Breast cancer is the most common cancer that occurs in women in the United States and Western countries. The frequency of breast cancer is increasing every year in Korea due to the westernization pattern of life patterns and changes in awareness of early breast cancer screening. According to the 2003 Korean Breast Cancer Society report, 16,898 patients were newly diagnosed during the year of 2010 and were treated in domestic hospitals. The frequency of these patients is increasing each year.
To provide more professional and systematic diagnosis and treatment for patients with various breast diseases including breast cancer, Asan Medical Center was opened in 1989 and Breast cancer clinic was established in 1992 by Professor Ahn Sei-Hyun to provide remarkable growth and therapeutic results.

In 1992, the first year of the establishment of the breast cancer clinic, 100 breast cancer surgeries have been performed, the number of surgeries has gradually increased. In 2014, 2,267 breast cancer surgeries were performed. As of December 2014, a total of 24,451 breast cancer surgeries and more than 3,000 breast reconstructive surgeries have been performed, making it the most widely used surgical record in Korea as a single hospital.

Diseases and Operations

The breast cancer clinic of Asan medical center is..

First, it has the largest number of breast cancer surgery records among domestic single hospitals, and it is expected that the record will continue to be maintained.

We provide the surgical methods that were considered to be most appropriate for the patients, to present the audiovisual data to the patients and their caregivers, and the handout materials prepared for the future treatment plan and cautions for each individual's various breast cancer stages and the regular checkup plan for the test result, and the specialist will explain in detail. The outcome of the surgery is similar to the survival rate in the US or Europe by stage, and is better than in others.

Second, we have the best surgical technique in the world.

In this clinic, breast conservation surgery is performed in 40% to 45% of patients, minimizing the wound area with minimal skin incision, maximizing the amount of skin fat needed to maintain the breast shape, and dislocating normal tissue into the ablation site (transposition) have shown good results and satisfaction. In addition, in patients requiring a mastectomy, breast resection and breast reconstruction are performed at the same time, minimizing the psychological impact of breast loss. The application of breast conserving surgery and simultaneous breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomy is the most commonly performed in Korea, which is very encouraging considering the characteristics of Korean patients with breast cancer in their age, 30s and 40s.

Third, there is a volunteer team among breast cancer patients.

Twice a every week, Two volunteers who underwent breast cancer surgery at our clinic, visit the hospital to talk to the inpatients and discuss the post-operative recovery process, chemotherapy and other questions. By sharing each other's experiences, we are helping the patient's emotional support.

Fourth, an organic multimodality approach to breast cancer.

This is an important part of the treatment concept of modern breast cancer, The medical staffs of all related departments participate in the all process of patient's diagnosis and treatment plan. By close and organic cooperation with this departments, oncology, radiation oncology, diagnostic pathology, diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, plastic sergery, rehabilitation medicine, we strive to provide the best treatment.

MDT clinic (Number of Outpatients)

Finally, There is the active research activity in the clinic and performance as education field.

We are trying to share the clinical interest with other hospitals through many journals published in Korea and abroad. We are also interested in genetic tests for breast cancer and new drug development. We are trying to combine basic medical field of breast cancer such as cancer metastasis research, molecular biology and genetics with actual clinical experience and strive to invest and try to grow into a professional clinic.