HOSPITAL Picaso, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) and the College of Radiology Malaysia have launched a three-year partnership to strengthen breast intervention and multidisciplinary breast cancer care in Malaysia.
The memorandum of understanding was signed at the Sheraton Petaling Jaya Hotel during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It followed Hospital Picaso's MDT Series: Early Breast Cancer 2026, which brought together specialists in surgery, oncology, radiology, pathology, genetics and other areas of breast cancer care.
The collaboration seeks to train at least 100 breast surgeons, breast radiologists and radiographers through structured clinical education, practical skills development and clinical mentorship. It also aims to set up a more sustainable platform for knowledge-sharing among healthcare professionals.
A key component is the BD Breast Academy Malaysia Chapter, to be established with Hospital Picaso. It will offer 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 over the three years.
The partnership comes as Malaysia continues to face challenges in detecting and treating breast cancer early. The Malaysia National Cancer Registry Report 2017-2021 states that 50.5 per cent of staged female breast cancer cases were diagnosed at Stage III or IV. Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Malaysian women.
The Health Ministry's Roadmap Towards Downstaging of Breast Cancer in Malaysia 2025-2035 sets targets that include having at least 60 per cent of invasive breast cancers diagnosed at an early stage, completing diagnostic evaluation within 60 days and ensuring at least 80 per cent of patients complete multimodality treatment.
Against this backdrop, the partnership aims to strengthen clinical education across the breast cancer pathway, from diagnosis and tissue sampling to treatment planning and intervention.
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 practices in breast cancer management.
Participants will also get practical exposure through simulation-based training, procedural planning, live or recorded procedure observation, multidisciplinary case discussions, and breast clinic and patient pathway experiences. Planned observations at Hospital Picaso include ultrasound-guided CNB and VABB procedures, as well as lesion localisation techniques.
Hospital Picaso chief executive officer Ahmad Lutfi Abdul Rahman said the value of the 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," he said.
Beyond procedural skills, the collaboration will bring breast radiologists, breast surgeons, oncologists, pathologists and other healthcare professionals together through multidisciplinary tumour board discussions, joint case reviews and cross-specialty educational activities.
The initiative is intended to improve coordination between diagnosis, treatment planning and patient management, while strengthening referral pathways, particularly between breast radiologists and breast surgeons.
College of Radiology Malaysia president Dr Farhana Fadzli said breast intervention sits at an important point between detecting an abnormality and deciding 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," she said.
The programme will involve faculty from both the public and private healthcare sectors, with Malaysian breast radiologists and breast surgeons contributing to educational programmes tailored to local clinical practice and patient needs. Hospital Picaso clinicians will also have opportunities to become faculty members, contribute to workshops and masterclasses, provide clinical mentorship and support peer-to-peer learning in Malaysia and the region.
The Malaysia Chapter builds on the Southeast Asia BD Breast Academy, which was established about two years ago and has trained more than 100 healthcare professionals through workshops, masterclasses, clinical exchange programmes and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
Through the new chapter, BD will work with Hospital Picaso and the College of Radiology Malaysia to set up a more structured local platform for continuous professional education, while connecting Malaysian healthcare professionals with wider regional expertise.
BD Southeast Asia and Pakistan vice president and general manager Lu Liang said the partnership would focus on developing healthcare professionals alongside the use of technology.
"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 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," he said.
The collaboration will include annual symposiums and educational forums, multidisciplinary roundtable discussions, clinical mentorship, faculty development and joint local and regional workshops.
The partners also aim to establish an ongoing network of healthcare professionals who can exchange knowledge, mentor peers and support more consistent breast intervention practices nationwide.
The longer-term aim is to support more timely diagnosis, appropriate intervention, coordinated care and a more connected patient journey from breast cancer detection through treatment.