ABS Educational Bursary: Presenting my poster at the European Society of Surgical Oncology

I am grateful to the ABS for granting me the Educational Bursary in 2023. I used this fund for the registration, travelling and presenting my poster at the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO) Conference held in Florence in October 2023.

I am currently on CESR route of training in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery in the NHS and received my general surgery training in Pakistan. The participation in this renowned international oncology conference added value to my current knowledge in breast cancer management 
and I also had the opportunity to present my poster at the conference.

My poster was already accepted in the ESSO Conference when I got to know of the ABS Bursary, and I applied for it as I was looking for funding to attend the conference. My poster presentation was based on the use of non-magnetic and non-radioisotope techniques for localisation and sentinel node biopsy in early breast cancer (1). This study was held at the breast surgery unit of Ninewells Hospital, NHS Tayside under the supervision of my supervisors Mr Pitsinis and Mr Vinci.

At the conference, the educational workshop on the controversial issues in breast cancer surgery was very interesting as it involved hot topics like repeat breast conservation surgery after ipsilateral 
breast recurrence, prediction of four or more axillary lymph node metastases in cN0 T1-2 breast cancer. The ‘meet the expert session’ in breast surgery was brilliant and very interactive.

The session on research opportunities for young surgeons from low- and middle-income countries was of special interest for me, and I had the opportunity of networking with the research mentors of the European Society of Surgical Oncology.

It was a great platform to meet with the international fellows in breast surgery from different countries. We shared the ideas of career progression and active participation in breast cancer oncology research. 

After the conference, I got an opportunity to see the beautiful city of Florence which offers a spectrum of art, culture and history.

I thank the ABS for giving me the opportunity to attend the educational 
conference and showcasing my poster in breast cancer surgery.

Bushra Riaz
Nottingham Breast Institute

1)  Riaz B, Baume-Kennedy C, Vinci A, Pitsinis V. UK experience of non-radioactive, non-magnetic breast conservation surgery for early breast cancer. European Journal of Surgical Oncology [Internet]. 2024 Feb 23;50(2): 107570. Available from: www.sciencedirect.com/science/
article/abs/pii/S0748798323012088