Through the construction of the first dedicated Breast Unit in the Polish province of Lower Silesia – the third of its kind in the country – the effectiveness and availability of health services in the field of oncology has increased substantially.
New Breast Unit in Wrocław, Poland can treat up to 1 000 patients annually
- 30 July 2019
"The Breast Unit of the Lower Silesian Oncology Centre in Wrocław is the first highly specialised unit in the region in which breast cancer patients receive comprehensive health care. At the Breast Unit, a patient with suspected breast cancer can obtain a confirmed diagnosis within a few weeks, after which a comprehensive treatment plan is immediately established based on the latest global standards.”
Co-financed by the EU and the Lower Silesian Oncology Centre in Wroclaw, the project set up a dedicated breast cancer unit that covers treatment at all stages of the disease, from diagnosis to surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, to plastic surgery, physiotherapy and psychology. With 19 new jobs created in the centre, the unit examines 40 000 patients a year and treats 1 000 breast cancer patients.
Faster, more efficient treatment
Through the project funding, modernised equipment was acquired, including three hand-held ultrasonography devices, two digital mammographs, one stereotactic biopsy table and an automatic ultrasound machine, to complement the mammography equipment.
Thanks to the new facility and its state-of-the-art equipment, the unit can provide faster and more efficient treatments. While patients had wait up to three months between their initial diagnosis and surgery, treatment now takes a maximum of 14 days. The current average is an impressive eight days.
Renovating and expanding
The centre’s original building was extended with a new building dedicated predominantly to the prevention, detection and comprehensive treatment of breast cancer. The operating block of the existing building was connected to the new unit to make it easier for patients and staff to get from one side to the other. The existing operating block was extended with an additional operating room.
The new, two-storey building is intended for outpatients of breast cancer and other breast diseases. The entire radiology department was moved from the basements of the hospital to the new building. The ground floor has an outpatient section, with facilities for chemotherapy. The first floor of the building houses a modernised breast cancer surgery department with room capacity for 20 patients, with adjoining rooms for staff and patient preparation. The second floor houses the diagnostic part of the breast unit department, with five diagnostic laboratories.
The first dedicated breast units for diagnosing and treating breast cancer were developed by the end of the 1970s. While these units are common in many other European countries, there aren’t many in Poland. Every year, approximately 1 500 women living in Lower Silesia are diagnosed with breast cancer, which emphasises the need for the new facility. The new centre significantly increases the chances of survival and improves patients’ quality of life.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Increasing the effectiveness and availability of healthcare in Lower Silesian Province by building and equipping a Breast Unit and expanding and equipping the Operating Theatre Department at the Lower Silesian Oncology Centre in Wroclaw” is EUR 10 187 000, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 6 972 000 through the “Regional Operational Program for Lower Silesia Voivodeship” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “jobs, growth and investment”.