BC Cancer Surgery Network Spring Update 2023: Palliative Oncology & Geriatric Care

Once again, the Surgery Network held the Update in the Spring. This event was hosted in person at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, and online via zoom.

The program for the event can be viewed here

BC Cancer Surgery Network Spring Update 2022: Colorectal & Breast Cancer

This year the Surgery Network transitioned the Update to the Spring, and continued to host it virtually via zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The program for the event can be viewed here

BC Cancer Surgery Network Fall Update 2020: Cancer and Beyond

The 2019 Fall Update: Management of Not So Rare Cancers conference was held on Saturday October 5 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. This year’s course focused on a mix of topics including Upper GI, Skin and Sarcoma Tumours. You can find the schedule for the day here.

Presentations:

Dr. Savtaj Brar

Who to refer for hereditary testing

Dr. Eric Lam

Endoscopic evaluation of gastric cancer

Dr. Trevor Hamilton

Diagnostic work up for gastric cancer 

Dr. Howard Lim

Considerations for neoadjuvant therapy for gastric

Dr. Savtaj Brar

Surgical approach for gastric cancer

Dr. Winkle Kwan

Merkel cell carcinoma: Treatment results in BC and clinical problems in management

Dr. Greg McKinnon

Lymph node dissection for melanoma

Dr. Corey Metcalf

Targeted therapy for melanoma

Dr. Andrea MacNeill

Desmoid Fibromatosis

Dr. Paul Clarkson

Management of extremity lipomatous tumours

SON Fall Update in Colorectal Cancer was held on Saturday October 14, 2017 in Vancouver, BC

Our annual surgical oncology conference was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver on Saturday October 14th 2017. This year's focus was on colorectal cancers and featured guest speakers and topic specialists. The program agenda for the day can be viewed here.

Presentations:

1. First up, Dr. Cailan MacPherson started the day with a talk entitled Colorectal cancer - No longer an over 50 problem?. The slides can be viewed here.
   
2. Next up, Dr. Eric Lam gave a talk on The case for endoscopic mucosal/submucosal resection. You can view the presentation here.
   
3. Dr. Terry Phang was up next with a talk called The case for surgery - segmental resection and transanal endoscopic microsurgery. Slides are available to view here.
   
4. The guest speaker from Calgary: Dr. Buie, was up next with two presentations, one before the break and one after. The first talk, The role of radiology and the multidisciplinary conference was up first and is available to view here. Next up was his talk entitled Complete clinical response following neo-adjuvant chemoradiation: Operate or observe? and can be viewed here.
   
5. The next section in the program was on techniques for rectal cancer surgery and featured two talks by two local surgeons. First up, Dr. Terry Phang returned with his second presentation.
   
6. Next up, Dr. Carl Brown from St. Paul's Hospital, gave an excellent talk on the subject of TME. You can view it here.
   
7. After lunch, Dr. Trevor Hamilton gave a talk on Peritoneal Carcinomatosis. Slides can be viewed here.
   
8. Dr. Andrea MacNeill was up next to follow up with a talk on Retroperitoneal masses. You can see the slides from her talk over here.
   
9. Dr. Ahmer Karimuddin continued the discussions with a presentation all about ERAS, including practical advice. You can view his presentation here.
   
10. Lastly, conference moderator and local colorectal surgeon Dr. Manoj Raval gave the surgeons in attendance an update on the state of rectal cancer treatment and where it is going in the future. You can view his presentation here.
    

‎SON Fall Update in Breast, Melanoma, and HPB Cancers was held on Saturday October 22, 2016 in Vancouver, BC

On November 7  2015, the SON hosted another successful Fall Update in downtown Vancouver at the Four Seasons Hotel. This year's event focused on GI Tract Cancers: From Top to Bottom. 

View event program here.‎

Presentations:

1. First up, Dr. Fergul Donnellan spoke on the role of endoscopy in gastric cancer. Presentation can be downloaded here.
2. Next up, travelling speaker Dr. Natalie Coburn spoke on "Imaging and Laparoscopy" as well as "Best chance for a cure". Click here to download her presentation slides.
3. Dr. Trevor Hamilton spoke next on current BC data and gastric cancer. His slides can be downloaded here.
4. After the morning break, Dr. Fergal Donnellan and Dr. Natalie Coburn spoke to "Palliation of Upper GI Tumours". You can download the presentation here. 
5. Next up, Dr. Yarrow McConnell presented an interesting talk on Carcinomatosis.
6. Dr. Andy McFadden finished up the morning sessions with his presentation on the "Management of Recurrent and Advanced Tumours, When Tumours are Resectable, and Multidisciplinary Management". You can download his presentation slides here.
7. First up for the Lower GI Tract afternoon sessions was Dr. Erin Kennedy. She presented on the CPAC National Rectal Cancer Quality Improvement Initiative. Her presentation slides can be downloaded here.
8. Drs. Carl Brown and Manoj Raval teamed up for the next talk on Transanal Excision of Rectal Cancer with a focus on real world cases. You can download the presentation files here. 
9. Dr. Erin Kennedy presented again on "Treatment Decisions - Multimodality Treatment of Colorectal Cancer". Presentation here.
10. The final talk of the day was from local surgeon Dr. Carl Brown on Synchronous Lesions. The presentation files can be downloaded here.

On October 18 2014, the SON hosted another successful Fall Update in downtown Vancouver at the Four Seasons Hotel. This year's event focused on breast cancer, specifically current controversies in 2014. 

View event program here.

Dr. JF Boileau, a surgical oncologist from Montreal, spoke on the current management of the axilla in breast cancer focusing on current indications for axillary node dissection and management of the patient with a positive sentinel node.

View Dr. Boileau's presentation here. 

Dr. Rebecca Warburton, a breast surgeon at Mt. St Joseph, presented on the new ASCO guidelines regarding margin recommendations for breast conserving surgery. 

View Dr. Warburton's presentation here.

Dr. Malcom Hayes, senior BC Cancer Vancouver breast pathologist, presented on the pathological basis of breast carcinoma. 

View Dr. Hayes' presentation here.

Dr. Michelle Goeke and Dr. Elaine McKevitt presented current BC breast cancer quality indicator data and discussed current quality indicators in surgical breast cancer care.

View Dr. Goeke and Dr. McKevitt's presentation here.

The current status of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAT) was presented by Dr. Christine Simmons, a medical oncologist from BC Cancer. 

View Dr. Simmons presentation here.

Dr. Lorna Weir, a radiation oncologist from BC Cancer Vancouver, presented on current radiotherapy issues for breast cancer care.

View Dr. Weir's presentation here. 

Dr. Frances Wright, a surgical oncologist from Toronto, presented on surgical management in the setting of neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). 

View Dr. Wright's presentation here.

Dr. Christine Wilson, BC Cancer radiologist, presented on screening mammography controversies. Covering issues such as overdiagnosis in breast cancer, and the availability of communication materials for helping women make informed decisions.

View Dr. Wilson's presentation here.

This year's meeting focused on endocrine cancers. On November 2, 2013,  BC Surgical Oncology Network hosted its Annual Fall Update. 

This one day course featured multiple topics in Endocrine Surgical Oncology. Below are the presentations and their authors from the meeting.  

Thyroid Session - Moderator: Dr. Sam Wiseman

Dr. Todd McMullen

• Work Up & Evaluation of Thyroid Nodules In 2013: State of The Art

On October 20, 2012,  BC Surgical Oncology Network hosted its Annual Fall Update on Malignancies of the Lower GI Tract. This one day course featured multiple topics in surgical oncology. Below are the presentations from the meeting.  

Surgical technique and pathology

Dr. Paul Johnson

Total Mesocolic Excision

Dr. Terry Phang

Conventional vs. Extralevator Technique for Abdominoperineal Resection

Dr. James Filipenko

Pathology of Malignant Colon and Rectal Polyps

Dr. Anthony MacLean
Malignant Colon Polyps

Dr. Carl Brown

Transanal Resection of Rectal Neoplasms

Dr. Paul Johnson
Anal Cancers - Part 1

Dr. Devin Schellenberg

Anal Cancers - Part 2

Dr. Sarah Finlayson
Prophylactic Salpingo-Oophorectomy for Postmenopausal Women During Rectal Cancer Surgery

Uncommon cancers

Dr. Anthony MacLean
Uncommon GI Tumours

Dr. Hagen Kennecke
Diagnosis and Treatment of Neuroendocrine Tumours

Adjuvant Therapy

Dr. Hagen Kennecke

General Surgeon’s Guide to Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer

Dr. Jennifer Goulart
General Surgeon’s Guide to Radiotherapy for Rectal Cancer

Imaging

Dr. Patrick Vos, Dr. Petter Tonseth
Imaging Choices in the Management of Colorectal Cancer - Part 1

Imaging Choices in the Management of Colorectal Cancer - Part 2

Genetics

Dr. Robert Gryfe
General Surgeon’s Guide to Colorectal Cancer Genetics

Dr. Linlea Armstrong
Hereditary Cancer Program of British Columbia

Challenging cases

Multidisciplinary Panel
Challenging Cases: Panel Discussion

Dr. Rona Cheifetz
Challenging Cases: Reviewing the Evidence

Comprehensive care

Dr. Ahmer Karimuddin
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: A BC Success Story

Dr. Carl Brown
Surveillance After Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

Dr. Terry Phang
Function and Quality of Life After Rectal Cancer Surgery

‎

On October 22, 2011,  BC Surgical Oncology Network hosted its Annual Fall Update. This one day course featured multiple topics in surgical oncology. Below are the presentations from the meeting.  

Dr. Chris Baliski

• Carcinoid Tumours

Dr. Carl Brown/Dr. Elaine McKevitt

• Synoptic Reporting in Cancer Care

Dr. Rona Cheifetz

• Retroperitoneal Sarcoma

Dr. Paul Clarkson

• Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Dr. Alexandra Easson

• Care When There is no Cure: Palliative Surgery in Cancer

Dr. Urve Kuusk

• Update on the Axilla in Breast Cancer

Dr. Lloyd Mack

• Practical Approach to Desmoid Tumours

Dr. Lloyd Mack

• Update on Cytoreductive Surgery & Heated Intraperitoneal Chemo for Peritoneal Carcinomatosis

Dr. Andrew McFadden

• Melanoma

Dr. Elaine McKevitt

• Case Discussions on the Axilla in Breast Cancer

Dr. Jennifer Telford

• Screening for Colorectal Cancer

The Surgical Oncology Network hosted a one day conference on Upper GI and Hepatobiliary Cancers at the Four Seasons Hotel on October 23, 2010. Below are the presentations from the meeting.

Dr. Abdul Al-Tourah

• GI Lymphomas, with focus on H. pylori and Gastric Lymphoma

Dr. Silvia Chang

Isolated Liver Mass: Imaging and When to Biopsy

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Dr. Rona Cheifetz

• Update on GIST

Dr. Rob Granger

• Metastasis to the Liver and Unknown Liver Mass

Dr. Calvin Law

Pancreatic Conundrums, Benign and Malignant

• Part 1
• Part 2

Dr. Howard Lim

• Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Therapy for Gastric Cancer

Dr. Greg McGregor

• Gastric Tumour Panel Discussion

Dr. Charles Scudamore

• Hepatobiliary Cancer Panel Discussion

Dr. Carol Swallow

Surgery of Gastric Cancer and Premalignant Lesions

• Part 1
• Part 2

Dr. Jennifer Telford

• The Use of Endoscopic Ultrasound in Gastric Cancer

The Surgical Oncology Network hosted a one day conference on Breast Cancer at the Four Seasons Hotel on October 24, 2009. Below are the presentations from the meeting.

Dr. Tanya Berrang

• Postmastectomy Radiation

Dr. Katherine Ceballos

• Intraductal Proliferative Lesions - DIN Diagnosis & Management

Dr. Rona Cheifetz

• Quality Breast Care

Dr. Noelle Davis

• Axillary Cases

Dr. Susan Ellard

• A Slow Starvation: Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy of Breast Cancer

Dr. Karen Gelmon

• Neoadjuvant Therapy
• How can surgeons help the medical oncologists?

Dr. Urve Kuusk

• Breast Atypia - Surgical Management

Dr. Peter Lennox

• Breast Reconstruction

Dr. David McCready

• The Evolution of Sentinel Node Biopsy for Breast Cancer

Dr. Geoffrey Porter

• Breast Cancer Surgery in Canada: What do we need to do and document?
• Quality and Breast Cancer Surgery

Dr. Audrey Spielmann

• Role of MRI in Invasive Cancer

Dr. Scott Tyldesley

• Management of Margins in Breast Conserving Therapy

Dr. Lorna Weir

• How can surgeons help the radiation oncologists?

Dr. Christine Wilson

Percutaneous Stereo Core Biopsies: When, How and Often

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
  

Rectal Cancer Update 

The Surgical Oncology Network hosted a two day conference on Rectal Cancer Update: The Last 5 CM -- Distal TME and Beyond at the St. Paul's Hospital on October 24 and 25, 2008.

Presentations

Dr. Akasu, Takayuki

• Intersphincteric Resection for Very Low Rectal Adenocarcinoma
• Clinical Fixation( cT4): CRT+TME vs. En Bloc Resection/Extenteration

Dr. Brown, Carl

• Complete Response After Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer
• The Management of Low Rectal Cancer - Rectal Reconstruction

Dr. Brown, Jacquie

• Preoperative Staging in Rectal Cancer

Dr. Garcia-Aguilar, Julio

• Distal TME/APR Techniques and Tips US Perspective
• The Standard of Care in Stage II and III Rectal Cancer

Dr. Hay, John

• Preoperative Adjuvant Radiotherapy
• T3N0/T3N1 Upper/Mid -- Rectal Location, MR -CRM > 3mm

Dr. Kennecke, Hagen

• Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Rectal Cancer: Are we making progress?

Dr. Phang, Terry

• The Problem: Clinical Fixation
• Consensus Building

Dr. Raval, Manoj

• Distal Superficial Cancer Pro Local Excision
• Local Excision of Rectal Cancer Techniques and Outcomes

Dr. Smith, Andy

• Evidence Based Approach to Rectal Cancer including Laparoscopy
• Radical Surgery is a Superior Option to Transanal Excision of Rectal Cancer

Endocrine Surgical Oncology

On October 27, 2008 the Surgical Oncology Network hosted a one day education conference on Endocrine Surgical Oncology at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver, BC.

Presentations:

Dr. Sam Bugis

• Adrenal Incidentaloma

Dr. Chris Baliski

• Endocrine Tumours of the Pancreas

Dr. Barbara Melosky

• >Neuroendocrine Tumours/Carcinoid

Dr. Sabrina Gill

• Approach to Asymptomatic Hypercalcemia/who needs an MEN work-up/ Indications for Parathyroidectomy

Dr. Rob Irvine

• Technology in Parathyroid Disease: Imaging, PHT Monitoring, Minimally Invasive Surgery

Chair: Dr. Nadine Caron, Members: Dr. Sam Wiseman, Dr. Rob Irvine, Dr. Orlo Clark, Dr. Sam Bugis

• Parathyroid Panel: Challenges in Parathyroid Surgery

Dr. Orlo Clark

• To Operate or Not: Which Thyroid Nodules Need Surgery

Dr. Tom Thomson

• Pathology and the Thyroid Nodule

Dr. Rick Nason

• Extent of Lymphadenectomy in Thyroid Cancer

Dr. John Hay

• Adjuvant Therapy in Thyroid Cancer

Dr. Sam Wiseman

Thyroid Cancer: Practical Molecular Biology For the General Surgeon

• Article, Meta-Analysis and Meta-Review of Thyroid Cancer Gene Expression Profiling Studies Identifies Important Diagnostic Biomarkers

Chair: Dr. Sam Bugis, Members: Dr. Sam Wiseman, Dr. Rick Nason, Dr. Orlo Clark, Dr. Tom Thomson

• Thyroid Panel - Thyroid Incidentaloma, Indications for OR Benign Diseases, Challenges in Thyroid Surgery

The Surgical Oncology Network hosted a one day conference on Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy at the Plaza 500 Hotel on Vancouver on November 24th, 2006

Presentations

• Back to basics: Axillary Staging in Breast Cancer, Noelle Davis
• Technical Aspects of Sentinel Node Mapping, Allen Hayashi
• Pitfalls and Problems, Urve Kuusk
• Lymphoscintigraphy and Radiopharmaceutical Safety, Dan Worsley
• Pathological Assessment of the Sentinel Node, Kathy Ceballos
• Axillary Dissection After a Positive Sentinel Node: Why Do We Care? Carolyn Lohrisch
• Sentinel Node Biopsy in Melanoma, David Hanks
• Sentinel Node Biopsy in Other Malignancies, Rona Cheifetz

The SON hosted a one day conference on Proximal GI Cancers on December 3rd, 2005. The following are copies of the presentations. Please click on the title of the presentation to open the PDF file.

Dr. Greg McGregor

• Surveillance of Gastro-Intestinal Cancers

Dr. David Huntsman

• Genetic Markers in Gastro-Intestinal Cancer

Dr. Alan Weiss

• New Developments in Upper Gastro-Intestinal Endoscopy

Dr. John Yee

• Barrett's Esophagus

Dr. Michael Humer

• Cardia Tumours
  

Dr. Carol Swallow

• Gastric Cancer

Dr. Barb Melosky

• Adjuvant Therapy in Castric and Pancreatic Cancer

Panel Discussion

• Weird and Wonderfuls

This session was held as part of the 2004 BC Cancer's annual conference and was hosted by the Surgical Oncology Network on Saturday, November 27.

The presentations and results from the pre and post test are available below.

Dr. Steven Latosinsky          

• Contraindications to Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

Dr. Allen Hayashi                 

• Guideline and Support for Stand-Alone Sentinel Node Biopsy

Dr. Noelle Davis                   

• Axillary Recurrences

Dr. Michelle Sutter               

• Cancer in Pregnancy

Dr. Urve Kuusk                    

• Premalignant Lesions

Dr. Lorna Weir                     

• Breast Cancer in the Elderly

Dr. Maureen Leia-Stephen    

• Breast Complications: Infections, Edema and Flap Necrosis

Dr. Peter Doris                    

• Axillary Complications: Chronic Pain, Lymphedema and Stiffness

Dr. Rona Cheifetz                

• Case-Based Discussions "Breast Oncology Cases"

Pre and Post Test

Questions and Answers

Results