Breast Care Unit Tunbridge Wells

The units offer a range of specialist services including:

• One-stop clinics led by specialist breast clinicians, which aim to diagnose and treat patients within two weeks of GP referral
• A multidisciplinary team approach to care, with weekly team meetings and key workers allocated to all newly-diagnosed cancer patients
• Image-guided biopsy, digital mammography and breast ultrasound on both sites
• Access to breast MRI, PET scans and stereotactic upright and prone biopsy
• Where necessary, access to immediate or delayed breast reconstruction either at Maidstone Hospital or in conjunction with surgeons from the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead
• Joint clinics with specialist breast oncologists from the Kent Oncology Centre, ensuring rapid access to chemotherapy and radiotherapy
• Access to Breast Care Nurse Specialist support from the time of diagnosis
• A full range of diagnostic services including comprehensive pathology and tumour immunohistochemistry (ER, PR, HER2, E-Cadherin etc), CT and MR scanners, isotope bone scanning and bone density DEXA scanning
• Family history clinics
• Nurse-led breast pain clinic
• West Kent NHS Breast Screening Programme

A wide range of support services is also available, including:

• Breast cancer support groups including groups for younger women and patients with secondary breast cancer
• Counselling service at the Kent Oncology Centre
• Specialist lymphoedema treatment clinics
• Access to volunteer peer support
• Look Good, Feel Better programme (at the Kent Oncology Centre)
• Patient information and resources
• Access to palliative care support and hospice care, where necessary.