Miss Beatrix Elsberger is a Consultant Breast Surgeon within the Breast Unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer with the University of Aberdeen. She has recently started her National Research Scotland (NRS) Fellowship. This three years’ fellowship will give dedicated time for clinical research.
One of the aims of her fellowship is to bring more clinical trials to Aberdeen, because: “Cancer research and access to clinical trials should have no geographical borders or inequalities. Implementation of the most recent clinical studies would bring the latest advances to the region, benefitting breast cancer patients locally.”
Miss Elsberger also has an interest in translational breast cancer research. She plans to work with scientists from the University of Aberdeen to link results from the laboratory with clinical practice. The aim is to identify patients with a low risk of cancer coming back, once they had it. These patients might need fewer or different treatments, compared to patients with a high risk of the cancer returning. A more personal approach in breast cancer treatments could be therefore developed. Eliminating needless procedures would mean less side effects, a quicker recovery and better quality of life for these patients. It would also translate into cost savings for the local health system.