This content is part of a paid partnership with Breast Cancer Research Centre WA.
The Breast Clinic at Hollywood is a part of the Perth Breast Cancer Institute in the Breast Cancer Research Centre WA and is the domain of two breast physicians – Dr Susie Kitchin and Dr Pamela Thompson.
Both are UWA graduates, and each has over 12 years’ experience working in public and private breast disciplines, with a background of rural and city GP work, which brings a holistic attitude to the care they provide all their patients.
The institute’s Breast Clinic is a valuable resource for patients and GP colleagues – offering a specialised level of care, support, advice and information.
The Breast Clinic is available to any patient with breast tissue wanting personalised, expert breast care in a safe, inclusive environment.
Patients can self-refer, GPs can refer their patients as well as other specialists, and all will receive prompt and appropriate management.
Referrals can be phoned, emailed or faxed and will be triaged within 24 hours. The Breast Clinic has standard longer appointments, which allow us to understand patients’ concerns, complete thorough examinations and provide advice and follow up plans that inform and reassure patients as they go through this challenging phase of their lives.
It is important to know that the Breast Clinic is a service available to everyone.
Key groups we manage include patients with benign disease needing regular follow up, patients with new symptoms of a lump, pain or others that needs investigation, people with a family history who want evaluation of their own personal risk, people starting or continuing their routine screening program, breast cancer diagnosis, management and survivorship.
Screening is available to all women though BSWA. However, the Breast Clinic also provides a screening service for patients who may want a more personalised approach.
Some may have a higher risk of breast cancer that warrants further investigation than mammogram alone or want a timely approach to their screening needs.
Our clinic provides a same-day service with clinical examination, imaging completed, and results discussed on the day, so there is no waiting anxiously for outcomes. The reassurance of one day care helps minimise the natural worry that people can experience during their screening process.
When a biopsy is required, this is also completed in the quickest time frame. When an onward referral is necessary, the availability of the team at the Perth Breast Cancer Institute allows soonest appointments and ideal continuity of care.
Our goal is to provide timely, empathic, evidence-based care to all our patients in a safe and welcoming environment and also help women to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing through education and support.
That includes educating people to know what their own normal breast feels like, coaching them to do a good breast examination, encouraging them to talk to friends to improve breast and general health literacy and awareness, and guide them through the process to gauge their personal risk for breast cancer through evidenced-based online tool iPrevent.
This focus on the individual is what drives the Breast Clinic at Hollywood.
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