The Surgery Department_The Breast Endocrine Surgery Department
The Breast Surgery Department provides medical care centered on regular breast checkups in addition to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and benign breast diseases. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States and many Western countries, and its incidence is increasing every year even in Korea due to the westernization of lifestyles and changes in awareness of early breast cancer screening. According to a report from the National Cancer Information Center at the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2019, 22,395 new cases were reported and treated at hospitals in Korea during 2017, and it was the most common cancer among women in the country.
Meeting the growing demand, the Surgery Department at Seoul National University Hospital has been providing patients with various breast diseases including breast cancer with systemic diagnosis and treatment since the Breast Center was established in March 2004, the first of its kind in Korea. The Surgery Department, the Oncology Department, the Radiation Oncology Department, the Plastic Surgery Department, the Mental Health Medicine Department, the Rehabilitation Medicine Department, the Radiology Department, and the Family Medicine Department work together to establish a collaborative, patient-centered medical care system and provide customized care for each patient at the center. We also exchange the latest information and determine the optimal diagnosis and treatment strategy through regular multidisciplinary conference (diagnosis, treatment, reconstruction). We also provide various specialized clinics in the independent outpatient space and ward as well as the counseling center and education programs to ease patients’ discomfort and curiosity.
At Seoul National University Hospital, the Endocrine Surgery Department and the Breast Center Department are separated, operating as two independent, specialized departments. Endocrine refers to the secretion of hormones into the body, and the major glands that make up the endocrine system are the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, pancreas, adrenal glands, ovaries, and testes. Endocrine-metabolic diseases refer to diseases in which hormones secreted from these endocrine organs are higher or lower than the normal range, and various tumors or inflammatory diseases can arise in the endocrine organs. The Endocrine Surgery Department mainly deals with the thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, and adrenal glands, and it provides surgical treatment for the tumors and pathological changes.