Cork consultant named on Executive Board for Breast International Group 

A Cork consultant has been announced as one of 14 medical professionals on Breast International Group’s (BIG) new Executive Board.

Professor Seamus O'Reilly has been a consultant medical oncologist in Cork since 2001 and is Principal Investigator of the Oncology Clinical Trials unit there which offers patients with cancer access to national and internationally conducted trials in breast and other cancers.

Prof O’Reilly is an active member of the All Ireland Co-operative Oncology Research Group (ICORG), editor of the journal Cancerwise and author/co-author of over 50 peer-reviewed publications.

He is Co-National Specialty Director in Medical Oncology at the Royal College of Physicians and his cancer-related charitable activities include being co-founder of the South Eastern Cancer Foundation and Chairperson Board of Trustees at Cork ARC Cancer Support House.

He has most recently been announced on the Executive Board of BIG, the largest international not-for-profit organisation for academic breast cancer research groups from around the world.

The new Board consists of 14 individuals chosen from amongst its member groups that embody a broad range of cancer expertise such as medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, biostatistics, and clinical trials methodology and translational research.

From a geographic point of view, BIG constitutes a network of over 50 like-minded research groups from around the world and reaches approximately 70 countries on six continents.

BIG connects several thousand specialised hospitals, research centres, and world-class breast cancer experts who collaborate to design and conduct pioneering breast cancer research through its network of groups.

BIG Chair, Professor David Cameron, said: “BIG recognises that the global cancer problem has particularities in each region and country. I’m delighted by the composition of the new Executive Board – I’m confident that this talented, multi-national, and multi-disciplinary group of people will further develop the important advances already set into motion in recent years.

“In the years to come, the BIG network aims to continue to play an important role in international breast cancer research, allowing for the most efficient conduct of clinical trials and always keeping patients’ interests at the heart of its activities.

“Further collaboration with research groups in countries where research is scarcer and availability of innovative trials is rarer could be a significant step towards improving treatment and care for women and men with breast cancer, wherever they live.”