8th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-8)

Prof Stephen Johnston speaks on treatment of breast cancer and advanced breast cancer with aromotase inhibitors, tamoxifen, fulvestrant and previous trials using endocrine therapy at EBCC 8. Prof Johnston highlights the need for selecting patients in these trials that will benefit from the trials as many only extend progression free survival by three to four months.

Dr Yap talks with Prof McVie on the FLIMS workshop, his decision to become a medical oncologist and his discussion at EBCC 8 titled 'Role of PARP inhibitors in triple negative advanced breast cancer'. FLIMS is an intense training program where oncologists work towards learning how to design clinical trials. In regards to his talk, Dr Yap emphasises that triple negative breast cancer is not a single disease, rather one with numerous sub groups.

Dr Sepideh Saadatmand reports on a study at a press conference during the 8th European Breast Cancer Confernce in Vienna which conludes that adding magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to standard breast cancer screening approaches is expensive, though it could be cost effective for a group of women who may not have inherited the breast cancer susceptibility genes.

Prof Roberto Orrechia explains the results of a clinical trial investigating intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT), conducted at the European Institute of Oncology. For the trial, a patient was given a single, high dose of radiation during the operation, immeditaly after the tumour was removed. The trial was conducted during 2000-2007 and data was recently produced to be presented at EBCC 8.

Prof Richard Peto discusses the analysis of thirty years of treatment data, compiled by the University of Oxford. Every five years trial data from all over the world was analysed to give a more definite answer on what treatments have the most substantial effects. The discussion includes analysis of the effects of tamoxifen, chemotherapy and the expense of treatment and screening.

Prof Richard Peto discusses the controversy behind screening for early stage breast cancer at the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference with ecancer Managing Editor Prof Gordon McVie. Prof Peto is involved in a meta-analysis study of all previous trials involving breast cancer and early stage breast cancer screening in order to provide a firm conclusion on the mortality rate with and without screening programs.

Mrs Gelder presents findings from a Dutch study on the effectiveness of breast cancer screening at a press confernce at the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference. Results from the study show that, even with improved treatments for the disease, population-based mammography programmes still save a significant number of lives.

At the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference, Dr Neven talks about the challenges of treating patients who experience severe side effects from treatment. Patients may not adhere to the strict course of treatment because they believe that the side effects are doing damage; however, Dr Neven explains that the patient must be told specifically what each drug will do and that the side effects are temporary.

Dr. Mila Donker, a research physician from the Netherlands Cancer Institute presents at a press conference at EBCC 8 on recurrance of ductal carcinoma in situ with radiotherapy treatment after surgery.

Prof Untch discusses treating HER 2, over-expressing tumours, at EBCC 8 in Vienna, and recent developments using combination treatments with trastuzumab, pertuzumab and other HER2 blocking agents. It has been found that with treatment administered before surgery, efficacy is high and the tumour is eradicated from breast and lymph nodes. With data from a recent meta-analysis, predictions can now be made on the outcome of patients in HER2+ cases with HER2 blocking agents, chemotherapy and surgery.

Speaking with Prof Gordon McVie at EBCC 8. Prof Douek discusses sentinel node biopsies, the Z11 trial; as well as defining micro metastases and the new technology surrounding the identification and surgical removal of tumours from sentinel nodes.

Co-Chair of the FLIMS Alumni session on advanced breast cancer at the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference, Dr Hutka discusses the benefits of the FLIMS workshop and her talk on the management of triple negative breast cancer, including hormonal treatment and HER2+ breast cancer. Dr Hutka's work also focuses on gastrointestinal research.

President of EUSOMA, Prof Rosselli del Turco discusses the gaps in the quality of patient care and the need for guidelines to ensure that all patients receive the best possible treatment. In addition, Prof McVie and Prof Rosselli del Turco analyse the current debate on the need for breast cancer screening programs

Dr van Beurden speaks at a press conference at the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference on the menopausal symptoms caused by giving chemotherapy or hormonal therapy to younger women with breast cancer and how to combat them.

Mr Jacques Fracheboud presents results from one of the longest-running national breast cancer screening programmes at a press conference at the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference in Vienna. The results show that the screening programme has contributed to a drop in deaths from the disease, that any harm caused by the screening, such as false positives and over-diagnosis, has been limited, and that the costs have been reasonable.

Prof Fiona Gilbert discusses the current debate regarding efficacy of breast cancer screening, the low number of women being screened and the evidence in favour of mammography screening after treatment. Prof Gilbert also discusses the benefits of different screening methods such as tomography and mammography.

Dr Evandro De Azambuja discusses recent and past acheviements in combating metastatic breast cancer with ecancertv at the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference. Dr De Azambuja highlights the dramatic advancments in prolonged survival with reduced amount of recurrance through use of trasutzmab, adjuvant treatment, combiantion therapy and summarises the results of CLEOPATRA trial.

Chair of the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference in Vienna, Prof David Cameron, highlights this years conference and what to look forward to at EBCC 9 in Glasgow.

Prof Gordon McVie speaks with Prof van de Velde on pressing data from clincial trials, the need for more multidiscplinary meetings, the involvment of pateints in these meetings, current FP 7 projects and the need for cancer guidelines.