Association of Breast Surgery

What Association of Breast Surgery does

The Association of Breast Surgery (ABS) is a UK-based professional membership association and registered charity (Charity No 1135699, Company No 7207053) serving healthcare professionals who care for patients with breast conditions, particularly breast cancer. Founded as a separate organisation from BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery in 2010 and headquartered at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in London, ABS represents consultant breast surgeons, nurse specialists, and the wider multidisciplinary breast care team across the UK, Ireland, and internationally. Its membership is structured into tiered categories — Full Member (£308/yr), Non-Surgical Interspecialty (£132.50/yr), Overseas (£132.50/yr or £53 reduced rate), Senior Retired (£132.50/£69), Mammary Fold Senior (£58), Mammary Fold Junior (free), and Nurse/Affiliate members — with billing annual from 1 January via direct debit.

ABS monetizes through a portfolio of member services: recurring membership subscriptions, conference and course fees (e.g., Specialty Skills in Breast Surgery Augmentation course £350 member / £395 non-member, limited to 40 places), donations directed to overseas projects and fellowships, and bundled access to the EJSO journal (a journal co-founded with BASO). Educational bursaries (up to £1,000 UK, £2,000 international) and research development grants are funded primarily through these streams. Distribution is digital-first via the ABS website, the ABS Events mobile application (App Store and Play Store), email bulletins, social media (Instagram, X, LinkedIn), and in-person annual conferences (Glasgow 2026, ICC Wales 2027) and regional chapter meetings (Northern, Northern Ireland, West Midlands). The Mammary Fold operates as a trainee sub-brand providing a pipeline from medical students through specialty trainees, supporting the long-term membership funnel.

Underlying technology is a standard professional association website and membership management platform with event registration infrastructure, the ABS Events App, and an online bursary application system. Beyond this, ABS maintains a portfolio of national clinical audits and registries (ASPIRE, NHS BSP & ABS Audit of Screen Detected Breast Cancer, Breast Implant Registry, National Audit of Primary Breast Cancer, National Flap Registry), issued clinical and professional standards, and an Information Hub of guidelines and webcasts. Strategic alliances include the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO) affiliate pathway, the Royal College of Surgeons of England as host institution, Ambuja Foundation and the Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSI) for India-based education initiatives, and India's National Health Mission.

Name

Association of Breast Surgery

Legal name

Association of Breast Surgery

Website

https://associationofbreastsurgery.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association of Breast Surgery is a UK-based professional membership association and registered charity serving breast surgeons, nurse specialists, and the wider breast care team through education, training, conferences, bursaries, clinical standards, and national audits across the UK, Ireland, and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (81391)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Certifications (EDAAANAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Women’s & Children’s Surgical Care Centers (HLAFAJAM)

Keywords

• Medical professional association
• Breast surgery education
• Surgical oncology training
• Clinical professional standards
• Healthcare membership services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from Full Members (£308), Non-Surgical Interspecialty (£132.50), Overseas (£132.50/£53), Senior Retired (£132.50/£69), Mammary Fold Associates (£58/£0), providing recurring revenue stream
2. Conference and Course Fees: Revenue from ABS Conference, regional meetings, and educational courses such as Specialty Skills in Breast Surgery Augmentation (£350 members, £395 non-members) and Advanced IBBR Course
3. Donations and Charitable Projects: Charitable donations for overseas projects, international fellowships, educational fellowships, research development grants, and developing patient information
4. EJSO Journal Subscriptions: Free electronic subscription to European Journal of Surgical Oncology included with membership; paper copies available for £46.50 additional annual fee
5. ESSO Affiliate Membership: ABS members can become affiliate members of European Society of Surgical Oncology for an additional fee

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Association of Breast Surgery is a UK professional membership association and registered charity that supports breast surgeons, nurse specialists, and the wider breast care team through tiered membership subscriptions, educational courses and conferences (including specialty skills courses in implant-based reconstruction, LD flap reconstruction, breast augmentation, and advanced IBBR), educational bursaries and research grants, national clinical audits and registries, the Mammary Fold trainee network, clinical guidelines and standards, and the co-founded European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO) subscription. It serves as the official voice for breast surgery in the UK and operates internationally through partnerships and collaborations.

Product overview

The Association of Breast Surgery (ABS) is a professional medical association serving as the voice for breast surgery in the UK. Rather than a technology product company, ABS offers a portfolio of member services including: educational courses and events (such as the ABS Conference, specialty skills courses in implant-based reconstruction, augmentation, and oncoplastic surgery), funding programs (educational bursaries for UK and international members up to £2,000, nursing bursaries, and research development grants), professional recognition (Lifetime Achievement Awards), and trainee support through the Mammary Fold program. ABS also provides clinical resources including national audits and registries, an Information Hub with guidelines and publications, and a mobile Events App for event access. The organization focuses on advancing breast surgery through education, research, training, and professional standards development for surgeons and breast care professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mammary Fold: The national association run by trainees in breast and oncoplastic breast surgery in the UK, affiliated with the ABS.

Products and services

• ABS Events App Mobile application for accessing information about ABS events and conferences, available for download on App Store and Play Store, providing event schedules, conference materials, and member access.

Quantifiable outcome

• ABS Conference 2027 scheduled for May 2027 at ICC Wales
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, minor, emerging and supporting.

• Ambuja FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Third year of collaborative international breast cancer education, awareness and community screening initiative in India. Ambuja Foundation organizes and locally sponsors the programme. This is a sustained commitment to strengthening early detection awareness and building breast health capacity in regional healthcare settings.
• Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Collaboration for international breast cancer education initiative in India. ABSI President Dr DG Vijay participated in screening initiative. Dr Ashwini Jasani (Modi) served as ABSI representative throughout the programme.
• National Health Mission (NHM) IndiaStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Government health mission collaborated on the three-day international breast cancer education initiative at Ambuja Nagar, Kodinar, Gujarat, India. District health leadership including Chief District Health Officer participated.
• ESSO (European Society of Surgical Oncology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABS members can become affiliate members of ESSO for an additional fee. ESSO has over 20,000 members globally, organizes the biggest surgical oncology congress in Europe, and delivers an educational programme of 20 courses. ABS shares member addresses with ESSO for setting up affiliate membership.
• BASO ~ The Association for Cancer SurgeryminorOthersOriginally a branch of BASO but separate organizations since 2010. Shared office space at Royal College of Surgeons. Service agreement in place for shared administrative aspects. Separate databases since May 2020.
• TACHRC CIC (Tasmia Asif Cancer Hospital and Research Centre CIC)emergingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped Pathfinder Community Triage Service model designed to tackle health inequities. Model designed to bridge ICB population health goals and secondary care clinical excellence. ABS member Miss Tasmia Tahmid founded the organization.
• Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandcoreOthersABS is located at the Royal College of Surgeons of England at Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. The Mammary Fold is run in association with the ABS. Joint conference arrangements historically with BASO.
• Mammary FoldcoreOthersNational association run by trainees in breast and oncoplastic breast surgery in the UK. Operates under ABS umbrella with free trainee membership up to ST3. Committee positions and Early Network for medical students.
• EJSO (European Journal of Surgical Oncology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABS cofounded EJSO with BASO. Free electronic subscription included with full membership; paper copies available for £46.50. ABS passes member addresses to EJSO for subscriptions.
• Uppsala Breast Unit, SwedensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRonak Patel visited Uppsala Breast Unit using ABS Educational Bursary. Observed consultant-led service managing around 500 new breast cancer cases each year. Experience included Uppsala Breast Meeting 2025 and two-week observership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO): Major US-based professional society for surgical oncologists offering membership, annual conference, and clinical guidelines. Sister organization to ABS in scope and structure though broader than breast surgery alone.
• European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO): European-wide professional society for surgical oncology with 20,000+ members and the largest European surgical oncology congress. ABS has a formal affiliate membership pathway with ESSO, making it both a peer and a partner.
• American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS): The leading US professional association for breast surgeons, offering a directly comparable model of membership, annual conference, fellowship credentials, and clinical guidelines. Operates as the natural international counterpart to ABS for surgeon members.
• British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS): UK professional association for plastic surgeons, partnered with ABS on the PIP implants safety update with MHRA. Closely comparable peer given overlap in oncoplastic/reconstructive breast surgery practice.
• European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists (EUSOMA): Multidisciplinary European society focused on breast cancer specialists, including surgeons, with parallel mission in setting standards, certification of breast units, and certification of breast cancer specialists. Directly comparable in mission to ABS.
• BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery: Historical sibling organization sharing office space at the Royal College of Surgeons; ABS was a branch of BASO until 2010. Closely comparable as a UK surgical oncology professional association with shared administrative legacy.
• Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSI): India's national association for breast surgeons, partnered with ABS on the Ambuja Foundation community screening initiative. Comparable in mission (breast surgery professional standards) though operating in a different geographic context.

Emerging players

• Tasmia Asif Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (TACHRC): Community-led organization founded by ABS member Miss Tasmia Tahmid to develop the Pathfinder Community Triage Service model. Compares to ABS as a healthcare equity-focused breast cancer initiative with multidisciplinary/community focus.

Broad incumbents

• Royal College of Nursing (RCN): UK's largest nursing professional body with a parallel membership/trade union model. Comparable to ABS's broader structure for nurse specialist members, though covering all nursing specialties rather than breast-specific focus.
• Royal College of Surgeons of England: UK's largest surgical college hosting ABS at its Lincoln's Inn Fields headquarters. Operates as a broader incumbent providing surgical standards, training, and credentials across all surgical specialties of which breast surgery is one subset.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ABSGBI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/absgbi
• Instagraminstagram.com/associationofbreastsurgery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association of Breast Surgery