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| Chief, Division of Breast Imaging/Breast Intervention and Division of Clinical Physiology Takayoshi Uematsu, M.D., Ph.D. |
Senior Staff Kazuaki Nakashima, M.D., Ph.D. |
At the Shizuoka Cancer Center, the “Division of Breast Imaging/Breast Intervention” functions as one of the outpatient clinics for breast diseases. At this division, licensed specialists for diagnostic radiology (certified by the Japan Radiological Society) and for mammary gland (certified by the Japanese Breast Cancer Society) provide patients of suspected breast cancer with image diagnosis for breast cancer and breast intervention radiology (image-guided breast tissue biopsy). Although it is often difficult to detect a breast cancer at an early stage, as breast cancer can be confused with other breast diseases, the specialists with ample experiences in diagnostic breast imaging provide diagnosis for breast cancer swiftly and accurately. No matter how small the lesion can be, they provide a precise image-guided tissue biopsy right away, which leads to an optimal cancer treatment.
For a precise diagnosis of breast cancer, it is desirable that a breast imaging specialist performs both of image diagnosis and breast tissue biopsy, which requires one clinical department specializing in breast imaging for providing both just like the US where breast cancer treatment is quite advanced. The Shizuoka Cancer Center is the only one medical institution in Japan adopting this system. Based on the concept, “the optimal treatment for breast cancer starts from the optimal diagnosis,” the system has been established, in which a radiologist specializing in breast imaging handles both of the interpretation of breast images and the image-guided breast tissue biopsy. It makes it possible to provide the patient as well as the breast surgeon and the breast oncologist with a quick and accurate diagnosis, and the treatment is being provided in collaboration with all the relevant clinical divisions in breast diseases. We have more than 800 cases a year for image-guided breast tissue biopsies including needle biopsies and vacuum-assisted breast tissue biopsies. In addition, we also have large numbers of diagnoses with various examination modalities each year, including more than 4,000 cases with mammography, more than 6,000 cases with ultrasound breast scanning, and more than 800 cases with MRI breast scanning.
The Division of Clinical Physiology is specializing in physiological function testing and diagnosis, providing with ultrasound examination (ultrasonography), electrocardiogram, pulmonary function test and clinical electroencephalography.
At this division, skilled technicians perform various physiological examinations making a point of safe and accurate performances. The examinations are where cancer treatments start from, which means wrong tests or diagnoses mean nothing but wrong therapeutic plans, so the accuracy is crucial. Especially with ultrasound examinations (ultrasonography), the results will likely vary depending on who interprets the images. Therefore, we take the utmost care by double-checking all the examination reports by the ultrasonography technicians themselves and the radiologists certified by the Japan Radiological Society to ensure accuracy of the diagnoses.
We are privileged to have opportunities for meeting with the patients often through the examinations. Although we are not directly involved in cancer treatments, we do support the patients via documenting the existence (or non-existence) of the lesions and the pathological changes in the images rapidly and non-invasively, and providing doctors at other clinical divisions with the reports. They will be able to make optimal therapeutic plans based on the reports that we submit.
diagnostic imaging for breast cancer
image-guided biopsy for breast cancer
breast cancer screening
diagnostic radiology
Certified Doctor, Specialist, Supervisory Doctor, Former Commissioner, Vice-Chairman of the Breast Cancer Screening Committee and Councilor, the Japanese Breast Cancer Society
Certified Specialist, Supervisory Doctor for Training and Editorial Committee Member, the Japan Radiological Society
Councilor and Commissioner, the Japan Association of Breast Cancer Screening
Certified Specialist for Mammography-Interpretation at Breast Cancer Screenings, Doctor with Qualification for Breast Ultrasonography, the Japan Central Organization on Quality Assurance of Breast Cancer Screening
Chairman of the US GTC Study Group, the Education Committee Member, Committee Member for the Virtual Sonography Study Group, Committee Member for the Intervention Study Group, the Japan Association of Breast and Thyroid Sonology
Representative Facilitator, the Japanese Society of Breast Cancer Imaging
Vice-Chairman for Review Committee for Women’s Health Check and Preventive Medicine, the Japan Society of Ningen Dock and Preventive Medical Care
Certified Doctor for the Breast Ultrasonography Workshop Organized by the Japan Central Organization on Quality Assurance of Breast Cancer Screening
image diagnosis
interventional radiology
Radiodiagnosis Specialist Certified by the Japan Radiological Society
Certified Specialist and Councilor, the Japan Breast Cancer Society
Councilor, the Japan Association of Breast and Thyroid Sonology
Councilor, the Japan Association of Breast Cancer Screening
Specialist for Mammography-Interpretation at Breast Cancer Screenings Certified by the Japan Central Organization on Quality Assurance of Breast Cancer Screening
Specialist Certified by the Japanese Society of Interventional Radiology
The Japanese Society of Neuroradiology
Committee Member for Mammography-Interpretation Section, and Committee Member for Breast Ultrasonography Section, the Education and Training Committee, the Japan Central Organization on Quality Assurance of Breast Cancer Screening
