Department of Mammology (265637)

About the Department of Mammology at St. Anna Hospital Herne

The Department of Mammology at the St. Anna Hospital Herne offers the full range of preventive examinations, comprehensive diagnostics and effective treatment of breast diseases. The department's doctors provide treatment to patients with benign and malignant breast pathologies, but the primary focus of clinical activity is on breast cancer treatment, which is one of the most common types of cancer in women. Medical care meets the requirements of the German Cancer Society (DKG). Each woman receives interdisciplinary care focused on her individual needs and wishes. The treatment involves the use of the very latest techniques in order to ensure the best results. A good psycho-emotional state of a woman is important for the department's specialists, and therefore competent psychologists are often involved in the therapeutic process. The Head Physician of the department is Dr. med. Valentin Menke.

The first stage of treatment is a personal consultation with a doctor who carries out a clinical examination, studies the patient's medical history and prescribes the necessary complex of examinations to confirm or exclude breast cancer diagnosis. If diagnostic data confirms the presence of oncology, doctors begin treatment planning. The medical facility regularly holds interdisciplinary tumor boards, during which each clinical case is discussed. The board is attended not only by breast specialists and gynecologists, but also by oncologists, radiologists, radiation therapists and other specialists. As a rule, monotherapy for cancer is ineffective, so doctors combine several therapeutic methods. Prior to starting treatment, the doctor tells the patient in detail about further measures and the expected treatment outcome.

In most cases, the main treatment is surgery. In 80% of cases, the department's doctors manage to perform an organ-preserving surgical procedure without total mastectomy. However, in the advanced stages of breast cancer, mastectomy is often required. Such an operation is also indicated for women with a high risk of cancer recurrence. Mastectomy is followed by reconstructive surgery for the restoration of the attractive appearance of the breasts. The shape of the breast is restored with the help of silicone implants, the woman's own tissues and lipofilling technique.

As a rule, the treatment regimen also includes additional conservative methods, the main of which are chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Depending on the particular clinical case, antihormonal therapy, antibody therapy, electrochemotherapy, and maintenance therapy may also be used. The patients with incurable types of breast cancer receive palliative care to relieve pain and improve their quality of life.

The department's service range includes:

• Surgical treatment of breast cancer
  • Breast-conserving surgery
  • Mastectomy (total mastectomy)
  • Nipple-sparing mastectomy
  • Reconstructive breast surgery using silicone implants, autologous tissues and lipofilling techniques
• Conservative treatments of breast cancer
  • Classical chemotherapy
  • Electrochemotherapy
  • Radiation therapy
  • Antihormonal therapy
  • Antibody therapy
  • Maintenance therapy
  • Palliative care
• Other therapeutic options

Photo of the doctor: (c) St. Anna Hospital Herne