Overview
Background
Sunil Lakhani is Executive Director Research and Senior Staff Specialist, Pathology Queensland, and Head of the Molecular Breast Group at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR) at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
Prior to his move to Australia in 2004, he was Professor of Breast Pathology at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
His current research interests include lobular carcinoma and its variants, normal and stem cells, tumours with a basal phenotype, familial breast cancer and biology and therapeutic development for brain and distant metastases.
He was series editor for the 4th Edition WHO Tumour Classification Books and volume editor for the 4th Ed WHO Classification of Tumours of the Breast (2012). He is currently Standing member of the Board for the 5th Ed WHO Tumour Classification Books. He is also on the editorial board of a number of pathology and experimental research journals.
Availability
- Professor Sunil Lakhani is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours), University College London
- Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and Medical Science, University College London
- Doctoral Diploma of Medicine, University College London
- Royal College of Pathologists, Royal College of Pathologists
Research impacts
The recognition that ADH is biologically very similar to DCIS has led to a policy of excising all ADH lesions diagnosed on core biopsies at breast screening assessment
The demonstration that LCIS is a clonal neoplastic proliferation with the same molecular phenotype as invasive lobular carcinoma, and the subsequent dissemination of this knowledge through publication (Lakhani SR 2003, Lancet) and conference presentations has also changed the management of LCIS. It is accepted that it is a non-obligate precursor, rather than a hyperplastic lesion.
The recognition of the pleomorphic variant of lobular is now changing the way this proliferation is managed. Like other lobular lesions, it is multifocal/bilateral but a more aggressive variant. There is considerable ongoing discussion on the international stage regarding management and my work has played a role in this policy change.
We have also shown that columnar cell lesions, which are increasingly being diagnosed in the screening program, are clonal lesions with a progressive relationship to low grade DCIS (Simpson PT et al 2005 Am J Surg Pathol). We have shown that morphological atypia is associated with molecular profiles similar to that of DCIS and hence patients with atypical lesions on core biopsy are now subjected to further excision. It has been shown subsequently that many of these patients have worse pathology on further resection.
My expertise, in diagnostic and molecular biology of pre-invasive breast disease has also been acknowledged in being appointed Head of Breast Screen Pathology, North Brisbane as well as being a member of the Breast Screen Quality (‘Q’) group in Queensland.
My work as part of the BCLC has demonstrated that BRCA1-related breast cancers are high grade, highly proliferative tumours and occurred in young women. Hence there was an immediate impact on breast screening protocols. I was invited to many meetings to discuss the pathology in relation to the following: (i) should mammography be used in young women and how effective would it be in dense breasts? (ii) should another modality such as MRI be considered? (iii) irrespective of the modality, should the screening interval be shortened to reduce the risk that patients would present with interval cancers?
All these issues have been addressed subsequent to the publications – in particular, I was member of the steering group that published the experience of using MRI in young women at high risk of breast cancer (Leach et al 2005 MARIBS The Lancet). MRI is now used in many countries to screen high-risk women. The screening interval has been reduced to 1 year as many patients did present with interval cancers as predicted by the pathology.
In extending the original work on morphology, my group has also demonstrated that a large proportion of BRCA1associated cancers are ER negative and ‘basal-like’. This led us to propose that this phenotype could be used to improve the risk estimation and carrier probability of women seen in family cancer clinics (Lakhani et al 2005 Clin Can Res).
We have now published a number of papers supporting the use of pathology data to improve risk estimation as well as improving the likelihood of unclassified variants (UVs) being pathogenic. This work has been done with previous BCLC collaborators (Prof Doug Easton) as well as with Georgia Chenevix-Trench and Amanda Spurdle at QIMR (Chenevix-Trench et al 2006 Can Res, Lovelock et al 2007 Br Can Res, Spurdle et al 2008 JCO, Spurdle et al 2009 Hum Mut, Mavaddat et al 2010 Br Can Res) This approach is now being incorporated into the genetics clinics.
Works
Search Professor Sunil Lakhani’s works on UQ eSpace
2002
Journal Article
The pathology of familial breast cancer: Predictive value of immunohistochemical markers estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, HER-2, and p53 in patients with mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2
Lakhani, Sunil R., van de Vijver, Marc J., Jacquemier, Jocelyne, Anderson, Thomas J., Osin, Peter P., McGuffog, Lesley and Easton, Douglas F. (2002). The pathology of familial breast cancer: Predictive value of immunohistochemical markers estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, HER-2, and p53 in patients with mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 20 (9), 2310-2318. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2002.09.023
2002
Journal Article
The expression patterns of integrin subunits on human breast tissues obtained during pregnancy
Suzuki, RN, Entwistle, A, Atherton, AJ, Clarke, C, Lakhani, SR and O'Hare, MJ (2002). The expression patterns of integrin subunits on human breast tissues obtained during pregnancy. Cell Biology International, 26 (7), 593-598. doi: 10.1006/cbir.2002.0880
2002
Journal Article
The Significance of Early Breast Lesions
Clarke, C. and Lakhani, S. R. (2002). The Significance of Early Breast Lesions. Breast Cancer Online, 5, 1-5.
2002
Journal Article
The Wnt pathway, epithelial-stromal interactions, and malignant progression in phyllodes tumours
Sawyer, EJ, Hanby, AM, Rowan, AJ, Gillett, CE, Thomas, RE, Poulsom, R, Lakhani, SR, Ellis, IO, Ellis, P and Tomlinson, IPM (2002). The Wnt pathway, epithelial-stromal interactions, and malignant progression in phyllodes tumours. Journal of Pathology, 196 (4), 437-444. doi: 10.1002/path.1067
2001
Journal Article
Microarray and histopathological analysis of tumours: The future and the past?
Lakhani, Sunil R. and Ashworth, Alan (2001). Microarray and histopathological analysis of tumours: The future and the past?. Nature Reviews Cancer, 1 (2), 151-157. doi: 10.1038/35101087
2001
Journal Article
CGH analysis of ductal carcinoma of the breast with basaloid/myoepithelial cell differentiation
Jones, C., Nonni, A. V., Fulford, L., Merrett, S., Chaggar, R., Eusebi, V. and Lakhani, S. R. (2001). CGH analysis of ductal carcinoma of the breast with basaloid/myoepithelial cell differentiation. British Journal of Cancer, 85 (3), 422-427. doi: 10.1054/bjoc.2001.1869
2001
Journal Article
Profiling familial breast cancer
Lakhani, SR, O'Hare, MJ and Ashworth, A (2001). Profiling familial breast cancer. Nature Medicine, 7 (4), 408-410. doi: 10.1038/86464
2001
Journal Article
Profiling familial breast cancer
Lakhani, Sunil R., O'Hare, Michael J. and Ashworth, Alan (2001). Profiling familial breast cancer. Nature Medicine, 7 (4), 408-410. doi: 10.1038/86464
2001
Journal Article
Molecular cytogenetic comparison of apocrine hyperplasia and apocrine carcinoma of the breast
Jones, C, Damiani, S, Wells, D, Chaggar, R, Lakhani, SR and Eusebi, V (2001). Molecular cytogenetic comparison of apocrine hyperplasia and apocrine carcinoma of the breast. American Journal of Pathology, 158 (1), 207-214. doi: 10.1016/S0002-9440(10)63959-4
2001
Journal Article
Contribution of germline MLH1 and MSH2 mutations to lobular carcinoma in situ of the breast
Stone, JG, Coleman, G, Gusterson, B, Marossy, A, Lakhani, SR, Ward, A, Nash, A, McKinna, A, A'Hern, R, Stratton, MR and Houlston, RS (2001). Contribution of germline MLH1 and MSH2 mutations to lobular carcinoma in situ of the breast. Cancer Letters, 167 (2), 171-174. doi: 10.1016/S0304-3835(01)00448-7
2001
Journal Article
Loss of heterozygosity at cylindromatosis gene locus, CYLD, in sporadic skin adnexal tumours
Leonard, N, Chaggar, R, Jones, C, Takahashi, M, Nikitopoulou, A and Lakhani, SR (2001). Loss of heterozygosity at cylindromatosis gene locus, CYLD, in sporadic skin adnexal tumours. Journal of Clinical Pathology, 54 (9), 689-692. doi: 10.1136/jcp.54.9.689
2001
Journal Article
Molecular genetics of solid tumours: translating research into clinical practice. What we could do now: breast cancer
Lakhani, SR (2001). Molecular genetics of solid tumours: translating research into clinical practice. What we could do now: breast cancer. Journal of Clinical Pathology-molecular Pathology, 54 (5), 281-284. doi: 10.1136/mp.54.5.281
2001
Journal Article
The mammary myoepithelial cell - Cinderella or ugly sister?
Lakhani, SR and O'Hare, MJ (2001). The mammary myoepithelial cell - Cinderella or ugly sister?. Breast Cancer Research, 3 (1) 1, 1-4. doi: 10.1186/bcr260
2001
Journal Article
MR imaging of the skin and nipple of the breast: differentiation between tumour recurrence and post-treatment change
Ralleigh, G, Walker, AE, Hall-Craggs, MA, Lakhani, SR and Saunders, C (2001). MR imaging of the skin and nipple of the breast: differentiation between tumour recurrence and post-treatment change. European Radiology, 11 (9), 1651-1658. doi: 10.1007/s003300100837
2000
Journal Article
Proliferation and differentiation in the human breast during pregnancy
Suzuki, R., Atherton, A. J., O'Hare, M. J., Entwistle, A., Lakhani, S. R. and Clarke, C. (2000). Proliferation and differentiation in the human breast during pregnancy. Differentiation, 66 (2-3), 106-115. doi: 10.1046/j.1432-0436.2000.660205.x
2000
Journal Article
Clonality analysis of defined cell populations in paraffin-embedded tissue sections by RT-PCR amplification of X-linked G6PD gene
Peng, Huaizheng, Lakhani, Sunil R., Lee, Chungyin, Zheng, Qiang, Chaggar, Ranbir K., Wright, Nicholas A., Pan, Langxing and Isaacson, Peter G. (2000). Clonality analysis of defined cell populations in paraffin-embedded tissue sections by RT-PCR amplification of X-linked G6PD gene. Journal of Pathology, 191 (3), 313-317. doi: 10.1002/1096-9896(2000)9999:99993.0.CO;2-3
2000
Journal Article
Identification of the familial cylindromatosis tumour-suppressor gene
Bignell, Graham R., Warren, William, Seal, Sheila, Takahashi, Meiko, Rapley, Elizabeth, Barfoot, Rita, Green, Helen, Brown, Carolanne, Biggs, Patrick J., Lakhani, Sunil R., Jones, Christopher, Hansen, Juliana, Blair, Edward, Hofmann, Benedikt, Siebert, Reiner, Turner, Gwen, Evans, D. Gareth, Schrander-Stumpel, Connie, Beemer, Frits A., van den Ouweland, Ans, Halley, Dicky, Delpech, Bertrand, Cleveland, Mark G., Jaakko, Irene Leigh, Rasmussen, Leisti Sonja, Wallace, Margaret R., Fenske, Christiane, Banerjee, Piu, Oiso, Naoki ... Stratton, Michael R. (2000). Identification of the familial cylindromatosis tumour-suppressor gene. Nature Genetics, 25 (2), 160-165. doi: 10.1038/76006
2000
Journal Article
Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of myoepithelial carcinoma of the breast
Jones, C., Foschini, M. P., Chaggar, R., Lu, Y. J., Wells, D., Shipley, J. M., Eusebi, V. and Lakhani, S. R. (2000). Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of myoepithelial carcinoma of the breast. Laboratory Investigation, 80 (6), 831-836. doi: 10.1038/labinvest.3780087
2000
Journal Article
How diagnosis with microarrays can help cancer patients
Masters, John R. W. and Lakhani, Sunil R. (2000). How diagnosis with microarrays can help cancer patients. Nature, 404 (6781), 921-921. doi: 10.1038/35010139
2000
Journal Article
Radiation safety of the sentinel lymph node technique in breast cancer
Waddington, W. A., Taylor, I., Lakhani, S. R., Short, M. D. and Ell, P. J. (2000). Radiation safety of the sentinel lymph node technique in breast cancer. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 27 (4), 277-291.
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Sunil Lakhani is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Master Philosophy
E-cadherin, ROS1 and synthetic lethality in ILC
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed
-
Master Philosophy
Application of molecular genetics in Translational Breast Cancer Research
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed, Associate Professor Peter Simpson
-
Master Philosophy
Applications of Molecular Genetics in Translational Breast Cancer Research
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed, Associate Professor Peter Simpson
-
Doctor Philosophy
Circulating biomarkers in invasive lobular breast carcinoma
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Simpson, Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating therapeutic vulnerabilities in breast cancer.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Simpson, Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed
-
Doctor Philosophy
Studies on the utility of Endobronchial Ultrasound Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS TBNA) samples in novel investigations of lung cancer genomics, and immune responses
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Simpson
-
Doctor Philosophy
Studies on the utility of Endobronchial Ultrasound Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS TBNA) samples in novel investigations of lung cancer genomics, and immune
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Simpson
-
Doctor Philosophy
Studies on the utility of Endobronchial Ultrasound Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS TBNA) samples in novel investigations of lung cancer genomics, and immune responses
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Simpson
Completed supervision
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Identification of new prognostic biomarker for triple negative breast cancer
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jodi Saunus, Associate Professor Peter Simpson
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Heregulin/HER3 signalling increases invasive behaviour of HER2-positive breast cancer cells
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jodi Saunus
-
2013
Doctor Philosophy
Clinical-Pathological and Molecular Analysis to Understand Breast Cancer Progression
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Simpson
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Development of theranostic nanomedicines for breast cancer brain metastases
Joint Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jodi Saunus
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Detailed Characterisation of Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma
Joint Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jodi Saunus, Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Studies on the utility of Endobronchial Ultrasound Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS TBNA) samples in novel investigations of lung cancer genomics, and immune responses
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Simpson
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Identifying and characterising targetable proteins in breast cancer brain metastasis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Investigation of epigenetic influences on DNA methylation in Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Melissa Brown, Dr Jodi Saunus
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Genomic and transcriptomic biomarkers of prognosis in invasive lobular breast cancer.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed, Associate Professor Peter Simpson
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Intratumour heterogeneity in the development and progression of breast cancer
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Amy McCart Reed, Associate Professor Peter Simpson
-
2013
Doctor Philosophy
A Search For Novel Cancer Susceptibility Genes
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Melissa Brown, Associate Professor Peter Simpson
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Sunil Lakhani directly for media enquiries about:
- Brain metastasis
- Breast cancer
- Breast cancer - family history
- Cancer - breast
- Genetics - breast cancer
- Myoepithelial cells
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