IASO Breast Center: The largest in Greece

IASO, driven by the will to provide the best possible care for women, has created the largest and most modern Breast Center in Greece, with the 1st and 2nd Breast Clinics. It offers excellent care from highly qualified scientific teams, with specialized training and long-standing experience in the treatment of breast conditions. The Center services involve all stages of early diagnosis and treatment.

Specialized breast clinic

IASO Breast Center performs breast screening, a full range of diagnostic tests and all procedures related to benign or malignant breast conditions. Moreover, it handles the postoperative monitoring, mainly for breast cancer cases.

The Clinics are staffed with experienced nursing and paramedic personnel.

The safety of the largest Gynecology Hospital

With the aim of offering comprehensive, well-rounded treatment to its patients, the Breast Center is supported by all the necessary IASO Departments and works closely with doctors of many medical specialties, such as radiologists, cytologists, pathologists, nuclear physicians, gynecologists, oncologists, radiation therapists and plastic surgeons.

It collaborates closely with the Imaging & Interventional Radiology Department, the Oncology Clinics, Radiation Oncology Centre, the Pathology Department and the Nuclear Medicine Department.

Accurate diagnosis and cutting-edge technology

In collaboration with the Imaging Department and the specialized diagnostic radiologists the Center provides accurate diagnosis, as well as the ability to diagnose very small cancers. Being able to diagnose cancers that are a few millimeters in size is extremely important. The treatment of such tumors almost always results in a cure.

The Department is equipped with high-resolution and low-radiation dose devices. More specifically, it has two state-of-the-art digital mammography scanners, one of which offers breast tomosynthesis mammography, a high-resolution ultrasound imaging system, exclusively for breast ultrasounds with the new stereotactic localization and biopsy device, as well as a shear wage elastography device. It also boasts the most advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner and a latest-technology mammotome device for the stereotactic biopsies.

The Pathology Laboratory is the pillar of the Breast Center. The preoperative diagnosis of malignancy is made by a breast needle biopsy and along with the results from the immunohistochemical method and the molecular techniques, the next treatment steps are decided. In selected cases, the sentinel lymph node is examined, either during a fast biopsy or at a later time, using modern immunohistochemical investigation to detect possible metastatic diseases.

For the lumpectomy and mastectomy specimens, the macroscopic preparation protocols defined by the Royal College of Pathology are followed. The department is staffed with experienced clinical pathologists, specializing in breast conditions. Moreover, it frequently participates in external quality assessment schemes, both in histopathological diagnoses and immunohistochemical tests, from the world-leading Finnish organization, Labquality.

The Medical Oncology Department works closely with the Breast Center in the treatment of malignancies. The latest protocols are implemented, in accordance with international guidelines, and clinical trials are carried out. The specialized experience of the Pathologists/Oncologists, as well as their specific post-graduate training ensure top-quality healthcare services in the field of medical oncology.

Breast radiotherapy is performed at the IASO Radiation Oncology Center with the help of latest generation linear accelerators. The Center boasts the technology that allows treatment to be performed with accuracy and excellent dose distribution. This ensures optimum effectiveness and minimal impact on healthy tissues.

The Nuclear Medicine Department is equipped with a state-of-the-art dual-head camera, to perform the required scintigrams.

Genetic Counseling

Special care is offered to patients and their families through genetic counseling and genetic testing by specialized geneticists, who investigate the hereditary factors in breast cancer.

Early diagnosis clinic

Clinical examinations are performed at the early diagnosis Clinic, while it is also possible for diagnostic tests, such as mammographies and ultrasounds, or interventional diagnostic procedures to be carried out immediately.

Lymphedema

Patients with lymphedema are monitored by a team of specialized physiotherapists, at the Lymphedema Unit.

Psychological support

Particular attention is paid to supporting the patients with the help of qualified therapists.

Moreover, the Breast Center has:

• An assessment unit for women at high breast cancer risk
• A psychological support unit with a specialized psycho-oncologist
• A statistical analysis unit
• An Internal Tumor Board

Care for special patient groups

The Breast Cancer provides effective treatment to special patient groups, such as:

• Women below 35 years old diagnosed with cancer.
• Women diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy.
• Young patients that have not given birth, who are given the possibility to preserve their fertility with the aim of having a child after the end of their treatment, when their overall condition allows it.
• Patients who have completed their treatment and are found able to conceive. These women are treated in cooperation with the Assisted Reproduction Department. Among these patient groups our results so far have been excellent. In the last three years, almost 50 children have been born to a mother who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

International Acclaim

The IASO Breast Center has become a full member of the Breast Centers Network, the first international network of Healthcare Units exclusively dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Education

The Breast Center performs remarkable educational work on a theoretical as well as on a practical (invasive, surgical) level. Several new colleagues show a strong interest each year in attending and participating in various activities organized by the Breast Center. Their selection is based on strict and objective criteria.