Breast Cancer

TRI researchers are investigating disease processes in breast cancer to improve how we diagnose and treat the condition.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Australian women, with an estimated 18,000 women diagnosed with the disease in 2018.(BCNA, 2019)

Although survival rates for patients with breast cancer have increased due to earlier diagnosis through screening and improved treatments, breast cancer is still a leading cause of cancer deaths in Australia, and follows lung cancer as the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women.(BCNA, 2019) 

Breast cancer research at TRI includes:

• Detecting pre-cancerous changes to breast tissue in women at high risk of breast cancer, using magnetic resonance technology. Read more.
• Improving patient response to immunotherapy for aggressive breast cancer. Read more and watch the TRIAngle Episode on Aggressive Breast Cancer.
• How breast cancer spreads (metastasises) to other sites in the body.

Familial Breast Cancer Clinic now available at PA Hospital

In 2019, a Familial Breast Cancer Clinic opened at the Princess Alexandra Hospital as a joint venture with TRI. This clinic will help women with a strong family history of breast cancer better monitor and manage their risk. Located within the hospital, this clinic provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ for women who do not have breast cancer but who are at increased risk of developing breast cancer, referred by their GP or specialist, with no out-of-pocket costs for attendance. Read more.

Image: Stained breast cancer tumour sections uner the microscope at TRI (May 2015)