UPIKE Newsroom

Mustafa Basree, MS, a first-year student at the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine from Columbus, Ohio, recently won first-place in the Namey/Burnett Preventative Medicine Writing Competition, sponsored by the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP).

His article, “Breastfeeding as a Lifestyle Risk Factor Curbing Breast Cancer Risk in High-Risk Women,” supports the goal of reducing breast cancer mortality and disparities by providing evidence for clinicians, population scientists and policymakers to improve the prevalence of breastfeeding through clear messaging, education and evidence-based medicine. In the article, Basree also seeks to inform high-risk pregnant women faced with deciding whether to breastfeed.

Basree reviewed literature on breastfeeding, highlighting its role in breast cancer transformation and cancer disparities. He found that breastfeeding could protect against an aggressive form of cancer known as Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

“I’m honored to receive the ACOFP Namey/Burnett Preventive Medicine Writing Competition award this year,” said Basree. “Being an osteopathic medical student teaches me to examine patients holistically and encourage the body’s ability to heal itself when it can. I’m especially grateful for KYCOM’s very own Dana Shaffer, D.O., and collaborators from The Ohio State University – Bhuvaneswari Ramaswamy, M.D., and Sarmila Majumder, Ph.D., – for their unwavering support and help in this project.”