancer in 2030
Sunil R. Lakhani, Brisbane, Australia |
| 15:30-15:45 |
Systemic therapy in 2030
Prudence Francis, Melbourne, Australia |
| 15:45-16:00 |
Locoregional therapy in 2030
Douglas MacMillan, Nottingham, UK |
| 16:00-16:15 |
A consumer’s perspective of breast cancer in 2030
Kirsten Pilatti, Melbourne, Australia |
| 16:15-16:30 |
Congress closing and Award presentation
|
Hall A
(Great Hall 1) |
| Chairpersons |
Bruce Mann, Melbourne, Australia
Melanie Walker, Melbourne, Australia
Elisabeth Elder, Sydney, Australia |
