BSI
Breast Surgery International
Dr. Sharon WW Chan
President, Breast Surgery International (BSI)
President Message
Warm Greetings from BSI: Vision, Upcoming Webinar & Membership Renewal
Dear Esteemed Members, Colleagues, and Friends,
I send you my warmest greetings as President of Breast Surgery International (BSI). It is a true privilege to address our vibrant global family. Thank you for your continued trust, passion, and unwavering commitment to advancing high-quality, compassionate breast care for patients worldwide.
Since our founding in 1999 under Umberto Veronesi and Kerstin Sandelin, BSI has stood as a collegial home where surgeons of high professional standing unite to elevate clinical standards, foster lifelong learning, and address disparities in care. Guided by our founding mantras—“We learn from others and we never stop learning” and “Knowledge is meant to be shared”—our Council is dedicated to ensuring BSI remains an active, engaging, and enriching community for every member.
Our Shared Vision: What Lies Ahead
Our Council is actively shaping initiatives that empower our members and broaden our global impact:
Strengthened Global Alliances: Expanding our outreach and joint academic initiatives with international surgical bodies.
Continuous Learning: Delivering regular, interactive online education to bring cutting-edge discussions directly to your screen.
BSI-Enabled Training: Developing a structured Breast and Oncoplastic Surgery fellowship and certification programme.
ISW 2028 in Cape Town: Building an inspiring, forward-looking scientific program for our next congress.
Join us: Upcoming Webinars
I warmly invite you, your trainees, and your multidisciplinary teams (surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists, as well as breast care nurses) to our upcoming interactive webinars. The upcoming webinars will be announced on this website. Please feel free to invite your friends and colleagues to attend these sessions which are open to all, with no registration or BSI membership required to join.
Invest in Your Surgical Future: Renew/Join BSI & ISS/SIC Membership
Your dual membership in BSI and the International Society of Surgery (ISS/SIC) connects you with a network of over 3,000 global surgical leaders committed to excellence, innovation, and equity.
Exclusive Member Benefits:
Complimentary digital access to the World Journal of Surgery and society newsletters
Reduced registration fees for International Surgical Week (ISW)
Free access to educational programmes and recorded lecture archives
Eligibility for international travel fellowships, advanced skills courses, and structured mentorship
Opportunities to engage in society leadership, research taskforces, and international working groups
Please take a few moments today to renew your membership or encourage rising colleagues to join our international community:
👉 Renew / Join Today: https://www.bsisurgery.org
Shape Our Future Education:
As we plan our upcoming webinar series, we would love your input. What topics, clinical dilemmas, or emerging surgical techniques would you like us to explore in future sessions? Simply reply directly to this email with your suggestions.
Thank you for your invaluable contributions to our surgical community and for the difference you make in patients' lives every single day. I look forward to welcoming you online on August 29th.
With gratitude and warm regards,
Dr. Sharon WW Chan
President, Breast Surgery International (BSI)
Clinical Director, KEC Breast Centre, United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong
Presidential Reports
President’s Report: Advancing Global Synergies in Breast Cancer Care Through the BEST Initiative
September 20, 2026
As President of Breast Surgery International (BSI), I am honored to share a report on our recent milestone collaborations and academic exchanges across China under the Breast Cancer Surgeon Taskforce (BEST) initiative.
BSI’s core mission is to promote global excellence in breast surgical care, advance evidence-based multidisciplinary treatment, and foster high-level international training and academic collaboration. Our engagement with the BEST platform directly reflects this mission—breaking geographical barriers, bridging international standards with local clinical practice, and ultimately elevating the quality of care for breast cancer patients worldwide.
Inauguration of the Breast Cancer Surgeon Taskforce (BEST) | Shanghai
November 13, 2025
On November 13, 2025, I had the privilege of representing BSI (Picture 1) at the official launch and inauguration of the Breast Cancer Surgeon Taskforce (BEST), held during the 17th Shanghai Breast Reconstruction Conference (Picture 2).
Against the backdrop of expanding global precision medicine, BEST was established as an international platform to unite top surgical expertise, cultivate professional talent, drive technological innovation, and promote cross-border academic exchange.
The initiative is co-hosted by the China Anti-Cancer Association Committee of Integrated Breast Cancer (CACA-CIBC) and the Chinese College of Breast Surgeons of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association (CCS-BC) (Picture 3), in close partnership with leading global surgical organizations, including BSI, the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) (Picture 4), and the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO) (Picture 5) and British Association of Surgical Oncology (BASO). BSI is deeply grateful to partner with these esteemed societies in launching a platform dedicated to international unity and surgical advancement.
As part of the inauguration events, the BEST meets iBreastBook joint session (Picture 6) featured in-depth discussions on current surgical practices in China, preoperative radiotherapy, and minimally invasive breast surgery (MIS). The session generated immense engagement, attracting over 8,000 online attendees across China and internationally.
Picture 1 Dr Chan Wing Wai Sharon
Picture2 BEST inauguration
Picture3 Prof Jiong Wu
Picture 4 Prof Eric Manahan
Picture5 Prof Tibor Kovacs
Picture 6 BEST meets iBReastBook
Academic Exchange at Jiangsu Province Hospital | Nanjing
November 12, 2025
Prior to the Shanghai launch, I visited the Breast Center of Jiangsu Province Hospital (Picture 7) for an academic exchange seminar focused on surgical innovation.
During the visit, I delivered a keynote lecture titled "Robot-assisted Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy (R-NSM)." The presentation reviewed the historical paradigm shift in breast surgery from traditional radical operations to aesthetic and functional preservation through nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM). I highlighted the key technological advantages of robotic systems—such as high-definition 3D visualization and enhanced instrument dexterity—while addressing the practical challenges, learning curves, and economic considerations involved in implementing R-NSM (Picture 8).
Picture 7
Picture 8
BEST Academic Exchange at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University | Xi'an
June 29, 2026
Continuing the momentum of the BEST initiative, our delegation visited the historic city of Xi'an on June 29, 2026, for a high-level academic exchange at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University (Pictures 9 & 10).
I delivered a lecture on the core concepts and procedural nuances of oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery (specifically the Round Block technique). The seminar fostered a rich dialogue combining technical rigor with practical clinical insight. By integrating international oncoplastic standards with the anatomical characteristics of Chinese patients and local healthcare realities, the session helped chart future pathways for individualized, precision-driven breast cancer treatment.
Picture 9
Picture 10
BEST Academic Exchange at Lanzhou University First & Second Hospitals | Lanzhou
June 30, 2026
On June 30, 2026, the BEST International Exchange Project visited Lanzhou for extensive academic sessions at both the First Hospital of Lanzhou University (Picture 11) and the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University (Picture 12).Engaging with faculty and clinical teams across both institutions, our discussions covered key frontiers in modern breast surgery:
• Endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy and prepectoral primary implant reconstruction
• Oncoplastic surgical defect management
• Clinical decision-making for patients with hereditary genetic risk
• Surgical strategies following neoadjuvant systemic therapy
Picture 11
Picture 12
Looking Ahead
I extend my deepest gratitude to our host institutions in Nanjing, Xi'an, and Lanzhou, as well as our co-founding partners at CACA-CIBC, CCS-BC, ASBrS, and ESSO, for their warm hospitality and commitment to global collaboration.
My visits across China reaffirmed the immense value of face-to-face peer exchange. BSI looks forward to leveraging the BEST platform for ongoing joint webinars, clinical observerships and training, research collaborations and publications, and multidisciplinary symposia as we work together to advance the frontier of global breast surgical care.
