Prof John Boyages MD PhD
Tell us a bit about yourself:
I am a 52-year old breast cancer oncologist and the founding director of a large breast cancer screening and treatment program, the Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, in Sydney, Australia. Having graduated from Sydney University with a medical degree with honours and one in Radiation Oncology, I enrolled in a PhD, and was invited by Prof Jay Harris, in Boston, to do further study at Harvard University. As well as my public clinical, teaching and research work, I also advise and treat private patients in a multidisciplinary setting.
I love research and have published over 130 research articles, reports and book chapters. My PhD was about what predicts breast cancer coming back after “breast conservation” (basically treating breast cancer without losing your breast). More recently I have been doing research on “ sentinel nodes”, hormone replacement therapy and plastic surgery.
In 1986 I was awarded a National medical media award for services to the media and the community. I am an adviser on various national and international committees and have a conjoint professorial appointment with the University of Sydney
Give us a synopsis of your book:
In Breast Cancer: Taking Control I walk women with breast cancer and their families slowly through the stress and confusion of a diagnosis, treatment, and life after breast cancer.
This book is the culmination of four years of research, peer and patient review. It’s an easy¬to¬read road-map with 20 key “control points” in chapters which are important decisions which need to be made after diagnosis on the path to survival. It also includes 15 case studies.
The book is broken down into three parts detailing the phases of your cancer treatment: diagnosis, before surgery, and after surgery. Each section has its own colour:
• Part 1, in red, is the time to “stop” and take stock of the situation
• Part 2 is in amber, as a lot of “caution” is required before treatment starts
• Part 3 is in green, which means to “proceed with care.” This section gives you information you need after your surgery and following treatment.
Breast Cancer: Taking Control also includes 75 web links, 20 flow charts,
and a comprehensive index and glossary. Insightful and informative, this book provides
up¬to¬date treatments and is an excellent resource for patients and caregivers.
What inspired you to write/become and author?
I have always wanted to help women (and a few men) ensure they get the right treatment. I treat many women from the poorer areas of the West of Sydney. I also treat many doctors with breast cancer or their wives and give a lot of second opinions particularly when cancer comes back. I get very frustrated when I see patients whose cancer has returned knowing that their original treatment was perhaps less than ideal. I have wanted to write the book for years, but about four years ago a doctor called me to see his wife who had already had some treatment—I felt that their care could have been better. I thought to myself that if a doctor can’t get the right advice what about everyone else. I started writing the book the following weekend.
As an author, what are you plans for the future?
Its pretty scary being an author. I remember when the first copy arrived whilst on my sabbatical in Oxford and the dread seeing a book which was always “virtual” on the computer being a physical reality. It was great after one week getting lots of positive feedback from colleagues who had not reviewed the book before. However, the best feedback has been the lots of positive feedbacks and e-mails I have already received via my web site at www.breastcancertakingcontrol.com from women who said that it was the best book they have read on the subject. I have started writing a second book on a type of breast disease called “DCIS” or ductal carcinoma in situ as this is probably more difficult to treat with lots of varying opinions than invasive breast cancer.
I am currently on a teaching sabbatical at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon and the Churchill Hospital in Oxford and plan to return to Australia in early December.
