Juniper
Dr Ng Char Hong, Consultant Breast and Breast Reconstructive Surgeon, Hospital Picaso, shares insights during a fireside chat on advancing breast cancer care, highlighting the importance of collaboration and innovation in improving patient outcomes
Hospital Picaso, BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) and College of Radiology Malaysia today launched a partnership to strengthen breast intervention capabilities and multidisciplinary breast cancer care in Malaysia, with an aim to train at least 100 breast surgeons, breast radiologists and radiographers through structured clinical education and skills development. A key outcome of the collaboration will be the establishment of BD Breast Academy Malaysia Chapter in collaboration with Hospital Picaso, creating a dedicated platform for masterclasses, hands-on workshops, clinical mentorship, case discussions, faculty development, observerships and scientific exchange. Hospital Picaso will also be developed as a Breast Intervention Centre of Excellence and training hub in Malaysia over the three-year collaboration.
The partnership comes at a critical time for breast cancer care in Malaysia. The latest Malaysia National Cancer Registry Report 2017–20211 states that 50.5% of staged female breast cancer cases were diagnosed at Stage III or IV, while breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Malaysian women. The Ministry of Health’s Roadmap Towards Downstaging of Breast Cancer in Malaysia 2025–20352 has set national targets including having at least 60% of invasive breast cancers diagnosed at an early stage, completing diagnostic evaluation within 60 days, and ensuring at least 80% of patients complete multimodality treatment.
Against this backdrop, the new collaboration is intended to build a more sustainable clinical education ecosystem, strengthening the connections between the healthcare professionals involved from diagnosis through treatment. Training under the Malaysia Chapter will cover breast imaging, Core Needle Biopsy (CNB), Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy (VABB), image-guided biopsy, lesion localisation and minimally invasive breast intervention, alongside clinical decision-making and emerging best practices in breast cancer management.
Healthcare professionals will have access to practical learning including simulation-based training, procedural planning, live or recorded procedure observation, multidisciplinary case discussions and exposure to breast clinics and patient pathways. Planned observations at Hospital Picaso include ultrasound-guided CNB and VABB procedures as well as lesion localisation techniques. “The value of this partnership extends far beyond individual workshops or procedures. Breast cancer care involves a complex, highly interconnected series of decisions throughout a patient’s journey. By bringing clinical education into a truly multidisciplinary environment, we help healthcare professionals understand how decisions at one stage influence what comes next, while building capabilities that can strengthen breast care beyond our own institution,” said Ahmad Lutfi, Chief Executive Officer of Hospital Picaso.
advancing breast intervention and strengthening breast cancer care in Malaysia
Connecting expertise across the breast cancer pathway
Beyond procedural training, the partnership will bring together breast radiologists, breast surgeons, oncologists, pathologists and other healthcare professionals through multidisciplinary tumour board discussions, joint case reviews and cross-specialty educational activities. The intention is to improve alignment across diagnosis, treatment planning and patient management, while strengthening referral pathways particularly between breast radiologists and breast surgeons to support more timely clinical decision-making, coordinated care and access to appropriate treatment. Dr Farhana Fadzli, President of the College of Radiology Malaysia, said, “Breast intervention sits at an important point between detecting an abnormality and determining what comes next for the patient. The quality of imaging, tissue sampling and localisation, together with effective communication between specialties, can shape decisions further along the care pathway. A structured platform for training, mentorship and multidisciplinary learning allows healthcare professionals to continuously strengthen these capabilities while learning from one another.”
The programme will draw on faculty from both the public and private healthcare sectors, with experienced Malaysian breast radiologists and breast surgeons contributing to educational programmes designed around local clinical practice and patient needs. It will also support the development of future trainers and mentors. Hospital Picaso clinicians will have opportunities to participate as faculty in educational workshops and masterclasses, provide clinical mentorship and contribute to peer-to-peer learning in Malaysia and regionally.
Building on a regional education platform
The Malaysia Chapter builds on the Southeast Asia BD Breast Academy, established around two years ago and which has trained more than 100 healthcare professionals through workshops, masterclasses, clinical exchange programmes and knowledge-sharing initiatives. Through the new Malaysia Chapter, BD will work with Hospital Picaso and the College of Radiology Malaysia to provide a more structured local platform for continuous professional education while connecting Malaysian healthcare professionals with wider regional expertise.
Lu Liang, Vice President & General Manager, Southeast Asia & Pakistan, BD, said, “Healthcare transformation is not driven by technology alone. It requires strong partnerships, empowered healthcare professionals and a shared commitment to improving outcomes for patients and communities. Through the BD Breast Academy Malaysia Chapter, we want to create a sustainable platform where healthcare professionals can build practical skills, learn from experts and peers, and in turn help strengthen breast intervention capabilities across Malaysia.”
The collaboration will also include annual symposiums and educational forums, multidisciplinary roundtable discussions, clinical mentorship, faculty development and joint local and regional workshops. Beyond individual training sessions, the partners aim to develop an ongoing network of healthcare professionals who can share knowledge, mentor peers and support more consistent breast intervention practices across Malaysia.
The MoU was signed at Sheraton Petaling Jaya Hotel during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, following Hospital Picaso’s MDT Series: Early Breast Cancer 2026, which brought together specialists acros
surgery, oncology, radiology, pathology, genetics and other areas of breast cancer care. Over the next three years, Hospital Picaso, BD and the College of Radiology Malaysia will work together to expand access to structured breast intervention education, develop clinical faculty and strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration, with the longer-term aim of supporting more timely diagnosis, appropriate intervention, coordinated care and a more connected patient journey from detection through treatment.
