“Humano” Polyclinic – Breast disease department

Breasts are a symbol of women identity, motherhood and beauty. Unfortunately, breasts are a place of various diseases. Usually, these diseases are benign, such as breast inflammation, cysts, fibrocystic breast disease, benign tumors (fibroadenoma and lipoma), etc. However, breasts are the most common cancer location in women. There is an increasing tendency.

On the basis of familiar risk factors and risky conditions for occurrence of breast cancer, a relative risk index for the development of breast cancer can be calculated for each woman and determine a risk group that is defined as a group of low, moderate and high risk of breast cancer occurrence. The rhythm of follow-up examinations is determined by the above-mentioned. Statistical analyses determined that the survival period and the possibility of curing women with breast cancer directly depends on the size of the tumor at the time of diagnosis. The best results are obtained when the tumor is less than 2cm and has not spread outside the breast. Therefore, an early diagnosis of breast cancer is very important and there are several methods to do so:

• Self-examination of both breasts once a month
• Regular follow-up examinations by a physician
• Targeted physical examinations of women of high-risk groups
• Color Doppler ultrasound diagnostics
• Ultrasound scanner diagnostics with elastography
• Mammography (screening and diagnostics)

An ultrasound breast examination by color Doppler is the most common applied method for diagnosing breast cancer. When it is performed on state-of-the-art devices, as those in “Humano” Polyclinic, with high-frequency and multi-frequency probes which have hypersensitive color mapping and color Doppler technology, performed by experts with experience in the field, the diagnostic certainty reaches over 96%.

A woman should schedule an ultrasound examination appointment when she finds a lump or change on the breast skin by breast self-examination, when a physician detects changes and irregularities on the breasts and when there is a bloody nipple discharge. Color Doppler is also recommended for the appearance of glands in the armpit, for constant pain in one place of the breast or if someone in the family suffered from breast cancer.

In the effort to provide quality healthcare services to our patients, we are happy to announce that we are the first in the Balkans who perform examinations on a best state-of-the-art 3D automated ultrasound scanner. The examinations are performed on a sophisticated device “Siemens” ACUSON S2000 ABUS Ultrasound system. The 3D ultrasound breast examination by an automated ultrasound scanner, unlike mammography, DOES NOT INVOLVE THE RISK OF IONIZING RADIATION.

It uses mechanical, ultrasound waves which are perfectly safe for the breast tissue. Ultrasound breast screening is a method of choice of the younger female population at the most significant world health centers. Namely, younger women have a denser breast tissue, the gland tissue is more expressed which can cause that some dangerous changes are not detected which often happens with mammography. The ABVS with the help of the 3D ULTRASOUND PROBE WITH ELASOGRAPHY can detect even the smallest changes of only a few millimeters, that are hardly visible by mammography or a traditional ultrasound examination, and the screening is COMPLETELY PAINLESS. The ABVS provides an excellent image of the complete architecture of the breast from the skin surface to the surface wall of the chest which is then analyzed by a team of experts in the field of radiology. The ABVS is a state-of-the-art medical device that gives the most reliable results of the condition of the breast and its changes.

Ultrasound elastography is a state-of-the-art ultrasound method which complements the clinical and ultrasound examinations in such a way that it provides a very precise evaluation of the tissue stiffness. It is a non-invasive method that measures the resistance of the soft tissues with the goal of identifying abnormal changes and determining a tumor’s nature. The examination is almost identical to a regular ultrasound examination. The imaging of the abnormal change and the surrounding tissue is shown with different colors which implies that the tissue resistance is qualitative, but the resistances could be measured quantitatively as well, either inside the abnormal change or in the surrounding tissues.

This method became a standard method of examination in developed countries and for now it is mostly being used to evaluate tumor changes in the thyroid and breasts where it provides best results. Clinical trials confirmed that an ultrasound examination in combination with elastography gives best results in the early detection of tumor which potentially reduces the number of unnecessary biopsies and surgical interventions or which refers patients to further treatment on time.

Core biopsy is one of the most important diagnostic methods which implies sampling of a tissue from the lumps in the breasts and of the abnormal area of the breast tissue. The goal of core biopsy is to determine whether the change is benign or malignant. Biopsy can be performed on every woman (or man) that has an abnormal lump in the breasts. The core biopsy procedure goes in the following manner: A local anesthetic is administered in the place where the needle should pierce and the skin is punctured by a scalpel. The sample is taken by a special needle which is controlled by an ultrasound and thus leads to the pathological change. In such a precise way, a small tissue sample is taken and is then sent to a microscopic testing.

Advantages of core biopsy in comparison to the traditional tissue biopsy:

• The procedure is less invasive in comparison to the open, surgical biopsy and leaves either insignificant or no scars.
• The ultrasound with which the procedure is performed, unlike mammography, does not use ionizing radiation
• A core biopsy controlled by an ultrasound ensures that there is enough material for the analysis that should separate the benign from the malignant breast changes
• The ultrasound can track the movement of the needle inside the breast tissue and this ensure a successful testing sample.

Immunohistochemistry is a method in laboratory diagnostics, a part of the histopathology laboratory, which enables a precise diagnosing of tumors. Immunohistochemistry testing is a necessary step when administering the desired treatment, that is, the goal is to choose a method of treatment for every cancer patient that he/she benefits most from. These analyses are used to determine the specific type of tumor in cases when routine methods do not provide conclusive results.

The machines that are used for immunohistochemistry tests offer a quick, efficient and reliable, quality tests and results. “Human” Polyclinic can proudly say that it is the only private medical practice in Serbia that performs completely automated immunohistochemistry tests on a VENTANA immunostainer, with compatible reagents which according to NordiQC have an excellent performance in comparison to other monoclonal antibodies. Patients can do the necessary tests at “Human” Polyclinic without waiting and with the most precise methods, whereby they do not waste precious time of the beginning of the treatment.

“Humano” Polyclinic offers you the possibility to perform complete laboratory testing of all parameter at one place, with the help of state-of-the-art diagnostic methods and devices and the best team of experts, radiologists, surgeons and oncologists, and thus obtain a conclusive insight into the condition of your breasts and secure yourself an adequate therapy and treatment on time.