Breast Center

Early detection of breast cancer increases the chances of recovery, enables gentler treatment and thus improves quality of life. This is why the Breast Center of the University Hospital Basel participates in the mammography screening program of the Canton of Basel City.

As part of the program, women aged 50 and over are invited to a screening examination every two years. Participation in the program is voluntary.

A mammography machine with the latest digital technology is available for the examination at the University Hospital Basel, which works in a radiation-saving manner. Thanks to the special image, even small tumors become visible long before they can be detected by palpation or other symptoms.

The screening program is subject to high quality standards, which are continuously reviewed and further developed. The mammograms are taken by specially trained specialists and evaluated by experienced radiologists.

Further information on the program

The best time

It is about eight days after your period because the breasts are softer then than before your period and it is easier to detect changes. Post-menopausal women should simply remember a specific date each month.

A critical look

Stand in front of a mirror and look at your breasts with your arms raised and lowered. Do you notice that one breast is larger than the other? This is normal. Turn to the left and right. Put your arms on your hips and tense your chest muscles. Lean forward, with and without tensing the muscles, and look for any changes in the shape and size of the breasts, as well as any protrusions or indentations, redness, thickening or hardening of the skin.

Look for bloody discharge from the nipple or first-time indentations as well as inflammatory changes. If you feel a change, perhaps a lump, remember that four out of five breast lumps are harmless. Check the same area of the other breast. If it feels similar, this is a good sign that you are dealing with normal breast tissue. However, if there is no similarity, please inform the doctor. Remember: You should only notice changes in your breast, not make a diagnosis.

The first important step in the clarification process is the X-ray examination of your diseased breast, the mammogram. You will be looked after by specialized radiologists and experienced medical-technical radiology specialists (MTRAs). Breast cancer screening is carried out using state-of-the-art equipment: the Breast Center has digital mammography including tomosynthesis (3D imaging method of high-resolution tomograms from different angles), ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MR mammography). You can also submit findings from another hospital or practice to us for a second assessment.

Benign or malignant? If abnormalities are discovered during the breast examination, these findings will be clarified by means of a tissue sample (biopsy). Tissue samples can be taken with extreme precision under image control using mammography, ultrasound or MR mammography. It then takes a few days for you and your doctor to receive the results of the examination.

Pathology deals with the examination of tissue samples and cell material taken during a biopsy. All tissue samples are first examined under a microscope. Using a wide range of additional examination methods, the benign or malignant findings can be differentiated even better. These additional examinations contribute to treatment planning. For example, each breast carcinoma is examined to determine whether the tumor cells contain hormone receptors. If this is the case, treatment with hormone receptors may be advisable. During an operation, pathology specialists support the surgeons with frozen section examinations, the immediate examination of the operated tissue. Pathologists are indispensable participants in tumor conferences because, among other things, they determine the type of tumor.

Sometimes a genetic test (DNA analysis) can be useful, especially if there is a high incidence of cancer in your family. The most important clues come from your family history, in which specific questions are asked about cancers of the breast, ovaries, pancreas and prostate in blood relatives. In a detailed consultation, your individual risk of breast or ovarian cancer is determined with the help of family tree analyses and, if necessary, a genetic test is recommended.

Oncoplastic surgery

The surgical focus is on modern oncoplastic surgery, which has been offered in close collaboration with plastic surgery since 2011. By combining tumor surgery and plastic-reconstructive surgical techniques, it enables optimal cosmetic results in both breast conservation and breast removal. With this surgical method, we can remove the tumor and also address your wishes regarding breast modulation.

Surgery of the armpit

Whereas in the past most of the lymph nodes in the armpit were removed, today only the sentinel lymph node is usually removed first. In the majority of cases, these sentinel lymph nodes are without tumor involvement, so that the removal of the remaining axillary lymph nodes can be dispensed with. New study results have shown that in many patients, even if there are tumor deposits in the sentinel lymph nodes, the removal of the remaining lymph nodes in the armpit can be dispensed with. This makes the procedure smaller and the surgical technique gentler.

Plastic surgery

Breast reconstruction after tumor surgery is part of the holistic treatment at the Breast Center. You will receive detailed advice on various aspects of breast reconstruction as soon as the treatment concept is determined following your tumor diagnosis. The entire spectrum of breast reconstruction, including complex microsurgical procedures with autologous tissue, is available to you at the Breast Center.

Your aesthetic perception and well-being in your own body are important to us. Together with our qualified specialists in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, you can discuss your individual wishes and the various options for breast reconstruction.

Further information:

Breast reconstruction - information about the surgical options

Radiotherapy is also an integral part of breast cancer treatment and promotes healing in over half of breast cancer cases. It is also an important part of symptom-relieving tumor treatment. We will inform you in detail about the exact procedure, effects and other details before the start of treatment so that you have a better idea of what radiotherapy will do in your particular case and what you can expect.

Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, we direct the therapeutic X-rays specifically and very precisely into the tumor region. The team at the University Hospital has particular experience in the following types of therapy: intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), stereotactic radiotherapy to the head and trunk of the body, radiosurgery, biological therapy planning and brachytherapy, also known as minimally invasive short-distance therapy.

Our team offers patients continuous treatment during drug therapy for tumors. The offer includes all drug therapies (chemo- and hormone therapies, antibody infusions, modern molecular drugs).

At your request, we can take part in national and international studies to optimize therapy and test new substances. This is often a unique opportunity to receive promising new therapies that would otherwise not be approved.

In addition to medical therapy, the Breast Center offers you targeted psycho-oncological care. In the form of counseling, we support you in finding your emotional balance, security and orientation again and in dealing better with worries and fears. You can take advantage of this support both during your inpatient stay and during outpatient aftercare.

Further information

Breast Center
Clinic 1, 1st floor
Spitalstrasse 21
4031 Basel

Monday to Friday 8.00-15.00
Phone +41 61 328 79 54
breastcarenurse@usb.ch