Breast cancer is one of the most common oncological diseases in women. In Germany, most cancer cases can be cured. Tremendous advances are being made at any stage, even in the presence of metastasis. The main breast cancer treatment options in Germany are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. At the advanced stages, doctors can also use targeted therapy, immunotherapy, ablation, and embolization of metastases. You are welcome to use the Booking Health service to undergo your treatment of breast cancer in Germany at the best prices.
Surgery for breast cancer
Most cases of breast cancer are found at a curable stage. This is facilitated by screening, which is carried out in most countries in the world: women over 40 regularly undergo mammography (an X-ray examination of the breast).
Surgical procedures can be divided into the following two types:
- breast-conserving (lumpectomy and sectoral resection);
- complete breast removal surgery (radical and modified mastectomy).
Most women do not need complete breast removal surgery. Breasts can be partially removed, only a fragment with a tumor and a small amount of surrounding tissue. Surgery will be followed by radiation therapy to destroy the remaining cancer cells in the mammary gland. As a rule, a tumor does not recur after such a treatment. There is little chance of cancer, especially considering that most women also receive hormone therapy and chemotherapy after surgery.
Doctors restore the aesthetic appearance of the breast immediately or during the second operation. They perform plastic surgery with local tissues. The specialists can also reduce the second breast so that both mammary glands are the same size.
Surgeons rarely have to resort to a mastectomy. Even after complete breast removal, the breast can be restored with the patient’s own tissues from other parts of the body or silicone implants.
Radiation therapy
After surgery, breast cancer is treated with radiation therapy. In the classic version, this is a month and a half of regular radiation sessions, 5 days a week.
In the early stages, doctors also use accelerated partial breast irradiation, which lasts only 5 days. This can be external beam radiation therapy twice a day or several sessions of brachytherapy, which involves the placement of radioactive materials directly into the tumor bed. Doctors in specialized clinics also use intraoperative radiation. In this case, cancer cells are destroyed by radiation even before the wound is sutured, immediately after tumor removal.
The latest linear accelerators are used abroad, and the most modern options for radiation therapy are carried out. They provide more precise distribution of radiation, and also reduce the risk of damage to tissues adjacent to the tumor, including the heart and lungs.
Pharmacotherapy
After surgery, patients receive chemotherapy. Hormone therapy and targeted therapy can often be used as well. In addition, all these methods, and immunotherapy, become the main ones at the advanced stage of the disease, after the spread of metastases. The properly chosen treatment regimen allows doctors to curb the development of cancer for many years.
You are welcome to use the Booking Health service to undergo your diagnostics and treatment of breast cancer in one of the German Cancer Centers. The website offers the best clinics in Germany, and here you can find the cost of treatment and make an appointment on the preferred date. Our employees will help you to choose a Breast Cancer Center specializing in this disease and demonstrating the best results in its treatment. We will fully organize your trip, eliminating unnecessary organizational worries.
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