Breast cancer is the second most common cancer after lung cancer, affecting one in ten women. Breast cancer treatment in Israel utilizes modern methods, allowing for breast preservation in more than 75% of cases and restoring health to the patient. According to statistics, the percentage of long-term stable remission has increased in Israel by 35%, reaching 90%, which exceeds the figures of Western European clinics. Treatment with targeted and immunotherapy drugs, along with radiation therapy using the latest equipment, provides a positive prognosis, allowing 40% of women to be cured without surgery.
Successful treatment with breast preservation, noted in more than 90% of patients, is conducted thanks to early-stage pathology diagnosis. To carry out exceptionally accurate diagnostic examinations, Israeli clinics are equipped with high-tech equipment. During mastectomy, Israeli surgeons perform reconstruction using the patient's own tissues or implants. After reconstructive surgeries, the restored breast is virtually indistinguishable from a natural one. Oncologists from Israeli clinics are among the best specialists in the world in the field of breast cancer therapy. At the same time, the cost of treatment in Israel is significantly lower than in Europe and the USA.
How treatment of the pathology is conducted
Treatment of breast cancer is carried out according to individually tailored comprehensive programs that include various types of therapy. When selecting treatment methods, the results of diagnostic examinations, the stage of the pathology, and the individual characteristics of the patient, including the symptoms experienced, are taken into account.
Surgical treatment
During surgical procedures, Israeli doctors use innovative technologies such as the recently developed MarginProbe device, which allows the surgeon to determine the necessary extent of the operation during the intervention, and the IntraBeam device, designed for radiation treatment concurrently with surgery.
In the former CIS countries, surgical treatment of breast cancer is almost always performed in conjunction with lymphadenectomy — the removal of axillary lymph nodes. In Israeli clinics, the sentinel lymph node biopsy method has been used for many years. According to this method, the lymph node closest to the neoplasm is removed and checked for malignant cells. In cases of metastasis, cancer cells first appear in this node, and if they are not found there, the remaining lymph nodes are preserved.
Surgical methods for treating breast cancer include various options for lumpectomy and mastectomy.
Lumpectomy is an organ-preserving surgical intervention used in the first two stages of the disease, during which the neoplasm is removed along with adjacent healthy tissues. Most often, after the intervention, a course of radiation therapy is indicated to destroy malignant cells that remained after surgery. The MarginProbe device is used to determine the extent of the intervention and assess the presence of malignant cells in adjacent tissues. If metastases are detected in the tissues, they are removed. This allows for the preservation of the maximum volume of breast tissue and minimizes the likelihood of recurrence. Increasingly, the operation is performed using electrocoagulation (with an electric scalpel), which minimizes bleeding and the development of infectious complications.
There are reasons that make lumpectomy impossible:
- neoplasms larger than 5 centimeters;
- the presence of multiple tumours in the breast;
- the presence of connective tissue pathologies in the patient (vasculitis, lupus);
- pregnancy.
Types of lumpectomy include segmentectomy (removal of the neoplasm along with a larger portion of healthy tissues) and quadrantectomy (removal of a quarter of the breast affected by the malignant process, followed by radiation therapy).
Mastectomy is the removal of the breast, possibly in conjunction with axillary lymph nodes and pectoral muscles. It is indicated in cases of large neoplasms, multiple tumours, or advanced stages of the disease. The following types of mastectomy are distinguished:
- simple mastectomy — removal of the breast without axillary lymph nodes;
- modified radical mastectomy — indicated when the malignant process has spread beyond the breast, the breast is removed along with the lymph nodes;
- radical mastectomy — in addition to lymph nodes, the pectoral muscles involved in the oncological process are also removed.
In Israeli clinics, mastectomy is resorted to only in extreme cases. During such an operation, breast reconstruction is performed simultaneously using silicone implants or the patient's own tissues. Reviews published on the websites of leading clinics confirm the effectiveness of surgical interventions and the absence of external differences between the restored and natural breast.
Cryoablation
Recently, the method of destroying breast tumours using argon has been increasingly applied in Israel. Argon treatment promotes the crystallization and subsequent necrosis of malignant cells.
Hormonal therapy
This is indicated in cases where the neoplasm cells have receptors sensitive to estrogen hormones that promote tumour growth. The drugs used actively block estrogen receptors. Groups of drugs that suppress the synthesis of aromatase — an enzyme involved in estrogen production — and inhibit the function of the ovaries, where female hormones are produced, are also used. In some cases, progestin medications are prescribed to normalize the hormonal background.
Chemotherapy
In Israeli clinics, standard chemotherapy treatment is prescribed only when proven effective. This is explained by the fact that studies conducted in recent decades have shown that more than 70% of patients find such therapy ineffective. To determine the effectiveness of chemotherapy, the Oncotype DX test is conducted. In cases of ineffectiveness of traditional chemotherapy drugs, safer and gentler biological treatment methods are used.
Targeted therapy
Treatment is conducted using drugs that act destructively exclusively on malignant cells. For example, drugs based on monoclonal antibodies to the HER2 protein identified on the surface of cancer cells have demonstrated high effectiveness.
Vaccine therapy
Special vaccines that stimulate the anti-tumour activity of the patient's immune system are used to treat breast cancer.
Radiation therapy
In Israeli clinics, radiation therapy is conducted on the latest TrueBeam systems, ensuring high precision of irradiation and minimal negative impact on healthy tissues. Continuous monitoring of the patient's body position during breathing is carried out, reducing the number and duration of procedures.
How diagnosis is conducted
The comprehensive diagnostic examination and subsequent appointment of the treatment scheme usually takes no more than three days in Israeli clinics.
First day
Upon arrival at the clinic, the patient is directed to a consultation with the treating oncologist and mammologist. During the appointment, the specialist learns about the patient's complaints, the signs of the disease, conducts a physical examination, reviews the available medical documentation, and prescribes necessary additional examinations.
Second day
Completion of the prescribed examinations:
- general and biochemical blood tests;
- blood test for specific tumour markers — allows for the diagnosis of oncopathology at early stages;
- molecular genetic tests;
- Oncotype DX test — conducted to determine the effectiveness of chemotherapy and to predict the likelihood of recurrence in the next decade;
- visual examination methods — breast ultrasound, mammography, CT, PET-CT, MRI;
- biopsy — obtaining samples of pathological tissues for subsequent histological analysis, conducted to determine the histotype of the neoplasm;
- sentinel lymph node biopsy.
Third day
A council consisting of an oncologist, a surgical mammologist, and several narrow-profile specialists reviews the results of the conducted studies, makes a final diagnosis, and develops the most effective individual treatment program.
How much does treatment cost
The cost of therapy varies depending on the type of neoplasm, the stage of the disease, the prescribed diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and the duration of the patient's stay in the hospital. Overall, treatment in Israeli clinics is 30-50% cheaper than in medical centers in Western European countries and the USA.
| Type of service | Prices |
|---|---|
| Basic diagnostic package | from $2720 |
| Surgery | from $6000 |