PhD defence G.M. (Gerson) Struik

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in western countries. Thanks to mammography screening and improved imaging techniques, tumors are increasingly detected at an early stage; in more than 60% of the patients the cancer is localized to the breast tissue at time of diagnosis and no loco-regional or distant metastasis have occurred. For these early stage breast cancer patients, outcomes are excellent with a 5-year relative survival rate of 98,8%. Breast conserving therapy, consisting of a wide local excision and adjuvant radiotherapy, is equally effective as mastectomy for these patients, in terms of local control and disease specific and overall survival. Currently, up to 65% of patients is treated with breast conserving surgery in the Netherlands, and this proportion is still increasing. Recent publications reported an overall survival benefit of BCT (including radiotherapy) over mastectomy in early stage breast cancer patients. However, because of potential bias further research on that subject is warranted and promoting BCT to patients purely for oncologic safety reasons would be premature. Additionally, patients are often treated with adjuvant systemic treatment, including antihormonaland chemotherapy. Given the excellent outcomes in this specific low-risk patient group, there is a paradigm shift towards treatment modalities with reduced morbidity and treatment burden leading to improved cosmesis and quality of life. The treatment of early stage breast cancer patients is increasingly tailored to the specificity of each patient. Optimal patient selection is essential.

The public defence will take place at the Senatehall, 1st floor of the Erasmus Building, Campus Woudestein. The ceremony will begin exactly at 15.30 hrs. In light of the solemn nature of the ceremony, we recommend that you do not take children under the age of 6 to the first part of the ceremony.