Breast service

We provide a dedicated Breast Service at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

We also provide breast cancer services at University Hospital Lewisham.

The Breast Service at Queen Elizabeth Hospital is a  multidisciplinary service catering to the needs of the population of Greenwich, Bexley and the neighbouring Boroughs in London. It caters to the full range of services needed for patients with breast complaints whether in the emergency, routine and urgent cancer-related settings.


Location

Outpatients

  • ‘One-Stop’ clinics, follow-up Clinics, Lymphoedema/Prosthetics/Family History Clinics – Area D in Outpatients, Ground Floor
  • Joint Breast Plastics Clinic – Area C in Outpatients, Ground Floor
  • Joint Oncology Clinic – Macmillan Brooke Unit , 1st Floor

Diagnostics

  • Mammography/ breast ultrasound/ guided biopsies - Area D in Outpatients, Ground Floor
  • CT / MRI / general ultrasound/ nuclear medicine – Main Radiology Department, Ground Floor
  • Blood Tests- Phlebotomy Department, Outpatients Area Entrance
  • Pathology – Pathology Department, Ground Floor

Theatres

  • Day case operating – Day Care Unit, Ground Floor
  • In-Patient operating - Main Theatres, 1st Floor

Chemotherapy/Systemic anticancer therapy

  • Chemotherapy Day Suite,  Macmillan Brooke Unit , 1st Floor
  • In-Patient chemotherapy – Ward 21, Oncology Ward, 1st Floor

Radiotherapy

  • Oncology Clinic – for consultation & consenting- Macmillan Brooke Unit , 1st Floor
  • Treatment planning & delivery – at St Thomas’ Hospital  Radiotherapy Suite


Contact details

  • Outpatients service – Tel. 020 8836 5050
  • Cancer services for initial appointments only – Tel: 020 8836 5964/5
  • For diagnosed cancer patients already known to the Breast Service via Breast CNSs (Extn 66899, Bleeps – 417/282) & Breast Secretaries (Extn 65486/ 65483)
  • For oncology clinics– Macmillan Brook Unit , Tel 020 8836 5054
  • For patients having chemotherapy - Macmillan Brook Unit , Tel 020 8836 5054


What conditions does the department treat?

The Department treats a wide range of benign breast conditions as well as breast cancer in both women and men; including:

Benign breast conditions:

  • Developmental anomalies
  • Breast Lumps – cysts, fibroadenomas  etc
  • Breast Infections – including those associated with pregnancy/ breast feeding
  • Nipple discharge/problems
  • Breast problems in Males – including gynaecomastia

Malignant conditions/cancer :

  • Non-invasive ( DCIS, LCIS etc )
  • Invasive
  • Breast cancers in males

Borderline/high risk conditions

  • Phyllodes tumour
  • Atypical Hyperplasias
  • Duct papillomas

Family History Risk Assessment and referral for screening and gene testing


What services do we provide?

Outpatient Services

  • ‘One-Stop’ Breast Clinics with Mammography, Ultrasound Scans, Image Guided Biopsies -  5 Clinics per week
  • Follow-Up Clinics – 3 per week
  • Joint Breast Plastics Clinics – 1 per fortnight
  • Joint Breast Oncology Clinics – 1 per week
  • Nurse Led Clinics: Mild Lymphoedema, Breast Prosthetics, Family History Risk Assessment

Diagnostic Services

  • Radiology – Mammograms, Ultrasound Scans, Image Guided & Non-Guided Biopsies, Nuclear Medicine Scans, CT Scans, MRI Scans, DEXA Scans & other routine scans
  • Pathology – Cytology, Histopathology including Immuno-histochemistry, Microbiology
  • Diagnostic Excisions

Surgery Services

  • Day Care Ambulatory Surgery – Lumpectomy for Benign cases, Surgery for Breast Cancer including Guidewire Breast Conserving Surgery, Dual Technique Sentinel Node Biopsy, Mastectomy, Axillary Clearance etc
  • Inpatient Surgery  - as above for higher risk patients
  • Reconstructive Surgery – Immediate/Delayed with Plastic Surgeons at St Thomas’

Systemic Anti-cancer Therapy Services

  • Chemotherapy  including complex  regimes
  • Herceptin
  • Full range of Anti Hormonal treatments including Injectible drugs
  • Supportive therapies including Bisphosphonates for Bone Health issues


Who are the services for?

We provide breast services for both women and men of all ages with breast complaints.


Recent Service Improvements

  • The Service now provides 5 ‘One-Stop Breast Clinics’ a week to increase patient choice, thus improving attendance. The service met the new standards of seeing all ‘Breast Referrals’-Urgent & Non-Urgent within 2 Weeks six months in advance of the target date.

  • There are now three ‘Nurse-Led’ clinics for Lymphoedema, Breast Prosthetics & Breast Family History.

  • There is a new MRI Scanning facility at QEH.


Who can refer to the service?

GPs / Primary Care - from the Boroughs of Greenwich, Bexley, Lewisham and neighbouring areas via Fax to Cancer Services - 020 8836 4035
GPs of any Borough in UK - via Choose & Book
Breast Screening Service - via the weekly Breast Screening MDT & Cancer Services via e-mail
A&E - via standard Referral Form to Cancer Services 
Inpatients - Teams can refer via Breast CNSs (Extn 66899, Bleeps – 417 / 282) and Breast Secretaries (Extn 65486/ 65483)
Outpatients of other specialities - via formal referral to Breast Consultants (Extn 65486 & 65483 ) / CNSs (Extn 66899, Bleeps – 417/282)              


Key staff

Consultants

  • Mr Kislaya Thakur, Consultant Breast Surgeon – Lead for Breast Services & MDT
  • Mr Bengt Kald, Consultant Breast Surgeon
  • Mrs Jenny  Dobrzynski, Breast Cancer Nurse Specialist, Tel Extn 66899
  • Ms Martina Reyes, Breast Cancer Nurse Specialist, Tel Extn 66899
  • Dr Peck Tan, Consultant Radiologist, Tel Extn 66968
  • Ms Surinder Matharu, Consultant Breast Radiographer, Tel Extn 65341
  • Ms Karen Connolly, Breast radiographer, Tel Extn 65340
  • Dr Thelma Pinto, Consultant Histo-Pathologist
  • Dr Damian Collins, Consultant Histo-Pathologist
  • Dr Hartmut Kristeleit, Consultant Medical Oncologist
  • Dr Shahreen Ahmad, Consultant Clinical Oncologist
  • Ms Susan Kent , Breast MDT Co-ordinator, Tel Extn 65965
  • Ms Christine Gibbs, Breast Unit Secretary, Tel Extn 65486
  • Ms Lorraine Poke, Breast Unit Secretary, Tel Extn 65483


What else do you need to know?

  • Patients attending a clinic should complete and bring with them the ‘Breast Clinic Questionnaire’
  • Patients should be aware that their appointment may take up to three hours for the initial clinic assessment, including ultrasound/mammogram, biopsies and provisional results and feedback to be completed