Patient Story

Elizabeth (alias) is 41 years old. In April, she came to Shanghai Yosemite Hospital (JingAn) for routine health check. During ultrasound examination, a mass of 19mm*18mm in the left breast was found, and the index of CA-125 in tumor marker is 56.66KU/L. The possibility of cancer was suspected.



(CA-125, Carbohydrate Antigen 125, the normal range is 0-35KU/L. The increase in its value often indicates ovarian cancer and breast cancer.)

Over the next week, the doctor quickly arranged various examinations for Elizabeth. Combining the Mammography, PET-CT, pathological biopsy and detailed physical examination, the breast surgeon finally gave the diagnosis. This mass of is a triple-negative breast cancer with negative ER/PR/HER. Considering her condition, it belongs to the advanced stage of breast cancer.

The "triple-negative breast cancer" Elizabeth got is highly malignant and the tumor grows rapidly. It has a high tendency to spread through blood vessels and lymphatic duct. Since it is triple negative, she is not a suitable candidate for targeted immunotherapy or hormonal therapy. Traditional neo-adjuvant chemotherapy was the only option left before the surgery.

During chemotherapy, she needs to be injected chemotherapy drugs once a week. The drugs are irritating. If the blood vessels are accidentally leaked, it will cause local tissue necrosis. Excessive venipuncture can also cause blood vessel damage and increase the infection rate. Therefore, the doctors performed a "PORT placement” for her. Compared with conventional intravenous catheters, PORT has no exposed catheters and almost no traces can be seen. It does not affect daily life, and greatly reduces the chance of skin infections and allergies, and greatly reduce the chance of skin infections and allergies.



After 4 sessions of chemotherapy, doctors were pleasantly surprised that Elizabeth's tumor responded to the therapy well. The tumor reduced by half! Experts from breast surgery, oncology, and imaging department quickly conducted a multi-disciplinary consultation to evaluate her current physical condition and treatment progress. After a comprehensive review they have decided to modify her treatment plan — mastectomy (removal of the whole breast and associated tissues) was changed to breast conservation surgery (removing tumor and limited amount of surrounding tissues).

This undoubtedly came as good news for Elizabeth and the medical team. Everyone has gained confidence in the fight against this disease. The breast conservation surgery went accordingly in close cooperation with national well-known public general hospital and experts. After neo-adjuvant chemotherapy with breast conservation surgery, the pathology result has confirmed that the lesion in Elizabeth's body has been completely eliminated. This is far beyond expectation!

Successful treatment always requires close cooperation between the entire medical team and the patient. Good communication strengthens the bond between doctors and patients.




[Thank you card]

Despite being sick in a foreign country, Elizabeth remains positive and optimistic. With 30 visits in the past six months, she has practically become a family member of the Shanghai Yosemite Hospital (Jing'an). At the end of each visit, the doctor customarily asked if there was anything else that needed to be explained. She replied, "You have already addressed all the questions that I wanted to ask."

Currently, Elizabeth has completed her chemotherapy course. The medical team is preparing for her post-operative treatment plan. Yosemite has become her strong support. Mutual trust and respect enables the treatment went smoothly in order for Elizabeth to conquer breast cancer.

Medical Advice

Prof. He has nearly 40 years of clinical radiology experience. He is the first in China to carry out puncture positioning of inaccessible microscopic breast lesions. The smallest breast cancer found is only about 2mm in diameter, which is unique in imaging studies of breast diseases.

With the high incidence of breast cancer, women are now focusing more on their breast health. Early screening is a good way to reduce the risk of breast disease.

But a lot of people still do not quite understand the different types of routine breast screening tests: Ultrasound, Mammography and MRI. It’s important to know that these tests are in fact, complementary to each other to help diagnose breast problems.



These are the different types of breast screening tests and each type has its advantage and emphasis. Sometimes, joint tests are needed to determine the nature and condition of the disease. It’s better to listen to the advice of a professional doctor what specific screening should be performed.

Breast Screening Packages

Yosemite Clinic has a complete large-scale advanced diagnosis and treatment equipment, including mammogram, MRI, ultrasound, CT, X-ray, etc., to meet the diverse examination needs of patients.

When filming, the technician will provide strict radiation protection for other organs of the body, and each inspection will pursue the improvement of image quality under the premise of ensuring patient safety.

For different types of breast diseases, doctors with rich clinical experience and a team of imaging experts work together to provide patients with medical services such as risk assessment, image screening, breast biopsy, pathological diagnosis, and minimally invasive surgery for early diagnosis and treatment.