Where to screen for breast cancer in Pretoria

Leading the Breast and Bone team at Netcare Femina Hospital is Dr Herman Fourie, who gained oncology experience at Maidstone Hospital Oncology Centre in the UK (now called The Kent Oncology Centre).

His team’s speciality is breast cancer screening, and Fourie was the first to install the Hologic 3D Mammography unit in Pretoria. This revolutionary technology can detect breast cancers at smaller sizes and earlier stages. Their services include ultrasounds that can image the tissues inside the breast, bone mineral density scans taken with the facility’s state-of-the-art DXA scanners, and 3D mammograms that use an X-ray tube to produce 1 mm-thin images of the breast.

The clinic is located inside the hospital’s Oncology Complex and has been operating for more than a decade. The unit was founded in 2014 under the leadership of Professor Taole Mokoena and the late Professor Letlhogonolo Meshack Ntlhe, who passed away in 2022. Its affiliation with the University of Pretoria ensures that the clinic has a well-rounded service offering, from advanced diagnostics to complex surgical reconstruction and treatment.

Screening options include HD scans and breast ultrasounds. The clinic takes extra precautions for women who do not present with any symptoms but have a family history of breast cancer and its genetic mutations. It also provides long-term routine screening of the remaining breast tissue for women who have previously had the disease. The clinic operates on Wednesdays, and an official referral letter is required as walk-ins are not accepted.

The Department of Health prioritises this hospital as a proposed key Regional Breast Unit to give residents of the Tshwane district access to early assessment and other requirements. Twenty years ago, its infrastructure was upgraded with high-tech oncology equipment, multi-slice CT scanners, and improved surgical theatres.

The professional staff evaluates lumps, changes in skin texture, nipple retraction, and other physical abnormalities. Lumps detected during clinical exams undergo high-resolution ultrasounds, and suspicious symptoms are evaluated further using the hospital’s specialised radiology infrastructure for mammograms. The hospital also performs biopsies and fine-needle aspirations, and its breast cancer pop-ups provide free physical breast examinations to local communities. Breast cancer patients are seen on Tuesdays and Thursdays with referral letters, as no walk-ins are permitted.

Groenkloof Oncology & Breast Care Clinic is a private-sector facility operated through an outsourced, private multidisciplinary framework. The patients at this clinic are looked after by specialised radiologists and surgeons. The team also comprises specialist breast surgeons, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, pathologists, and other medical specialists.

While referrals are recommended, they are not mandatory, and patients can make their own direct bookings. The clinic’s advanced diagnostic services include digital mammography, dedicated breast ultrasounds, core biopsy setups, and advanced 3D medical detectors.

The clinic received a regional upgrade in 2010, making internal outpatient departments available. In its earlier years, the facility relied on basic 2D X-rays; however, in 2024, a completely refurbished Radiology Department was unveiled.

The hospital’s mammogram machinery is housed in its Radiology Department (X-Ray Department) and gives local township and surrounding communities direct access to targeted breast cancer screenings. Regular mammograms are available specifically for women aged 40 and above. Local workshops and community drives also provide education on how women can perform breast self-examinations.