I studied pre-clinical medicine at Cambridge University, graduating with a BA in Neuroscience in 1998. I then moved to the Royal Free Hospital, now part of University College London, for clinical medicine, obtaining an MB, BS in 2001. After developing an interest in breast cancer during my junior surgical jobs at the Luton & Dunstable Hospital and the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, I worked in Dylan Edwards’ lab at the University of East Anglia on expression of Matrix Metalloprotease 8 (MMP-8) and other proteases in breast cancer, being awarded my MD in July 2008.
During my higher surgical training in the East of England, I was able to contribute to a variety of clinical research projects, and was the founding chairman of the East of England Surgical Research Group. I have published on a range of conditions including diverticular disease in the context of obesity; small bowel enteropathy due to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and appendicitis. Breast cancer remains my main interest, most recently publishing on the impact of next generation DNA sequencing for BRCA1 mutation carriers.
Having obtained my Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 2012, I joined Breast Care at the Glenfield Hospital, University Hospitals of Leicester, as a Consultant Breast Surgeon in 2014, where I plan to develop further collaborations and continue my clinical research interests alongside developing my clinical work as an oncoplastic breast surgeon.
Outside work, I enjoy cycling and motorcycling whenever I can.
Selected publications
Allchin, R.L. Wickenden, K., Pilgrim, S. M., Wilson-Morkeh, I., Miall, F.M.
The successful use of neoadjuvant Brentuximab Vedotin in the Treatment of BIA-ALCL.
HemaSphere: December 2020 - Volume 4 - Issue 6 - p e501
Pilgrim, S. M., Pain, S. J. and Tischkowitz, M. D.
Opportunities and challenges of next-generation DNA sequencing for breast units.
Br J Surg. 2014 Jul;101(8):889-98. PMID:24676784
Pilgrim S, Pain S.
Bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy is the safest strategy in BRCA1 carriers.
Eur J Surg Oncol. 2014 Jun;40(6):670-2. PMID:24612652
Douek M, Klaase J, Monypenny I, Kothari A, Zechmeister K, Brown D, Wyld L, Drew P, Garmo H, Agbaje O, Pankhurst Q, Anninga B, Grootendorst M, Ten Haken B, Hall-Craggs MA, Purushotham A, Pinder S; SentiMAG Trialists Group.
Sentinel node biopsy using a magnetic tracer versus standard technique: the SentiMAG Multicentre Trial.
Ann Surg Oncol. 2014 Apr;21(4):1237-45. PMID:24322530
Burger A, Thurtle D, Owen S, Mannu G, Pilgrim S, Vinayagam R, Pain S.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy for risk-reducing mastectomy.
Breast J. 2013 Sep-Oct;19(5):529-32. PMID:23865803
Hanna MY, Leung E, Rogers C, Pilgrim S.
Primary Large-cell Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Breast.
Breast J. 2013 Mar;19(2):204-6. PMID:23458218
Gutiérrez-Fernández A, Fueyo A, Folgueras AR, Garabaya C, Pennington CJ, Pilgrim S, Edwards DR, Holliday DL, Jones JL, Span PN, Sweep FC, Puente XS, López-Otín C.
Matrix metalloproteinase-8 functions as a metastasis suppressor through modulation of tumor cell adhesion and invasion.
Cancer Res. 2008 Apr 15;68(8):2755-63. PMID: 18413742
Pilgrim S. Ravichandran D.
Fine needle aspiration cytology as an adjunct to core biopsy in the assessment of symptomatic breast carcinoma.
The Breast. 2005 Oct;14(5):411-4. PMID: 16216746
