Family values

Dr. Kara Nadeau represents the next generation of surgeons.

As St. Joseph’s current Breast Surgical Oncology and Oncoplastic Surgery fellow, she’s learning new skills in the operating room, participating in leading-edge research and providing patient-centered care to people from across the region.

And she’s a second-generation surgeon, too: her mom, Dr. Michele Brule, is a general surgeon at Health Sciences North in Sudbury. “I was introduced to the world of surgery so early that I knew the word "appendicitis" before many other words in my vocabulary,” she says.

Growing up, Dr. Nadeau always looked up to her mom’s work ethic and commitment to helping people in their community. She recalls being stopped on the street by complete strangers who wanted to thank her for the care her mom provided for them. 

Following in her mom’s footsteps was a natural fit. “Her passion for general surgery, which continues to shine after over 30 years of practice, had a profound influence on me,” she shares. “It’s in large part because of her that I chose to pursue a career in surgery.”

On the frontline of care

Clinical fellowships are an important training opportunity for new surgeons, and a vital part of St. Joseph’s mission. They enable surgeons to subspecialize in a particular field and offer a helping hand in the operating room so that patients experience the best possible outcomes. Dr. Nadeau’s fellowship would not be possible without generous donor support.  

She joined St. Joseph’s as a fellow in the summer of 2024 after completing a General Surgery residency at Health Sciences North – working alongside her mom – through the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

With a strong interest in helping patients facing breast disease, this fellowship offered Dr. Nadeau a chance to refine her skills and expertise in breast surgical oncology. The fellowship is an intensive one-year appointment that gives surgeons hands-on experience with the full spectrum of benign and malignant breast disease.

“Dr. Nadeau is doing a great job and has been an amazing addition to the program”, shares Dr. Sarah Knowles, Breast Surgical Oncologist and Interim Medical Director of St. Joseph’s Breast Care Program.

She has already completed several months of clinical rotations with the breast care team, giving her invaluable experience working closely with surgeons, nurses and other staff in clinics, operating rooms and during patient rounds.

During her first rotation alongside the breast surgeons, Dr. Nadeau honed techniques in advanced breast surgical procedures beyond her general surgery training. These innovative techniques include oncoplastic lumpectomies (tumour removal and plastic surgery in one), axillary lymph node dissection in challenging cases (removing cancerous lymph nodes from under the arm) and nipple-sparing mastectomies.

“No two procedures are alike, which keeps each day unique and challenging,” shares Dr. Nadeau.

She is grateful for the collaborative environment at St. Joseph’s and the team’s flexibility, allowing her to create tailored learning opportunities that are invaluable to her professional growth. “I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from such a talented group of professionals,” she says.

Dr. Nadeau is currently completing a rotation in Medical Oncology at the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre to gain a more thorough and detailed understanding of how chemotherapy, immunotherapy and endocrine therapy intersect with breast surgery and how surgeons can help guide their patients through care.

Supporting new research

Another goal of the fellowship program is to help surgeons become leaders in their field by conducting research, and Dr. Nadeau is involved in cutting-edge research projects at St. Joseph’s to improve patient care.

She is leading a study looking at the impact of perceived lymphedema risk (tissue swelling in the arm) on quality of life for patients who have had breast cancer treatment – work that could impact care on a global scale. Dr. Nadeau’s research team is exploring the different factors that influence patients throughout their care journey and working to improve messaging and education.

There’s no place like home

Once the fellowship is complete, Dr. Nadeau looks forward to bringing her new expertise in breast care back to her hometown where she’ll be working with her mom again at Health Sciences North.

“I am excited to return to Northern Ontario and apply the skills and knowledge I've gained during my subspecialty training to serve the community that I care so deeply about,” she says. “I’ll be able to bring new techniques and approaches back to my community to improve care and outcomes for my patients.”