We, that is a group of specialists, create a tailor-made therapy plan for you and coordinate it with you. These include radiologists, pathologists, gynaecologists, radiotherapists and chemotherapists. Depending on the type and size of the tumour, different therapy sequences and combinations are effective and different treatment strategies and methods are required.
Of course, this includes optimal tumor aftercare with your gynecologist, as well as ensuring the quality of life for patients with advanced breast cancer. As a certified breast centre, we can offer you the opportunity to participate in therapy studies for the treatment of breast cancer with new drugs or other therapeutic approaches.
It is often advisable to reduce the size of the tumour using chemo- or hormone therapy before an operation. This increases the chances that we can preserve the breast. This is particularly suitable for patients with locally advanced cancer or more aggressive tumours. With this neoadjuvant therapy we want to protect the body (bone, liver, lungs) as the first treatment measure.
Chemotherapy
Similar to radiotherapy, the active ingredients of chemotherapy prevent cancer cells dividing and thus destroy the cancer foci. We mainly rely on the drug cocktails to prevent metastases. The chemotherapy itself takes place in the Center for Gynecological Oncology (ZAGO). A cold hood can be used to prevent hair loss. Chemotherapy is carried out on an outpatient basis for most patients. We take a lot of time for you, your questions or concerns.
If necessary, we carry out modern genetic tests (gene expression profile) on the tumour cells after consultation to find out whether chemotherapy is really necessary for you. Hereby we want to avoid unnecessary chemotherapy for you after the operation.
Hormone therapy
If the tumour cells have docking sites (receptors) for certain hormones inside the cell, we can specifically prevent them from growing. Our pathologists tell us whether this is the case after they have examined the cancer cells removed during surgery.
Antibody Therapy
In about one quarter of breast cancer, our pathologists also find binding sites for certain growth factors on the cell surface. If these binding sites for the growth factor HER2 can be detected, we recommend the use of targeted antibodies, usually combined with chemotherapy.