Serving women’s health The pioneering work of Breast unit

For the women in the USA community in Vicenza, the Breast Unit is also available, one of the excellent services of Ulss 8 Berica. A sort of "space shield in the fight against breast cancer," the multidisciplinary center dedicated to the prevention and treatment of breast cancer, is a super-specialized flagship that provides various medical professionals working in teams at the service of the user: namely, first and foremost, the surgeon, then the oncologist, the radiation therapist, but also the plastic surgeon, the psychologist, and the rehabilitation doctor, to ensure the patient receives comprehensive care. It's an avant-garde organization that welcomes and supports women at every step of their therapeutic journey, with two reference locations, at the Vicenza hospital and the Montecchio Maggiore hospital, even though the coordination of this virtuous corporate network is unified.
All prevention activities also fall under the competence of the Breast Unit, even more so, a fully integrated structure. Dr. Graziano Meneghini leads it, one of the absolute protagonists of Breast Units in Italy, a genuine expert who was previously a member of the Commission established by the Italian Ministry of Health to create them within the National Health Service, and also one of the founding members of Anisc, the Italian Society of Breast Surgeons. Every year, Ulss 8 Berica's Breast Unit treats over 600 cases of neoplasms and ranks among the top in the Veneto region for the number of patients treated. The services, distributed between Vicenza and Montecchio, consist of outpatient visits and surgical activities. In 2023, over 30,000 breast examinations were conducted. Some patients request them for preventive purposes in the absence of any suspicion. In this regard, considering that the incidence of this cancer continues to rise among younger women under 50, it should be noted that there is no right age to start screenings, and from the age of 25, it is always recommended to undergo a breast examination. And, an absolute certainty: "Mammography is the most targeted radiological examination for early detection of breast tumors. Global studies have shown that mortality is reduced by 25 percent." Dr. Meneghini reiterates: "WHO and IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, are categorical. Mammography, in this age group, is the reference tool, the only examination capable of reducing the mortality rate of breast cancer.
Only in case of suspicion, considering that a positive result on mammography does not equate to a certain diagnosis of breast cancer although it indicates a higher probability of having the condition, further diagnostic examinations will follow this initial examination, always free of charge: an ultrasound, an MRI, biopsy." The doctor performs a physical examination, then breast and axillary ultrasound, and based on individual risk assessment, a personalized schedule of future check-ups is planned. Sometimes, the patient who has felt a lump or has undergone a mammogram with a suspicious finding undergoes an examination. In this case, the breast surgeon performs the examination and, if necessary, proceeds immediately to take a biopsy, then schedules any further investigations. Alongside outpatient activities, the Breast Unit deals with breast surgical treatment.
The surgeries are performed at the Vicenza hospital, and all clinical cases, before being treated in the operating room, are discussed by a group of doctors who identify the best treatment for each patient. In certain situations, it is possible to minimize the impact of surgeries while preserving the natural appearance of the breast. "This principle - explains Dr. Meneghini - applies to the majority of new diagnoses that can be treated with a quadrantectomy, which involves the removal of only a small portion of the mammary gland. When, however, this is not possible and a mastectomy is necessary, the aesthetic aspect is not overlooked, and a reconstruction is proposed using a temporary or definitive prosthesis already at the time of the demolitive intervention." The breast surgery department at San Bortolo Hospital in Vicenza has been certified by Senonetwork and is part of the Breast Centres Network (www.breastcentresnetwork.org).