Contents
About this program
The breast health check-up at Acibadem is a focused three-step visit: a general surgery examination, digital mammography for women over 40 and bilateral breast ultrasound, at a JCI-accredited hospital in Istanbul.
The Breast Health Check-Up Program is a focused screening visit for women who want their breast health assessed by specialists without a full-body program. It combines a general surgery examination with a clinical breast examination, digital mammography for women over 40 and bilateral breast ultrasound: the two imaging methods that complement each other, since mammography detects micro-calcifications and early tumours while ultrasound characterises dense tissue and lumps.
Screening at Acibadem is performed in dedicated breast imaging units with digital systems and reported by radiologists who specialise in breast disease. If a finding needs clarification, additional imaging or a needle biopsy can be arranged in the same hospital, usually within days.
What the breast health check-up looks for
Every item has a purpose. This is what each part of the day is looking for, in the words we would use to explain it to you at the final review.
Specialist examinations
The general surgery examination includes a clinical breast examination and the discussion of your imaging results.
Imaging
Digital mammography and breast ultrasound are complementary: mammography detects micro-calcifications and early tumours, ultrasound characterises dense breast tissue and lumps. Women over 40 have both, women under 40 breast ultrasound, each on the physician’s recommendation.
Who should consider the breast health check-up
- Women over 40 who are due for their yearly mammography, or who have never had one.
- Women under 40 who have noticed a lump, a change in the skin or nipple, or who have a family history of breast cancer, breast ultrasound is the appropriate first imaging step under 40.
- Women who want a second look at findings from screening at home.
Screening mammography is recommended at least yearly from 40; under 40 the interval for breast ultrasound is set by the physician.
How it compares with the other programs
Breast imaging is also part of the Classic, Gold, Premium and Executive women’s programs; this stand-alone program is the choice when breast health is the only question.
Related programs: Cervical Cancer Screening Program, Classic Women’s Check-Up Programor browse all check-up packages and the Check-Up unit.
How long it takes
Plan for one to three hours. A coordinator plans the sequence, laboratory first while you are fasting, then imaging and examinations, so that you move through the hospital without waiting, and stays reachable throughout the visit.
How to prepare
- Mammography. Avoid deodorant, talc or lotion on the breasts and underarms on the day. If your cycle is regular, the week after your period is the most comfortable time.
- Records and medicines. Bring previous reports, imaging and a complete list of your medicines. Take your usual medication unless the team tells you otherwise when confirming the appointment.
Results, report and follow-up
The large majority of laboratory results are ready the same day and are reviewed with you by the check-up physician before you leave; a written report in English follows, together with digital copies of your images and reports.
If a result needs a closer look, the relevant specialist is in the same hospital: additional imaging, a biopsy or a consultation can usually be arranged within days, and you decide how to proceed with the full picture in hand. Nothing in a check-up replaces care for existing symptoms, if you have a specific complaint, tell the team so the right specialist sees you first.
Price and what is included
Pricing for the Breast Health Check-Up Program is confirmed as a written quote before you commit, in your preferred currency. The quote covers every examination, test and imaging study listed on this page, the physician review, the written report in English, hospital coordination and interpreter support.
Not included are travel and accommodation, tests the physician recommends in addition to the program, and any treatment that follows from a finding, each is quoted separately before it is performed.
Why have the breast health check-up at Acibadem
Acibadem Healthcare Group runs JCI-accredited hospitals in Istanbul with their own laboratories, imaging centres and specialist departments under one roof, which is what makes a complete program possible in a single visit, and what makes follow-up simple when a finding needs one. International patients are supported by a dedicated team in 25 languages, from the written quote before travel to the report after it.
More questions about the breast health check-up
Is mammography painful?
Compression is uncomfortable for a few seconds per view but rarely painful. If your cycle is regular, the week after your period is usually the most comfortable time.
Should I wear deodorant or body lotion?
Please avoid deodorant, talc or lotion on the breasts and underarms on the day, as they can appear as artefacts on the mammogram.
What happens if something is found?
The radiologist and the surgeon review the images together and explain the finding to you the same day. Most findings are benign; when tissue sampling is advisable, an ultrasound-guided biopsy can be arranged in the same hospital.
This page describes the content of a preventive program and is not medical advice. Screening tests have limits: a normal result lowers, but does not remove, the possibility of disease, and some findings need further tests to clarify. Discuss your individual situation with a physician.