Our Specialists
A/Prof Kylie Snook
A/Prof Kylie Snook
Breast Surgeon
Clinical Associate Professor Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney
BMed (Hons) FRACS
Clinical A/Prof Kylie Snook FRACS, is a Sydney-based breast surgeon with over two decades of clinical experience. She holds public appointments as a Visiting Medical Officer at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital, and BreastScreen Northern Sydney, as well as private appointments at the Mater Hospital, North Shore Private Hospital, and Hunters Hill Private Hospital.
A Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, A/Prof Snook graduated with Honours in Medicine from the University of Newcastle. She completed advanced surgical training through the Northern Sydney Central Coast Health Service and undertook a clinical fellowship in advanced breast surgery in the UK at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
She is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Sydney’s Northern Clinical School and is a foundation faculty member developing the University’s Graduate Certificate in Advanced Surgery (Breast Surgery). She is a longstanding instructor in oncoplastic skills training and an active supervisor of post-fellowship trainees.
A/Prof Snook is an active member of BreastSurgANZ, holding of positions Vice President and coucil member. She continues to serve on the Post-Fellowship Training Committee. She is a Medical Advisory Committee Member for both Inherited Cancers Australia and the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation. She helped establish and remains on the steering committee for the Kay Van Norton Centre for Wellbeing at the Mater Hospital. She will be representing breast surgeons on the Commonwealth Government’s Australian Breast Device Registry (ABDR) Steering Committee in the second half of 2026.
A/Prof Snook is a co-investigator on several national and international clinical trials in breast cancer, with a strong focus on de-escalation of treatment and improving patient-centred outcomes. She is also a frequent invited speaker and active advocate for breast cancer education across professional, academic, and public forums.
Clinical practice:
Surgical management of breast cancer including sentinel node biopsy, cancer excision with expertise in oncoplastic techniques and mastectomy with reconstructive surgery.
Surgery for benign breast conditions, risk reducing breast surgery for high risk patients (gene carriers).
Hospital appointments (regular operating lists):
- Mater Hospital Sydney
- North Shore Private Hospital
- Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital (public)
- Royal North Shore Hospital (public - for combined procedures with plastic surgeons)
Publications
2026
K. L. Dempsey, M. Walker, K. L. Snook, V. Durston, J. Steel, and M. E. Brennan, “ Improving Waiting Times for Risk-Reducing Bilateral Mastectomy in High-Risk Women by Using ‘Category 2’,” ANZ Journal of Surgery (2026): 1–4, https://doi-org.ezproxy.surgeons.org/10.1111/ans.70423.
2025
Dempsey K, Snook KL, Walker M, Brennan ME. Timely access to risk-reducing bilateral mastectomy: a systematic review of uptake, predictors, surgical waiting times and barriers. AJOPS. 2025;9(1):144858. doi:10.34239/ajops.144858
Shelley Potter 1,2,305 , Kerry Avery 1,3,4 , Rosina Ahmed 5 , Jana de Boniface 6,7 , Sanjoy Chatterjee 5 , David Dodwell 8 , Peter Dubsky 9,10 , Jingjing Federmann 11 , Sandra Finestone 12 , Michael Gnant 11,13 , Dominik Hlauschek 11 , Hiroji Iwata 14 , Michael Y. Jiang 1 , Orit Kaidar-Person 15 , Han-Byoel Lee 16 , Mairead MacKenzie 17 , Anne Meyn 12 , Philip Poortmans 18 , Fiorita Poulakaki 19,20 , Andrea L. Richardson 21 , Karla A. Sepulveda 22 , Andrew J. Spillane 23 , Alastair M. Thompson 22 , Gustavo Werutsky 24 , Philipp Wittmann 11 , Jean L. Wright 25 , Nicholas Zdenkowski 26 , Katherine Cowan 27 & Stuart A. McIntosh 28,305 On behalf of the PRECEDENT Study Group *. A core outcome set for locoregional treatment reporting in neoadjuvant systemic breast cancer treatment trials. npj Breast Cancer | (2025)11:116. doi:10.1038/s41523-025-00824-w
2024
Kontos M, Kanavidis P, Kühn T, Masannat Y, Gulluoglu B; TAD Study Group. Targeted axillary dissection: worldwide variations in clinical practice. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2024 Apr;204(2):389-396. doi: 10.1007/s10549-023-07204-7. Epub 2024 Jan 4. PMID: 38175449.
2023
Benefits and harms of breast cancer screening revisited: a large, retrospective cross-sectional study quantifying treatment intensity in women with screen-detected versus non-screen-detected cancer in Australia and New Zealand Dempsey, K., Costa, D. S., Brennan, M. E., Mann, G. B., Snook, K. L. & Spillane, A. J. (2023). BMJ Oncology, 2(1), pp. e000100-e000100. doi:10.1136/bmjonc-2023-000100
Patient-reported health-related quality of life outcomes following mastectomy for breast cancer, with immediate, delayed or no breast reconstruction: Four-year follow-up from a prospective cohort study. Dempsey K, Mathieu E, Brennan M, Snook K, Hoffman J, Campbell I, Scarlet J, Flay H, Wong A, Boyle F, King M, Spillane A. Breast. 2023 Oct;71:122-131. doi: 10.1016/j.breast.2023.08.001. Epub 2023 Aug 6.PMID: 37573653
Does breast cancer policy meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia? a review. Christie V, Riley L, Green D, Snook K, Henningham M, Rambaldini B, Amin J, Pyke C, Varlow M, Goss S, Skinner J, O'Shea R, McCowen D, Gwynne K. Int J Equity Health. 2023 Jul 5;22(1):129. doi: 10.1186/s12939-023-01941-3. PMID: 37408069
2022
Radio-isotope occult lesion localization (ROLL) techniques to identify the clipped node for targeted axillary dissection (TAD) in breast cancer Winder AA, Spillane AJ, Sood S, McKessar M, Cohn D, Snook K. ANZ J Surg. 2022 Oct 19. doi: 10.1111/ans.18079. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36262092
Breast Radiotherapy after Oncoplastic Surgery-A Multidisciplinary Approach Metz G, Snook K, Sood S, Baron-Hay S, Spillane A, Lamoury G, Carroll S. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Mar 25;14(7):1685. doi: 10.3390/cancers14071685. PMID: 35406457 Free PMC article. Review.
The role of breast reconstruction choice on body image patient-reported outcomes at four years post-mastectomy for breast cancer: A longitudinal prospective cohort study Dempsey K, Mathieu E, Brennan M, Snook K, Hoffman J, Campbell I, Scarlet J, Flay H, Wong AZH, Boyle F, King M, Spillane A. Psychooncology. 2022 Jan;31(1):54-61. doi: 10.1002/pon.5776. Epub 2021 Sep 8. PMID: 34498358
2019
Wilsher M, Reddy J, McKessar M, Guminski A, Snook KL. Metachronous metaplastic carcinomas of breast arising in association with multiple intraduct papillomata, with eventual cardiopulmonary metastasis and death. Breast J. 2019 May 13. doi: 10.1111/tbj.13331. [Epub ahead of print] No abstract available.PMID: 31087410
Zdenkowski N, Butow P, Spillane A, Douglas C, Snook K, Jones M, Oldmeadow C, Fewster S, Beckmore C, Boyle FM. Patient-reported outcomes with neoadjuvant vs adjuvant systemic therapy for operable breast cancer. Breast. 2019 Apr 20;46:25-31. doi: 10.1016/j.breast.2019.04.003. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 31059987
Oh DD, Flitcroft K, Brennan ME, Snook KL, Spillane AJ. Outcomes of breast reconstruction in older women: patterns of uptake and clinical outcomes in a large metropolitan practice. ANZ J Surg. 2019 Jun;89(6):706-711. doi: 10.1111/ans.15145. Epub 2019 Apr 29. PMID:31033164
2018
Azimi F, Flitcroft K, Mathieu E, Karantonis R, Snook K, Spillane AJ. Low-Level Laser Treatment Is Ineffective for Capsular Contracture: Results of the LaTCon Randomized Controlled Trial. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2018 Nov;142(5):621e-631e. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000004826. PMID: 30511966 Clinical Trial.
Oh DD, Flitcroft K, Brennan ME, Snook KL, Spillane AJ. Patient-reported outcomes of breast reconstruction in older women: Audit of a large metropolitan public/private practice in Sydney, Australia. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2018 Nov;142(5):621e-631e. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000004826. PMID: 30511966
Zdenkowski N, Butow P, Spillane A, Douglas C, Snook K, Jones M, Oldmeadow C, Fewster S, Beckmore C, Boyle FM; Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group. Single-Arm Longitudinal Study to Evaluate a Decision Aid for Women Offered Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy for Operable Breast Cancer. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2018 Apr;16(4):378-385. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2017.7063. PMID: 29632057
2017
Winters ZE, Afzal M, Rutherford C, Holzner B, Rumpold G, da Costa Vieira RA, Hartup S, Flitcroft K, Bjelic-Radisic V, Oberguggenberger A, Panouilleres M, Mani M, Catanuto G, Douek M, Kokan J, Sinai P, King MT; European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Group. International validation of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-BRECON23 quality-of-life questionnaire for women undergoing breast reconstruction. Br J Surg. 2018 Feb;105(3):209-222. doi: 10.1002/bjs.10656. Epub 2017 Nov 8. PMID: 29116657
Brennan ME, McKessar M, Snook K, Burgess I,Spillane AJ. Impact of selective use of breast MRI on surgical decision-making in women with newly diagnosed operable breast cancer. The Breast 2017;32:135-43. Abstract
2016
Brennan ME, Flitcroft K, Warrier S, Snook K, Spillane AJ.Immediate expander/implant breast reconstruction followed by post-mastectomy radiotherapy for breast cancer: Aesthetic, surgical, satisfaction and quality of life outcomes in women with high-risk breast cancer. The Breast 2016;30:59–65. Abstract
Flitcroft K, Brennan M, Costa D,Wong A, Snook K and Spillane A. An evaluation of factors affecting preference for immediate, delayed or no breast reconstruction in women with high-risk breast cancer. 2016;Psycho-oncology in press; doi: 10.1002/pon.4087.
2015
Read R, Flitcroft K, Snook K, Boyle F, Spillane A. The utility of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of operable breast cancer. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2015;85(5):315-20. Abstract
2014
Wilsher M, Snook KL. Endosalpingiosis in an axillary lymph node with synchronous micro-metastatic mammary carcinoma. Pathology. 2014 Dec;46(7):665-7.
Brennan ME, Spillane A, Flitcroft K, Snook K, Wong A. Platinum multidisciplinary breast cancer care or platinum breast reconstruction? ANZJS 2014;84(9):604-605. Journal
Snook KL, Spillane AJ.Intraoperative molecular sentinel node analysis: the way of the future or great technology with limited indication? ANZ Journal of Surgery;84(10):699-700. Journal
Wong A, Snook K, Brennan M, Flitcroft K,Tucker M, Hiercz D, Spillane A. Increasing breast reconstruction rates by offering more women a choice. ANZ Journal of Surgery 2014; 84: 31–36. Abstract
Wilsher MJ,Snook K. Bilateral, multicentric low-grade adenosquamous carcinomas of the breast, each arising within a separate radial scar/complex sclerosing lesion. Pathology 2014; 46(1):85-8. Journal
2013
Noushi F, Spillane AJ, Uren RF, Cooper R, Allwright S, Snook KL, Gillet D, Pearce AM, Gebski V. High discordance rates between sub-areolar and peri-tumoural breast lymphoscintigraphy. Eur J Surg Oncol. 2013 Oct;39(10):1053-60. Abstract Abstract
Read RL, Bambach CP, Snook KL. A rotation flap restores volume after inferomedial breast cancer excision. ANZ J Surg 2013; 83 (7-8): 595-6. Journal
2012
Gifford AJ, Colebatch AJ, Litkouhi S, Hersch F, Warzecha W, Snook K, Sywak M, Gill AJ. Remote frozen section examination of breast sentinel lymph nodes by telepathology. ANZ J Surg. 2012 Nov;82(11):803-8
2011
Snook KL , Layer GT, Jackson PA, de Vries CS, Shousha S, Sinnett HD, Nigar E, Singhal H, Chia Y, Cunnick G, Kissin MW; OSNA Study Group. Multicentre evaluation of intraoperative molecular analysis of sentinel lymph nodes in breast carcinoma. Br J Surg. 2011 Apr;98(4):527-35
2009
Mullan M, Snook KL, Taylor C. Ultrasound of the Breast. BMJ (2009) Free article
2007
Snook KL , Stalberg PLH, Sidhu SB, Sywak MS, Edhouse P, Delbridge LW. Recurrence after Total Thyroidectomy for Benign Multinodular Goitre. World Journal of Surgery (2007); 31(3): 593-598.
Sywak MS, Palazzo FF, Yeh M, Wilkinson M, Snook KL, Sidhu SB, Delbridge LW. Parathyroid hormone assay predicts hypocalcaemia after total thyroidectomy. ANZ J Surg (2007); 77(8): 667-670.
2003
Snook KL, Ritchie JD. Carcinoma of Esophagus after adjustable gastric banding. Obesity Surgery (2003); 13: 800-802.
2001
Barakate MS, Snook KL, Morgan MK, Pik J, Harrington TJ, Sorby W. Angioplasty and stenting in the posterior cerebral circulation. Journal of Endovascular Therapy (2001); 8(6): 558-65