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“Our patients receive support at every level, including psychological support”
  

Dr Martine Piccart,
Medical Oncologist and Scientific Director

How we treat breast cancers

In Belgium, one woman in eight will develop breast cancer over the course of her life. The Institut Jules Bordet treats around 700 women a year. Our multidisciplinary teams were pioneers in a number of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these cancers.

Diagnosis – examinations required

A mammogram (x-ray of the breasts) is the first examination carried out if breast cancer is suspected. Other, additional medical imaging examinations may also be used: ultrasound, MRI, etc.

A biopsy is a key element in the treatment of breast cancer and not only in order to confirm diagnosis. In fact, it is the biological and genetic characteristics of the tumour that, to a large extent, determine the therapeutic strategy to be used. The Institut Jules Bordet was a pioneer in the discovery of a genetic “signature” for breast cancer (“the genomic grade”) as a tool for therapeutic decision making and so in choosing the most effective treatments.