The reality of one stop breast clinic
As the weekend comes to an end I will start the week with what we call one stop breast clinic, routine task for me as a surgeon but for many women (or men) who attend this may a daunting prospect. The anxiety may have started many weeks before this when symptoms were first discovered which started the chain of events including getting through to GP surgery leading to a consultation ending in a referral to the hospital. The pandemic has made access to primary care more difficult and the target of being seen within two weeks of being referred is not being met in a significant number of cases. So after spending weeks worried about what may be the problem including the possibility of the big C the day finally arrives to attend the hospital appointment.
I’m writing to deconstruct what happens during the visit to help everyone understands what happens to help everyone cope better with the process. When you reach the receptionist will check your details and you will be seen by an assessment team comprising team of surgeon and radiologist supported by nurses and radiographers. Nowadays most hospitals have advanced nurse practitioners and mammograhers who are very skilled to run clinics with indepently. The mantra is triple assessment but in practice most only need two elements clinical assessment and radiological test, the third one is biopsy which is used if an abnormality is found. As a part of the first part you will asked some questions including details of symptoms and family history, then you will examined with a chaperone being present maintaining your dignity. Then comes imaging which includes mammogram (x-ray of the breast if you are above forty years of age) and/or ultrasound scan (with jelly & probe just what’s used scan the baby during pregnancy). At this point a decision is made whether to do a biopsy which is done under guidance of imaging using local anaesthetic. Although the results of biopsy takes about a week it’s very important to wait for it because it’s the best way of confirming or excluding cancer. Before you attend the team would discussed all the results in a team meeting scrutinising all three elements and recommending a management plan.
The name of the game is not to miss a cancer so the triple (concordant) assessment gives near 100% accuracy.
Our clinic assesses over 12 thousand patients an year and nearly 97% do not have cancer.
I would like to salute all women who come forward to get their symptoms checked overcoming hesitation and personal anxiety, this leads to early diagnosis which means better outcomes.
If you receive a life changing diagnosis it will also mean it’s your first step to recovery, giving you the help you need to beat the big C.
#breastcancer , #breastcancerawareness , #cancercure , #cancerspecialist , #breastcancerhelp
