Surgical treatment of the breast cyst in Charite University Hospital Berlin

About the department

The prestigious German Focus magazine positions the Department of Adult and Pediatric Gynecology, Mammology among the best facilities in the country, providing excellent healthcare services in its areas of specialization! The department delivers a comprehensive range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for women with diseases of the reproductive system and mammary glands. The department's clinical activities are primarily focused on gynecologic oncology and breast cancer treatment. These two medical areas are represented by highly specialized centers certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG) and recognized as among the leading facilities of their kind in Germany. The department also admits patients with a variety of benign gynecological diseases, with the most common among them being endometriosis, uterine fibroids, cervical dysplasia, urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse. The department is also actively developing pediatric gynecology with an emphasis on the surgical correction of congenital defects and treatment of infectious diseases, vaginal bleeding, labial adhesions, as well as ovarian cysts and tumors. A true treasure of the department is its highly professional team of gynecologists and breast specialists with many years of experience who make every effort to help women improve their health. A comprehensive diagnosis is always a must here, as its results help create personalized, effective treatment plans, which are crucial for cancer patients. Another strong point of the medical facility is access to the most advanced treatment options, including organ-sparing surgery, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and locoregional procedures. All of these, combined with an excellent technical infrastructure and an understanding attitude toward patients, form a solid basis for the best possible medical care. 

The Head Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Jens-Uwe Blohmer. He is a well-known figure in professional medical circles and among patients worldwide. The specialist has over 30 years of experience in gynecology and mammology. During this time, he has performed over 10,000 surgeries for breast cancer and numerous others to treat oncological diseases of the female reproductive system. Prof. Blohmer is rightfully proud of his outstanding qualifications in laparoscopic and robotic surgery. Moreover, he is the author and co-author of books and has over 280 publications in medical journals and online resources.

Gynecologic oncology is the main focus of the department's clinical practice. The medical team prefers a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of female genital tract cancers, reinforced by effective and organ-sparing therapeutic methods. The main areas of specialization are the treatment of ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, gynecological sarcomas, and neuroendocrine gynecological tumors. The department's gynecologic oncology program is certified by ESGO and the German Cancer Society (DKG) and is a member of EURACAN. Because each clinical case is considered unique, discussing it within a tumor board and developing a personalized treatment plan is routine practice here. In most cases, the first line of treatment is surgical tumor removal. In advanced stages of cancer, total removal of the affected organ with its adjacent tissues may be required. The department's doctors mainly use minimally invasive techniques and high-precision robotic surgery, both of which are highly beneficial for patients, offering shorter recovery times and minimal risk of complications. When treating women who want to have children in the future, the department's doctors do everything possible to preserve fertility while providing effective cancer therapy. In the majority of cases, surgery is complemented by additional therapies. Depending on the specific clinical situation, gynecologic oncologists may use chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, antibody therapy, immunotherapy, or radiation therapy. Each treatment option is selected individually after a thorough assessment of the patient's tumor profile – this approach has consistently proven to be reliable and effective. 

In addition to providing high-quality medical care, the department's physicians place great emphasis on ensuring patient comfort and maintaining a good quality of life after treatment.

The department has a separate clinical focus on treating peritoneal carcinomatosis, which typically develops from advanced cancer originating elsewhere and affecting the peritoneum. This condition commonly occurs with gynecological tumors, such as ovarian, fallopian tube, and endometrial cancers. The treatment strategy in such clinical cases largely depends on the specifics of the primary tumor. For example, the international standard for treating peritoneal carcinomatosis associated with ovarian cancer is major surgery followed by chemotherapy. However, this approach is generally not recommended in cases of peritoneal carcinomatosis resulting from cervical cancer. In selected cases, cytoreductive surgery is combined with HIPEC, in which a heated chemotherapy solution is administered directly into the abdominal cavity during the operation. Another option is cytoreductive surgery combined with conventional systemic chemotherapy. An even more innovative approach is PIPAC (pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy) – a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure that sprays aerosolized chemotherapy directly into the peritoneal cavity, representing an alternative option for patients who are not candidates for major cytoreductive surgery. Depending on the specific clinical indications, all of these treatment modalities can be complemented by targeted therapy or immunotherapy.

The department's gynecology team also routinely treats patients with benign conditions: endometriosis, uterine fibroids, cervical dysplasia, urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse. The treatment of endometriosis is one of the key areas of clinical practice. This pathology occurs when endometrial cells proliferate outside of the uterus. Patients diagnosed with endometriosis receive care at a specialized center from highly trained doctors who are experts in modern endometriosis treatment methods. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy and hormone therapy are sufficient in the early stages of the disease, while advanced stages are managed with surgical methods. In most cases, laparoscopic surgery is performed under general anesthesia. The most radical treatment option is a hysterectomy, which is the surgical removal of the uterus. This procedure is intended for women with adenomyosis – a condition, in which endometrial tissue grows into the muscular wall of the uterus (myometrium). However, an important condition for this surgery is that the woman does not plan to have children.

The department's therapeutic offer in gynecology is supplemented by medical care for girls and young women with pathologies of the reproductive system. The team of pediatric gynecologists focuses on patients with genital infections, vaginal bleeding, labial adhesions, pathological lesions of genital skin, external and internal genital malformations, ovarian cysts and tumors, pubertal disorders, painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea), and endometriosis in adolescents. Doctors provide comprehensive consultations to young patients, during which they determine the necessary diagnostic tests and treatment measures.

However, the department's activities are not limited to gynecology alone, with mammology being another important clinical focus. This medical specialty is concentrated on the treatment of breast cancer, including its hereditary forms. Breast cancer patients are admitted to a specialized DKG-certified Breast Center, which is part of the world-renowned Charite Comprehensive Cancer Center. The spectrum of medical services includes comprehensive diagnosis, careful planning of personalized breast cancer treatment, and a variety of therapeutic options. These options include surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy with the necessary follow-up care measures. In the case of breast removal (mastectomy), breast aesthetics can be restored with modern types of plastic surgery using implants or the patient's own tissues. In addition, psychological support is a critical component of treatment because a cancer diagnosis often leads to fear and other negative emotions that can be difficult to cope with alone.

The department's key areas of specialization include the following:

• Diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic malignancies
  • Diagnosis and treatment of uterine cancer
  • Diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer
  • Diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer
  • Diagnosis and treatment of vulvar cancer
  • Diagnosis and treatment of fallopian tube cancer
  • Diagnosis and treatment of gynecological sarcomas
  • Diagnosis and treatment of neuroendocrine gynecological tumors
  • Diagnosis and treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis originating from advanced gynecological tumors
    • Surgical treatment with a special focus on minimally invasive and robot-assisted techniques
    • Conservative treatment
      • Chemotherapy, including advanced HIPEC and PIPAC procedures for peritoneal carcinomatosis
      • Hormone therapy
      • Antibody therapy
      • Immunotherapy
      • Radiation therapy
• Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, including its hereditary forms
  • Surgical treatment, including reconstructive breast surgery
  • Conservative treatment
    • Chemotherapy
    • Hormone therapy
    • Antibody therapy
    • Immunotherapy
    • Radiation therapy
• Diagnosis and treatment of benign gynecological diseases
  • Diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis
    • Drug therapy
    • Surgical treatment
      • Laparoscopic interventions
      • Hysterectomy
  • Diagnosis and treatment of uterine fibroids
    • Interventional radiology procedures
      • MRI-guided focused ultrasound therapy
      • Uterine fibroid embolization
    • Surgical treatment
      • Myomectomy
      • Hysteroscopic myomectomy
      • Combination treatment involving embolization and surgery
• Diagnosis and treatment of cervical dysplasia
  • Cervical conization
• Diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse
  • Conservative treatment
  • Surgical treatment
• Diagnosis and treatment of gynecological diseases in children and adolescents
  • Diagnosis and treatment of congenital malformations of the genital organs in girls
  • Diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases of the genitourinary system
  • Diagnosis and treatment of disorders of puberty
  • Diagnosis and treatment of menstrual cycle irregularities
  • Diagnosis and treatment of painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea)
  • Diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cysts and tumors
  • Diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis in adolescents
• Diagnosis and treatment of other diseases of the female genital organs and mammary glands