Breast cancer is one of the most common areas of attention for German physicians, where the latest achievements of European and world medicine are applied. Breast cancer in German mammology centers is now being treated more and more effectively with the up-to-date therapy, and with a preference to techniques that are less aggressive that allow preserving the quality of life.
The first step of breast cancer care in Germany
As early forms of breast tumors do not cause symptoms, women usually do not see their general practitioner timely, and therefore malignant neoplasms are not always detected early.
Breast cancer screening includes instrumental and laboratory examinations to detect breast cancer at its preclinical stages. The cancer screening program in Germany includes examination, and palpation of the breasts by oncologist-mammalogist, breast ultrasound and/or mammography, and, if necessary, determination of breast cancer tumor markers.
The main purpose of screening is making early diagnosis of breast cancer and timely referral of patients with detected diseases for treatment in specialized healthcare institutions. Therefore, breast cancer screening is a powerful tool for preventing cancer and effective management of the disease.
Breast cancer treatment tactics in Germany
One of the basic principles of choosing a method of treatment for this type of cancer in Germany is the preservation of quality of life. Therefore, there is almost no such thing as “standard therapy for breast cancer” in Germany. The treatment tactics is always individual. It is determined by several factors, and among them are not only the physical condition and the different characteristics of the tumor, but also the mental and emotional wellbeing.
Breast cancer spreads very quickly, so even at its early stages the treatment in Germany is systemic (that is, affecting the entire body). Therefore, as a rule, we are talking not only about the need for surgical intervention, but also neoadjuvant (preoperative) and adjuvant (conducted after surgery) therapeutic measures.
The goal of breast cancer surgery is to remove the diseased tissue as completely as possible. Only this can prevent cancer cells from spreading to other parts of the body and prevent relapse (growth of a new malignant tumor in place of the original one).
Even with surgery, preserving a breast is possible when there is a favorable ratio between the size of the tumor and the total volume of the gland, and if the malignant tumor has not penetrated the muscle tissue yet. In the course of organ-preserving operations, the tumor with adjacent tissues is removed (lumpectomy), a large segment of the gland, or its entire quadrant (quadrantectomy). When resecting a sufficiently large segment, the so-called intramammary “shifting” is performed at the same time to achieve a cosmetic effect. After this surgery, the breast looks the same as it did before the organ-preserving intervention. If such surgery is impossible, reconstructive surgery is performed (immediately after removal of the malignant tumor or after completing a course of conservative therapy).
If masses are too large, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy is carried out before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor so it can be removed as a whole, down to healthy tissue, while preserving the gland itself. Thanks to the achievements of modern European medicine, organ-preserving operations are performed in about 60-70% of breast cancer cases.
Undergoing treatment for breast cancer in Germany during a lockdown
How to go to Germany for treatment? Is it possible to enter the country under lockdown conditions? How to organize the process step by step? Who can help me choose a medical facility and get permission to come during a lockdown?
You don’t have to even think about all of these questions with Booking Health. Booking Health has helped thousands of international patients to go to Germany for treatment and will help you as well. Booking Health will help you choose the medical facility that corresponds to your needs, provide you with all of the updates on lockdown conditions, help you to get a medical visa from the German embassy, and organize every little detail of treatment so you won’t have to.
If you want to undergo treatment of breast cancer in Germany or breast cancer screening in Germany during a lockdown, you can! The information on how to start is available on the Booking Health website.
