Use of 3D printing in the design and manufacture of bespoke prosthesis for cancer patients

EmmaJude Lyons

EmmaJude was awarded an IRC Enterprise Partnership Scheme Scholarship in partnership with Breakthrough Cancer Research. She is working as a PhD student with Prof. Leonard O’Sullivan at University of Limerick.

The aim of this research is to use 3D printing to develop solutions to support female patients with cancer. EmmaJude and her team will investigate the device application for Breast cancer patients by printing bespoke breast prosthesis.

On average 3,363 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Ireland every year. It is the most commonly diagnosed invasive cancer in women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer). The five year survival rate for breast cancer in women is 88% (annual figures from 2018-2020, NCRI).

Most breast cancers are treated with a combination of several treatment options such as surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy. 85% of patients have surgical treatment. The breast prosthesis, developed from this research will be individually suited to each patient. They can be used by patients post breast cancer surgery.

At the end of 2020 there were 47,209 people in Ireland that had survived breast cancer.

RESEARCH FINDINGS

Conference Presentations

Health Research Institute Conference 2022, Limerick, Ireland. Title: “World first’ project creating bespoke breast prostheses for women post-mastectomy in Limerick”