A BREAST cancer center focusing on the treatment of breast cancer and the psychological rehabilitation of breast cancer patients was inaugurated at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital on Oct. 23.

He Jingsong, deputy director of the hospital’s mammary surgery department, said breast cancer treatment has been the leading malignancy and that the five-year survival rate of early breast cancer patients could reach more than 80 percent after the standardization of comprehensive treatment.

He added that having regular physical examinations is the key to the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. He suggested that women under the age of 35 should have a color Doppler ultrasound of their breasts every year. However, it is not recommended that patients under 35 have a routine molybdenum target X-ray examination, according to He.

Women between the ages of 35 and 40 years old should have a color Doppler ultrasound once or twice each year, while women over 40 years old should have one twice a year, said He.

The center is the first of its kind in the city to conduct systematic intervention for the psychological problems of breast cancer patients and will host a variety of activities including seminars, volunteer visits, rehabilitation guidance and psychological counseling, according to the report.

Wang Ling, head nurse of the hospital’s mammary surgery department, said the center has so far recruited more than 80 volunteers. In the future, the volunteers will assist the doctors and nurses in helping breast cancer patients build up their confidence.(Zhang Yu)