NUS launches professorship in breast cancer genomics, named after late patient
Surgical oncologist Mikael Hartman is the inaugural holder of professorship.
The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) has established a professorship dedicated to advancing research on integrating genetic, clinical, and imaging data to more accurately predict an individual's risk of developing breast cancer. The inaugural holder of this Josephine Tan Professorship in Breast Cancer Genomics is surgical oncologist Mikael Hartman, who takes a unique approach by naming the position after a late patient rather than a revered teacher.
The professorship was made possible through a donation of undisclosed value from Tony Tan Choon Keat, the founder and former managing director of healthcare conglomerate Parkway Holdings, in honor of his deceased wife, Josephine, who battled breast cancer.
Hartman, who heads the division of general surgery at National University Hospital, emphasized the research goal of preventing additional breast cancer cases and detecting those that cannot be prevented earlier. He explained that the professorship will focus on combining genetic information, such as inherited gene mutations like BRCA1 and BRCA2, with clinical factors and breast imaging to develop a more nuanced assessment of individual breast cancer risk.
This approach could help determine the optimal screening frequency and intensity for each woman, as well as identify those who could safely have less frequent monitoring.
The launching event, held on October 23 at the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, marked the beginning of the professorship's work, which is built upon Hartman's previous research including the BREATHE study. This study examined the effectiveness of personalized breast cancer risk assessment in a multi-ethnic Asian population of 4,592 women aged 35 to 59.
The next phase involves determining how these risk assessments can inform screening and prevention strategies, as well as assessing their clinical benefits, potential risks, and cost-effectiveness. Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women in Singapore, with nearly one in 12 women at risk by age 75, according to the Singapore Cancer Registry Annual Report 2023.
Globally, breast cancer presents a significant challenge, with over 2.3 million new cases diagnosed in 2023, and the number projected to surpass 3.5 million annually by 2050. In Singapore, while age is a primary consideration in current population screening initiatives, ongoing advancements in genetic research and medical imaging are enabling more precise individual risk assessments.
Tony Tan expressed hope that the newly established professorship will foster a legacy of progress in breast cancer research and contribute to improved health outcomes for women across generations.
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