Prevention
Modern medicine is increasingly transitioning towards preventive care. This shift towards prevention has also been observed in breast cancer care in recent years, particularly with the discovery of the BRCA gene. Subsequently, multiple genes and risk factors have been identified. Depending on these factors, a personalized screening strategy can be chosen. Therefore, it is crucial to understand these genetic and risk factors.
Diagnosis
I was diagnosed with cancer ... This website serves as a portal designed to assist you and your loved ones in accessing personal information and finding solutions to your concerns.
The primary goal of this website is to offer guidance and support to patients as they navigate their journey toward recovery and improved quality of life. The "Diagnosis" section of our website is divided into two main categories. Firstly, under "Anatomy and Physiology," we provide fundamental knowledge about the breast. Secondly, in the "Tumors and Disorders" section, we delve deeper into various breast-related conditions.
Moreover, we aim to provide information to women who may be concerned about potential breast issues but are hesitant to seek immediate medical advice. Knowledge and information can often offer immediate reassurance if a woman is able to identify the issue herself and determine that no specific treatment is necessary. Conversely, we also strive to educate women who have received a diagnosis of a serious breast condition, such as breast cancer, and wish to approach their doctor well-informed and prepared.
Treatment
The treatment for breast cancer should immediately include a discussion about reconstruction. Our foundation has no greater goal than to raise awareness of this among patients and oncological surgeons. By making an informed decision beforehand, we avoid closing off options for later reconstruction while still considering the oncological aspect. Of course, survival is paramount, and the decision of the oncologic surgeon will always take precedence.
The "Reconstruction or not?" page contains all the information you can expect during an initial consultation before undergoing tumor removal. This page is comprehensive, and your plastic surgeon will only provide information relevant to your situation.
"Removing the tumor" details the surgical procedure itself. This is the most crucial operation because effective tumor removal remains paramount. We guide you through the various methods of removal, a decision often made by a multidisciplinary team comprising oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, radiotherapists, breast nurses, gynecologists, oncological surgeons, and plastic surgeons.
The "Breast Reconstruction" section includes information and illustrations of the different reconstruction options along with corresponding steps.
Revalidation
Those treated for cancer often need a long period to recover.
Cancer is a radical illness with a heavy treatment. Often, people have to deal with psychosocial and/or physical problems afterwards, such as stress, anxiety, extreme fatigue, painful joints, reduced fitness, lymphedema... This can have a major impact on general well-being.
There are rehabilitation programmes offered by most hospitals. We cover some of the major topics here.
Quality of life
Quality of life is a key factor in coping with breast cancer. Therefore, it is important to find coping mechanisms that work, which will be different from patient to patient. For some, it may be finding enjoyment in activities they engaged in prior to diagnosis, taking time for appreciating life and expressing gratitude, volunteering, physical exercise... Of prime importance, studies have shown that accepting the disease as a part of one’s life is a key to effective coping, as well as focusing on mental strength to allow the patient to move on with life. In this section we are addressing some topics that patients experience during and after treatment and we are providing information to address them.
SI Introduction
Breasts play an important psychological, emotional and sexual role, as one of the main symbols of femininity.
Gravity, hormonal fluctuations and aging, cause breasts to change over time and this may affect social confidence. Large breasts are particularly affected by gravity; the bigger the breast is, the faster it will droop. One in nine women will also develop breast cancer. Therefore, ageing, cancer, congenital and developmental errors mean that many women experience problems in one or both breasts.
Plastic surgery of the breast includes both aesthetic and reconstructive procedures. The average person is frequently more familiar with the aesthetic aspects, particularly breast augmentation and breast reduction. This is partly because many women opt for these procedures, but in addition, may be attributed to the growing interest in the media regarding aesthetic surgery. The last two decades we have seen women become more aware of the appearance of their breasts, lowering the threshold at which they decide to proceed with surgery.
In contrast, there is less information and public focus on the reconstructive aspects of plastic surgery of the breast. We find that many women are completely unaware that it is possible to correct a congenital abnormality or undergo reconstructive surgery following oncological surgery or trauma. Furthermore, the techniques available for breast reconstruction are not well known by the general public.
The medical content of this website is designed to provide objective information about the most common problems of the breast: both aesthetic and reconstructive. We wish to educate women who are concerned that they may have a breast problem but are still waiting to consult their physician. Knowledge and information can often provide immediate reassurance if a woman is able to recognize a problem herself and realize that no immediate treatment is required. Alternatively, we would also like to inform women with a serious breast problem, for example breast cancer, so that they are well prepared when they see a physician.
The General section of the medical content of our website is divided into 3 parts. The first describes the basic components of the breast. The second part describes the most common disorders. Benign conditions such as congenital and developmental malformations, infections and tumors are defined and explained with sketches and photographs. An entire chapter is devoted to malignant breast tumors, as they affect one in nine women and are the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 45 and 55. The issue of genetic mutations and patients with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer is explained by expert geneticists and oncologists. The third section on breast surgery describes the various techniques used to remove a tumor.
The Breast Reconstruction section of the medical content of our website explains the various steps before, during and after surgical procedures related to breast reconstruction. We wish to help you make the right choice for your individual case. Although there are various surgical techniques to achieve the same goal, we suggest that a patient should be informed about the most advanced and modern solution. The final choice of the specific technique will depend on the individual. Reconstruction after breast-conserving surgery and after mastectomy is also discussed.
The reconstruction process usually involves two or more surgical procedures. There are often many practicalities associated with scheduling an operation and hospitalization. Again, we will try to provide support. Finally, we give our opinion on the future of reconstructive breast surgery.
Although not the main focus of this site, in the Aesthetic Breast Surgery session we highlight and summarize the most advanced techniques in breast augmentation, breast reduction and breast lifting. Many of these procedures are discussed in the breast reconstruction section because achieving optimum symmetry between both breasts is the “ultimate” goal of breast reconstruction. These techniques are often applied to the contralateral breast to achieve an acceptable result.
A section is then dedicated to the Correction of Congenital Malformations.
As the number of patients undergoing breast surgery is increasing, we are seeing more and more complications from previous surgery performed elsewhere. This produces a particular group of patients who are often very disappointed and have lost confidence in their medical care. Possible solutions and choices for these patients are described in the Revisional Surgery section.