Breast Center

The early detection of breast cancer increases the chances of recovery, allows for a gentler treatment and thus increases the quality of life. This is why the Breast Center at the University Hospital Basel participates in the mammogram screening program of the Canton of Basel-City.

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

A mammogram device with the latest digital technology, which reduces radiation, is available at the University Hospital Basel for the examination. Thanks to the special imaging technique, even small tumors are visible long before they become recognizable by palpation or from other symptoms.

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

More information about the program

The best time

The best time is about eight days after the menstrual period, because the breast is softer than before the period and it is easier to detect changes. Women after menopause should simply choose a specific day of the month.

Critical visual inspection

Stand in front of a mirror and look at your breasts with your arms raised and lowered. Do you notice that one breast is bigger than the other? That’s normal. Turn left and right. Push your arms into your hips and tighten your chest muscles. Lean forward, with or without muscle tension. Look at every change in the shape and size of the breast. Look at the surface of the skin, look for protrusions or shrinkages, redness, thickening or hardening of the skin.

Watch out for bloody secretions from the nipple or initial retractions 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 region of the other breast. If it feels similar, it’s a good sign that you’re dealing with normal breast tissue. However, if there is no similarity, please inform your doctor. Keep in mind: You should only look for changes in your breast, not make a diagnosis.

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

Benign or malignant? If abnormalities are discovered during the breast examination, these findings are examined by means of a tissue sample (biopsy). Image-guided tissue samples can be taken with extreme precision using a mammogram, ultrasound or breast MRI. It will then take a few days for you and your attending physician to receive the test results.

Pathology deals with the examination of tissue samples and cell material taken during a biopsy. All tissue samples are first examined under the microscope. Using a wide range of other examination methods, the benign findings can be differentiated from malignant even better. These additional examinations contribute to therapy planning. For example, each breast cancer is examined to see if the tumor cells contain hormone receptors. If this is the case, treatment with hormone receptors may be useful. During surgery, pathology specialists support the surgeons with immediate examination of the operative tissue. Pathologists are indispensable participants at tumor conferences because they determine the type of tumor, among other things.

Sometimes a genetic test (DNA analysis) may be useful, especially if your family has an increased incidence of cancer. The most important clues come from your family history, which specifically asks about cancer of the breast, ovaries, pancreas and prostate gland in blood relatives. An in-depth consultation will determine your individual risk of breast or ovarian cancer with the help of genetic tree analyses and recommend a genetic test if necessary.

Oncoplastic surgery

The surgical focus is on modern oncoplastic surgery, which has been offered since 2011 in close cooperation with the Plastic Surgery Clinic. Thanks to the combination of tumor surgery and plastic reconstructive surgical techniques, optimal cosmetic results are possible for both breast maintenance and breast removal. This surgical method allows us to remove the tumor and also address your needs for breast changes.

Armpit surgery

Whereas in the past most lymph nodes were removed from the armpit, nowadays only the sentinel lymph node is usually removed first. In the majority of cases, these sentinel lymph nodes have no tumor, so there is no need to remove the remaining armpit lymph nodes. New study results have shown that removal of the remaining lymph nodes in the armpit can be dispensed with in many patients, even in the case of metastasis in the sentinel lymph node. This makes the procedure smaller and the surgical technique more gentle.

Plastic surgery

Restoring the breast after tumor surgery is part of the holistic treatment at the Breast Center. As soon as you decide on the treatment approach following your cancer diagnosis, you will receive detailed advice on various aspects of breast restoration. The Breast Center offers you the full range of breast reconstruction services, including complex microsurgical procedures using your own tissue.

Your aesthetic feel and well-being in your own body are important to us. Together with our qualified specialists in Plastic, Reconstructive, and Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, you can discuss your individual wishes as well as the various options for breast reconstruction. 

Further information: 

Breast Reconstruction – Information on Surgical Options

Radiotherapy is also an integral part of breast cancer treatment and promotes healing in more than half of breast cancer cases. It is also an important component of symptom-relieving cancer treatment. We will provide you with detailed information about the exact procedure, effect and further details before the start of treatment, so that you can better understand what radiotherapy will do in your particular case and what you can expect.

Using state-of-the-art techniques, we guide therapeutic X-rays into the tumor region in a targeted and precise manner. The team at the University Hospital has special experience in the following therapy types:  Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), stereotactic radiation to the head and body, radiosurgery, biotherapy planning and brachytherapy, also known as minimally invasive short-distance therapy.

Our team offers patients continuous treatment during the drug therapy of cancer. The range includes all drug therapies (chemotherapy and hormone therapies, antibody infusions, modern molecular drugs).

At your request, you have the option of taking part in national and international trials to optimize therapy and test new substances. This is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to obtain promising new therapies that are not otherwise approved.

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

Further information

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

Monday to Friday 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
Tel. +41 61 328 79 54
breastcarenurse@usb.ch