Ep. 39 - Best of ASBrS 2026 (Part 2): Helen Pass's Best Papers (Part 2 of 2)

In part two of this special "Live from ASBrS 2026" series, the co-hosts continue their on-the-ground coverage of the meeting's most compelling research and presentations with special guest Dr. Helen Pass. They unpack additional standout papers, emerging clinical insights, and the conversations shaping the future of breast surgery. It's a timely, practical look at the ideas and evidence driving the field forward.

SPECIAL GUEST

Helen Pass, MD Growing up in a medical family, Helen Pass knew early on that she would follow in her father's footsteps by pursuing a career in surgery. During her medical training, a passion for caring for cancer patients emerged, driven by the opportunity to guide people through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. As a breast cancer surgeon, she is dedicated to providing personalized, evidence-based care that reflects each patient's unique goals and priorities while working within a multidisciplinary team that includes plastic surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, breast imaging specialists, geneticists, nurse navigators, nutritionists, and social workers. Helen's practice includes advanced oncoplastic techniques such as nipple-sparing and skin-sparing mastectomies, aesthetic flat closures, oncoplastic lumpectomies, hidden scar surgery, sentinel lymph node biopsies, breast biopsies, and breast duct explorations, as well as treatment for pregnant women, men with breast cancer, and patients facing cancer recurrence. She is deeply involved in cancer research, innovative clinical trials, and passionate about educating both patients and physicians on the latest surgical options and evidence-based treatment strategies. Demonstrating longstanding leadership in the breast community and surgical specialty, Helen has served as president and chairman of the board of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, governor of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the Executive Committee of the Commission on Cancer, and a founding member of the Board of Directors of the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). Her long-running session, "Helen Pass's Best Papers", is always a major highlight of every ASBrS Annual Meeting.

MEET THE CO-HOSTS

Michael Berry, MD is a breast surgical oncologist at the West Cancer Center in Germantown, TN. After practicing general surgery for 6 years, he completed a breast surgical oncology fellowship at UT Southwestern in Dallas in 2002. Upon leaving Texas, he moved to the Memphis, TN area where he was the first fellowship trained breast surgeon in the region; and this is where he remains today. Dr. Berry has long taught breast ultrasound diagnosis, intervention and ablation. However, his particular interest is in education, as he currently serves on the Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship Training Committee, which oversees the fellowship programs in the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Berry is currently the president-elect of the American Society of Breast Surgeons and will begin his term as president in May of 2025.

Susan K. Boolbol, MD, FACS is the system chief of breast surgical oncology and breast program at Nuvance Health. She is a board-certified, fellowship-trained breast surgeon and performs a variety of breast cancer surgeries including lumpectomies and mastectomies. She has a special interest in oncoplastic surgery and nipple-sparing mastectomy; she is also a Hidden Scar certified surgeon. Dr. Boolbol's personal mission is to diagnose and successfully treat breast cancer and breast conditions while caring for the whole patient – emotionally and physically – every step of the way. Dr. Boolbol is the immediate Past President of the American Society of Breast Surgeons. She joined Nuvance Health after serving as chief of breast surgery at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center. She completed her breast surgery fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center after her residency in general surgery at New York Hospital-Cornell U