Singapore’s largest hospital for women officially opens a one-stop centre fully dedicated to looking after breast health.
The KK Breast Centre, situated within the premises of KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), is the first and only in Singapore to house a state-of-the-art breast imaging centre, side by side with consultation and day treatment facilities. This set-up, available only at KKH, enables women to have their mammography, breast ultrasonography, surgical consultation, minimally invasive biopsies and procedures all under one roof, and with quick turnaround time.
Said A/Prof Ivy Ng, CEO, KKH, “As a hospital that traditionally looked after the O&G needs of women, having a centre dedicated to breast conditions completes the array of services that cater to the special needs of women. With the incidence of breast cancer rising, such a centre is indeed timely.”
Breast cancer is the new epidemic of the modern world. One in 20 women above the age of 40 will be diagnosed with breast cancer, while more than 1,100 women are diagnosed in Singapore every year.
At the KK Breast Centre, patients can get a mammogram done in one day, and see a breast surgeon, if required, on the same day. The centre is equipped with the latest technology to effectively detect cancer at an early stage, and for younger women, and its breast surgeons are the only ones in Singapore who dedicate 100 percent of their time to treating breast conditions. All these translate to improved outcome for women.
First in the world to use FDA approved Computed Radiography (CR) for mammography combined with Computer-Aided Detection (CAD)
Early detection is key to the treatment of breast cancer. If breast cancer is diagnosed and treated at an early stage, women can be cured and live for many more fruitful years.
The KK Breast Centre is the first in the world to use the first FDA approved Computed Radiography technology for mammography, combined with CAD. Recent studies have shown that this digital form of mammography is superior to traditional film mammography.
Digital mammography enables more cancers to be detected, earlier. It is significantly more accurate in detecting cancer in women younger than 50 years, women with dense or extremely dense breasts, and premenopausal and perimenopausal women.