The world-class Breast Service at the Women's is part of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) Breast Tumour Stream working alongside specialist teams at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Services of the Breast Tumour Stream include:
- diagnosis and management of breast cancer and pre-cancerous diseases
- surgery, reconstruction and medical and radiation oncology.
At the Women’s, we focus on the initial assessment and diagnosis, breast and reconstructive surgery, and supportive care of women through their breast cancer journey.
- breast symptom assessment and management
- breast imaging
- breast cancer surgery
- medical oncology
- radiation oncology (in association with external providers)
- supportive care.
A breast reconstruction service is available to eligible women after breast cancer diagnosis. This service includes education and support to empower decision making.
Clinical inclusion
A referral to the Breast Service from a GP or other doctor.
Clinical exclusion
Cosmetic breast surgery.
Statewide referral criteria are clinical decision support tools. They give health professionals the criteria they need to refer their patients to public specialist outpatient services. For more information, see the Statewide Referral Criteria for Specialist Clinics website.
Specific criteria for breast services:
Clinics are held at the Women's every Monday morning.
The Breast Service also has outpatient clinics at The Royal Melbourne Hospital on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings.
Patients referred to the Breast Service will be offered the next available appropriate appointment, which may be at the Women’s or at The Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Referrals are accepted on the basis of a GP's judgement.
It is often appropriate for some imaging to be done prior to referral, including bilateral mammography for most patients over 40, and an ultrasound of a symptomatic area.
Many presentations and imaging findings can be managed in general practice without referral to the Breast Service.
Urgent referrals, where cancer is, or is likely to be, the diagnosis will generally be seen within one week.
Less urgent referrals will generally be seen within one month.
Triaging will be made on the basis of the referral, although phone calls are welcome for discussion of specific cases.
Please provide copies of the results of any recent mammography and breast ultrasound, as well as any biopsies.
Patients must bring along copies of any mammograms and ultrasounds (films or CDs).
Please mark the fax referral as urgent or call the Breast Fellow or Breast Care Nurse on our direct line: (03) 8345 3565.
An acknowledgement letter will be sent directly to the patient and the GP will be notified. The patient will then receive a letter with the appointment details.
The Combined Breast Service of the Women's and The Royal Melbourne Hospital leads the way in survivorship care for women with early breast cancer.
The model of survivorship care involves:
- Women having a consultation with a Breast Care Nurse to look at ongoing issues and concerns, some time after the end of definitive treatment for early breast cancer.
- Development of a tailored Follow-Up Care Plan for each woman based on her needs (including a diagnosis and treatment summary, health and wellbeing plan, recommended schedule for follow-up visits, and information on arranging imaging and contacting the Breast Service, if required)
- Development of a well-supported shared care arrangement with a woman’s GP. This includes active communication with GPs, agreement on roles and responsibilities, and an easy to follow schedule of follow-up visits with streamlined and rapid access to specialist care if required.
- Enhancing systems to share information between a woman, her GP, other community services and the hospital.
- During shared follow-up care, the woman will generally be seen by the hospital Breast Service once per year for to the first five years. This visit includes a mammogram at the Women’s or The Royal Melbourne Hospital (at no cost). Alternate appointments are with the GP.
- Beyond five years, we ask the woman's GP to arrange mammograms. These can be done at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, to provide continuity. If local imaging is preferred, a disc of the two most recent mammograms can be requested by the woman/GP for comparison.
The Breast Service works in partnership with GPs to improve quality of care and wellbeing following treatment for early breast cancer.
The Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre has resources and events, to help people move from initial treatment to post treatment and beyond. For more information, visit the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre website.
Related information
- Referral forms and information
- Find health information on this site for your patient
- Find a health information fact sheet for your patient
- Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre (ACSC) Based at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the ACSC aims to maximise the health and wellbeing of cancer survivors and their carers.
- Cancer Australia National cancer control agency website, with information about cancer, healthy living, clinical best practice, research, publications and other resources.
- Counterpart Connects, supports and informs women with a breast or gynaecological cancer to live well.
- Breast Cancer Network Australia The BCNA provides information and an online network that connects more than 10,000 people affected by breast cancer.
- Cancer Council Victoria For cancer information and support, including bone density in breast cancer, treatment side effects, genetic testing. Cancer Helpline: call 13 11 20.
- Lymphoedema - what you need to know Information on managing lymphoedema provided by Cancer Australia (Australian Government).
- Multilingual Cancer Information Line People can talk confidentially to a Cancer Council nurse with the help of an interpreter. Phone: 13 14 50, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.
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Date reviewed: 24 June 2024
Date reviewed: 24 June 2024