Breast Care Nurses in Bern
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At the Breast Centre Bern Biel, competence and empathy are our top priorities. Our aim is to provide our patients with holistic care, and this includes interdisciplinary collaboration between numerous specialists. This collaboration guarantees competent and comprehensive treatment of all breast diseases. Thanks to the two locations in Bern and Biel, patients can choose a treatment location close to their home or place of work.
We put expertise and empathy first
At the Breast Centre Bern Biel, competence and empathy are our top priorities. Our aim is to provide our patients with holistic care, and this includes interdisciplinary collaboration between numerous specialists. This collaboration guarantees competent and comprehensive treatment of all breast diseases.
We support you throughout the course of your illness
We support and advise our patients throughout the course of their illness, from initial consultation and diagnosis to treatment and follow-up care. In doing so, we take into account each person’s current situation in life and their individual needs. We attach great importance to making sure that they feel in good hands both professionally and personally.
We work together on an interdisciplinary basis
We are committed to the interdisciplinary, quality-assured treatment and care of patients with breast diseases. Through close networking and cooperation between all the disciplines involved, we strive to provide optimal care for patients with breast diseases. Competent and straightforward collaboration is our top priority.
We contribute to training and further education
We encourage and support the further development of our qualified employees through access to external and internal training and development. Doctors and nursing staff at the Breast Centre keep up to date with the latest knowledge through regular further education and training.
We focus on quality assurance
We undertake to implement the guidelines developed and drawn up by the specialist societies in our day-to-day work with our patients. To this end, we regularly review our work processes, maintain a tumour database and document every step of treatment. Patient satisfaction is evaluated on a regular basis.
The Breast Centre Bern Biel is certified by the Swiss Cancer League and the Swiss Society for Senology with the quality label for breast centres. The seal of approval is awarded to breast centres that meet clearly defined requirements for the quality of treatment and care for people with breast cancer.
Breast Centre Bern Biel – Bern location
Prevention
One of the most important services offered by the Breast Centre Bern Biel is the provision of advice on breast cancer prevention – information on straightforward ways to prevent breast cancer and other breast diseases. Our specialists will advise you on the early detection of breast cancer (familial and non-familial) and provide tips on possible preventive measures.
Breast cancer screening in everyday life
The following measures in your day-to-day life can reduce your risk of breast cancer:
- Try to maintain a healthy body weight
- Try to get regular exercise in your everyday life
- Eat healthily – wholegrain products, pulses, fruits and vegetables on a regular basis
- Reduce your alcohol consumption
Breast examination can save lives
Breast cancer is the most common cancer amongst women. Important preventive measures such as regular check-ups with a gynaecologist or breast examination once a month can ensure that breast cancer is detected and treated at an early stage.
Effective self-examination:
Every woman should examine her own breasts once a month. This is the easiest way to detect changes in the breast. In the event of any changes, a check-up by a gynaecologist is recommended.
Breast consultation
If breast cancer is suspected, it is better to see a specialist sooner rather than later. A breast consultation at the Breast Centre Bern Biel helps patients assess possible signs and symptoms of breast cancer and ensure early diagnosis and treatment in the event of disease.
Visit during breast consultation hours
We will be happy to advise you on all breast complaints in a breast consultation:
- Suspected breast cancer
- Breast pain
- Secretion
- Breast deformities
- Gynaecomastia (enlargement of one or both breasts) in men
During the initial consultation we discuss your individual situation, review existing results and arrange for any further examinations. We also present you with the range of possible therapies on offer. Referral to a breast consultation is made by your gynaecologist or the attending doctor. You are of course also welcome to contact us directly, for a second opinion for example.
Diagnostics
Benign or malignant breast cancer is only diagnosed after numerous diagnostic procedures. A detailed breast cancer diagnosis enables the patient to find the best treatment for their clinical picture. We provide numerous diagnostic procedures at the Breast Centre Bern Biel, in particular mammography for the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer.
Possibilities for breast cancer diagnostics
Many breast lumps are benign and can be clarified via high-resolution ultrasound. If necessary, further clarifications such as a digital mammography or a breast MRI can be carried out. If any doubts remain, the lump can be clarified in detail with a small biopsy, which is taken at the clinic under ultrasound control.
If the findings are benign, surgery is often not required. In this case, a check-up is usually sufficient. If the lump grows or becomes very troublesome, it can be removed on an outpatient basis using a vacuum biopsy or minor surgery.
Further information on the Institute of Radiology at Salem-Spital.
Further information on the Radiology Centre at Klinik Linde.
Mammography
Mammography is the most important method for early detection of breast cancer in women aged 50 and over. If breast cancer is detected early, treatment is often easier and the chances of survival for the women affected are generally higher.
Mammography is a special X-ray examination that can reveal changes in the breast before they can be felt.
When is a mammography performed?
A distinction is made between diagnostic mammography and screening, or preventive mammography.
Diagnostic mammography
Mammography is used as an examination method if a symptom has been experienced or a lump found through palpation.
Screening or preventive mammography
This type of mammography is a method for the early detection of breast cancer and its preliminary stages without the patient or her doctor having any specific suspicion of the disease. The Swiss Cancer League recommends that women between the ages of 40 and 50 undergo a basic mammography as a precaution and for later comparison purposes. From the age of 50, a mammography is recommended every two years. For women with a family history of breast cancer, a specific procedure should be defined with the gynaecologist.
Treatment
The diagnosis of benign or malignant breast cancer can be a shock at first, but breast cancer can usually be well treated. Treatment options range from conservative (breast cancer radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, etc.) to surgical treatment (surgical removal) of breast cancer. Our specialists will advise you both on the choice of treatment and during your breast cancer treatment.
Malignant breast cancer – what now?
If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, you will receive close support from the experienced team at the Breast Centre. We will provide you with comprehensive information about each stage of treatment. Treatment concepts are discussed by a panel of specialists at the tumour board. The doctor responsible for you will discuss the results with you in detail and plan the next steps together. The Breast Care Nurse will support you throughout your treatment.
In most cases, breast cancer can be treated very well, and breast-preserving therapy is possible. This is our breast surgeons’ speciality. The special technique of oncoplastic breast surgery often allows for safe removal of the tumour without the need to remove the entire breast, maintaining the natural shape of the breast to a great extent. In rare cases, breast-preserving therapy is not possible. In this event, it is possible to carry out a breast reconstruction with your own tissue or with implants.
Treatment options for breast cancer
- Breast-preserving surgery
- Oncological surgery
- Breast reconstruction after breast removal
- Sentinel lymph nodes
- Breast reduction/breast enlargement
- Anti-hormonal therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy
- immunotherapy
- Mistletoe therapy
- Psycho-oncology
Tumour board
Treatment of cancer calls for collaboration between various medical specialists, Each breast cancer patient is considered individually. At the weekly tumour board, each individual case is assessed on an interdisciplinary basis before and after surgery, and a comprehensive treatment recommendation is made. The tumour board is attended by experts in breast surgery (senology), oncology, radio-oncology (radiotherapy), radiology and pathology, as well as breast care nurses.
Tumour board at the Breast Centre Bern Biel
Day of the week
Weekly on Wednesday evenings
Time
5:30 pm
Location
Klinik Beau-Site, Haus von Rodt meeting room and via video conference
Chairperson
Dr Patrizia Sager
Head of Breast Centre Bern Biel
Breast care nurse
Your expert nurse for breast diseases
A breast care nurse is a registered nurse with specialist training in the area of breast disease. They provide professional advice and emotional support to people with breast cancer and their relatives. From diagnosis to follow-up care, the breast care nurse is there for you as a constant point of contact throughout the entire treatment period. Questions and concerns can be discussed in a confidential setting. You can contact them at any time directly or through your attending doctor.
Breast care nurse advisory services
The advisory services offered by breast care nurses help patients and their relatives cope better with the disease:
- Emotional support, advice and assistance, right from the time of diagnosis if required
- Answering questions about the disease and the planned treatments
- Information and recommendations for dealing with side effects of therapies, e.g. scar care, hair loss, fatigue, loss of appetite
- Visits during the hospital stay
- Advice on breast prostheses, bras and fitting of a first provisional prosthesis after surgery
- Support and advice on issues such as changes in body image, beauty, sexuality, family, communication with children, work and much more
- Coping strategies for everyday life
- Support in decision-making processes
- Arrangement of contacts, e.g. social services, cancer league, self-help groups, pastoral care or psycho-oncology
- Provision of information material
- Constant point of contact throughout the entire treatment period
Outpatient visits to the breast care nurse are possible following an inpatient stay. You can contact us by phone or email.
Psycho-oncology
For most people, a diagnosis of breast cancer or breast disease has profound existential consequences. Both the illness itself and the medical treatment involved can cause extensive mental, physical and emotional stress
Psychological support for breast cancer diagnosis
A cancer diagnosis raises many questions for those affected, and often causes a great deal of uncertainty. Anxiety about the future, despondency or chronic fatigue can also occur.
In such situations, the psycho-oncological specialists at the Hirslanden Breast Centre Bern Biel support both patients and their relatives and work with them to develop ways of dealing with the new challenges. The aim is to provide patients with individual support and help them to use resources for finding stability in their new situation.
Genetic counselling for hereditary cancer
Most cancers occur by chance. However, there are people who have inherited an increased risk of certain cancers. Important: Only a small number of families in which cancer has occurred have an increased genetic risk of cancer.
This section of the website aims to:
- demonstrate the purpose of genetic counselling in the case of hereditary cancers
- give you an idea of what you can expect from genetic counselling
- tell you what information we need from you so you can get the most out of genetic counselling
The risk assessment is primarily based on a strong personal and/or family history on one or both sides of the family (mother’s/father’s side) with regard to:
- early onset of cancer
- an increased number of cancer cases across generations
- bilateral breast cancer
- the occurrence of several typical tumours in the same person or close relatives
- special ethnic origins, such as Ashkenazi Jewish descent
Aims of genetic counselling for hereditary cancer
Genetic counselling aims to:
- giving people with a family history of cancer the opportunity to talk about what this means for them and their family
- answer questions in relation to hereditary cancer and genetic testing
- provide information about individual cancer risk based on a family history of cancer
- talk about the process and psychological aspects of genetic testing
- provide information about the impacts in terms of insurance (e.g. private health insurance, life insurance)
- highlight possible monitoring and risk reduction measures
What is the procedure for genetic counselling?
Procedure for genetic counselling: 45-minute interview – preparation on your part
The consultation usually lasts 45 minutes. During this time, we will need from you:
- the names and ages of your maternal and paternal family members
- specific information about family members diagnosed with cancer
- the names of the hospitals where your family members were treated for cancer, and of the doctors who treated them
It would be extremely helpful if you could complete our family history questionnaire regarding cancer and send it to us before the appointment.
- You may want to ask your family members if they can help you fill out the questionnaire.
- The information about your family history of cancer will help us determine how likely it is that there is an inherited propensity for cancer in your family, and it will be explained to you during the consultation what this information means for you and your family.
- If we conclude that you have an increased inherited risk of cancer, we will discuss possible monitoring and risk reduction measures with and without genetic testing.
Genetic testing: complex – only in certain cases – well established
For a small number of people, it is possible to offer genetic testing of the blood to find out if there is an inherited predisposition to certain types of cancer in the family. After obtaining a cost reimbursement guarantee from your health insurance company, a blood sample can be taken for this test. A genetic test is time-consuming, so it can take 3 to 4 weeks for a result. However, it is not always possible to offer a genetic test, even if there is a suspicion of an inherited tendency to cancer. Genetic testing has far-reaching implications and often requires further consultation. The purpose of these discussions is to give those concerned time to rethink and clarify certain essential issues.
Monitoring and risk reduction measures:
We provide you with personalised advice
It is possible that due to your family history, you may need additional monitoring for cancer. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these monitoring measures with you during the consultation.
If it turns out that you have an increased risk of cancer and need additional monitoring measures, we will help you arrange them. If we can offer you risk reduction measures, we will also discuss this with you during the consultation. We will do our best to provide you with the most accurate and detailed information possible – to enable you to make the right decision for you.
Appointments and registration
To arrange an appointment for an outpatient consultation, you can either book yourself by phone or your attending doctor will refer you directly to us.
Please take all previous findings with you, such as information about previous breast operations, previous mammographies or mammasonography examinations, as well as information about previous or current illnesses.
Contact Berne: +41 31 337 89 70
Contact Biel: +41 32 366 42 60
Information for referrers
A suspicion of breast cancer is often first raised and diagnosed by the attending family doctor or medical personnel. It is of the utmost importance to us, therefore, that referrals can be made quickly and easily for the patient.
In this area, you will find all the important information and documents you need for patient registration and referral.
Patient registration and referral
Competent and straightforward collaboration is our top priority. You can refer your patients to the Breast Centre Bern Biel at any stage in the clarification process.
When registering , please provide us with all the patient’s previous findings. Information about previous breast operations, older mammographies or breast ultrasound examinations, as well as information about previous or present illnesses, are helpful.
After the treatment in the breast centre is complete, follow-up care and any further supervision will be provided by the patient’s family doctor. On request, some or all of this care can also be provided at the breast centre.
Bern location:
Please register your patients byemailor by phone on +41 31 337 89 70.
Biel location:
Please register your patients byemailor by phone on +41 32 366 42 60.
