As the Gattuso Chair in Breast Surgical Oncology, Dr. Tulin Cil is involved in every step of a patient’s cancer journey – from the moment they present with symptoms, to their diagnosis, to devising their personalized treatment plan.
But behind the scenes, she’s also hard at work on several ground-breaking studies related to breast cancer treatment. Her most recent study, At-home Breast Oncology care Delivered with E-Health solutions (ABODE), fills a gap highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic: the need for high quality virtual patient care.
She and her team are using a virtual care platform for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and their doctors to share information throughout their diagnoses and recovery periods. The app helps facilitate virtual consultations, provides educational content, and collects outcomes reported by the
patients themselves.
Thanks to fundraising dollars, the ABODE app has given breast cancer patients unprecedented access to their doctors and to information that is integral to their recovery. But there is still work to be done. “Ideally we would want to offer that kind of access to every patient who comes through our doors,” said Dr. Cil.
“None of the research that we do would really be possible without the support that we get from donors and programs like The Princess Margaret Cottage Lottery,” she said. “There are a lot of innovative ideas out there, but not enough research funding. Having support for breast cancer research is key to moving
the field forward.”
“It’s really exciting to work at the top cancer research centre in Canada alongside world-class scientists, researchers, and clinicians,” said Dr. Cil. “The things that we do are cutting-edge and we’re able to provide the highest level of patient care. It’s inspiring to be in an environment like The Princess Margaret where there’s a lot of support to be the best at what we do.”