Patsy is a diagnostic radiographer by training, and a specialist in mammography and breast screening since 1997. She gained a Masters degree in radiography in 2003. She has previously worked as a clinical educator and masters course director in mammography, as a clinical manager, and as regional breast screening quality assurance radiographer for London. Patsy moved to the University of Dundee in late 2009 to conduct breast imaging research, both independently and as a co-investigator and trial manager for Prof Andy Evans. Patsy’s main current research interests concern re-attendance rates in breast cancer screening and the client/patient experience in mammography. Patsy is currently a member of the Westminster government’s Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening and the UK NHS breast screening mammography quality assurance group. She is also a trustee and conference committee member of Symposium Mammographicum.

Whelehan P, Vinnicombe S, Brown DC, McLean D, Evans A. Accuracy of non-operative identification of the sentinel lymph node using combined gamma and ultrasound scanning (In press). Clinical Radiology [serial on the Internet]. 2014. Vinnicombe SJ, Whelehan P, Thomson K, McLean D, Purdie CA, Jordan LB, et al. What are the characteristics of breast cancers misclassified as benign by quantitative ultrasound shear wave elastography? European Radiology. 2014;24(4):921-6. Evans A, Rauchhaus P, Whelehan P, Thomson K, Purdie CA, Jordan LB, et al. Does shear wave ultrasound independently predict axillary lymph node metastasis in women with invasive breast cancer? Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2014;143:153-7. Elsberger B, Romsauerova A, Vinnicombe S, Whelehan P, Brown DC, Dewar JA, et al. Comparison of mammographic findings after intraoperative radiotherapy or external beam whole breast radiotherapy. European Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2014;40(2):163-7. Whelehan P. Mammography. In: Ramlaul A, Vosper M, editors. Patient Centred Care in Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2013. p. 205-10. Whelehan P, Evans A, Wells M, MacGillivray S. The effect of mammography pain on repeat participation in breast cancer screening: A systematic review. The Breast. 2013; 22: 389-394. Mullen R, Purdie CA, Jordan LB, McLean D, Whelehan P, Vinnicombe S, et al. Can additional histopathological examination of ultrasound-guided axillary lymph node core biopsies improve preoperative diagnosis of primary breast cancer nodal metastasis? Clinical Radiology. 2013;68(7):704-7. Evans A, Armstrong S, Whelehan P, Thomson K, Rauchhaus P, Purdie C, et al. Can shear-wave elastography predict response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in women with invasive breast cancer? British Journal of Cancer. 2013;109:2798-802. M. J. Michell, A. Iqbal, R. K. Wasan, D. R. Evans, C. Peacock, C. P. Lawinski, A. Douiri, R. Wilson and P. Whelehan. A comparison of the accuracy of film-screen mammography, full-field digital mammography, and digital breast tomosynthesis. Clinical Radiology. 2012; 67(10): 976-981. Macaskill EJ, Purdie CA, Jordan LB, McLean D, Whelehan P, Brown DC, et al. Axillary lymph node core biopsy for breast cancer metastases - How many needle passes are enough? Clinical Radiology. 2012;67(5):417-9. Evans A, Whelehan P, Thomson K, McLean D, Brauer K, Purdie C, et al. Invasive Breast Cancer: Relationship between Shear-wave Elastographic Findings and Histologic Prognostic Factors. Radiology. 2012 June 1, 2012;263(3):673-7. Andrew Evans, Patsy Whelehan, Kim Thomson, Katrin Brauer, Lee Jordan, Colin Purdie, Denis McLean, Lee Baker, Sarah Vinnicombe, Alastair Thompson. Differentiating benign from malignant solid breast masses: value of shear wave elastography according to lesion stiffness combined with greyscale ultrasound according to BI-RADS classification. British Journal of Cancer. 2012; 107(2): 224-229. Evans A, Whelehan P. Breast screening policy: Are we heading in the right direction? Clinical Radiology. 2011;66(10):915-9. Beral V, Alexander M, Duffy S, Ellis I, Given-Wilson R, Holmberg L, Moss S, Ramirez A, Reed M, Rubin C, Whelehan P, Wilson R, Young K. The number of women who would need to be screened regularly by mammography to prevent one death from breast cancer. Journal of Medical Screening. 2011;18(4):210-2. Omar L, Burgess CC, Tucker LD, Whelehan P, Ramirez AJ. Can radiographers be trained to deliver an intervention to raise breast cancer awareness, and thereby promote early presentation of breast cancer, in older women? Radiography. 2010;16(2):101-7. Evans A, Whelehan P, Thomson K, McLean D, Brauer K, Purdie C, et al. Quantitative shear wave ultrasound elastography: initial experience in solid breast masses. Breast Cancer Research. 2010;12(6):R104. Burgess CC, Linsell L, Kapari M, Omar L, Michell M, Whelehan P, et al. Promoting early presentation of breast cancer by older women: A preliminary evaluation of a one-to-one health professional-delivered intervention. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2009;67(5):377-87. Burgess CC, Bish AM, Hunter HS, Salkovskis P, Michell M, Whelehan P, et al. Promoting early presentation of breast cancer: Development of a psycho-educational intervention. Chronic lllness. 2008;4(1):13-27.