Tumor diseases

How we diagnose and treat tumors.

Most changes are not malignant - but a number of important examinations are required to clarify whether cancer or other tumor diseases are present. Several different examinations often have to be combined to arrive at the correct diagnosis and then therapy.

To our locations

From clarification and diagnosis of your tumor disease to the best possible therapy.

Read here what process you will go through with us until we have found the best possible form of therapy
for your tumor disease.

Various examinations are necessary to clarify tumor diseases, depending on the organ system affected. In order to determine the extent of a tumor disease and to take tissue samples, a lung endoscopy is performed for lung cancer, a colonoscopy for colon cancer and a cystoscopy for bladder cancer, for example. These examinations are carried out by specialists with whom we work closely in our network.

The tissue samples are examined in pathology using fine tissue and molecular methods and if a tumour is found, it is characterized as precisely as possible. This also has an increasing influence on therapy, as targeted therapy is now available for many genetic changes in tumors. In recent years, immunotherapy with therapeutic antibodies has also gained a firm place in the treatment of many tumor diseases due to the good therapy results and generally good tolerability.

Imaging methods such as computer tomography, PET-CT examinations and magnetic resonance imaging are used to clarify the exact extent of a tumor disease.

Once the exact type of tumor and the exact extent (the so-called "stage") of a tumor are known, the best possible therapy is discussed in interdisciplinary tumor boards in which specialists from various disciplines (oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, radio-oncologists and organ specialists) participate. In addition to the tumor characteristics, the individual resources and any limitations of the patient also play a role. The resulting therapy recommendation is explained in detail in a personal discussion with the patient and relatives.

The main pillars of tumor therapy consist, if possible and appropriate, of surgical removal of the tumor and, if necessary, pre- or post-irradiation of the tumor bed (by radiation oncology) and, depending on the situation, drug therapy that reaches the tumor cells anywhere in the body.

The selection and sequence of the various treatment modalities is often quite complex and requires close cooperation between all specialists. Our network has many well-established collaborations that guarantee the best possible therapeutic outcome.

From clarification and diagnosis of your tumor disease to the best possible therapy.

Read here what process you will go through with us until we have found the best possible form of therapy
for your tumor disease.

Various examinations are necessary to clarify tumor diseases, depending on the organ system affected. In order to determine the extent of a tumor disease and to take tissue samples, a lung endoscopy is performed for lung cancer, a colonoscopy for colon cancer and a cystoscopy for bladder cancer, for example. These examinations are carried out by specialists with whom we work closely in our network.

The tissue samples are examined in pathology using fine tissue and molecular methods and if a tumour is found, it is characterized as precisely as possible. This also has an increasing influence on therapy, as targeted therapy is now available for many genetic changes in tumors. In recent years, immunotherapy with therapeutic antibodies has also gained a firm place in the treatment of many tumor diseases due to the good therapy results and generally good tolerability.

Imaging methods such as computer tomography, PET-CT examinations and magnetic resonance imaging are used to clarify the exact extent of a tumor disease.

Once the exact type of tumor and the exact extent (the so-called "stage") of a tumor are known, the best possible therapy is discussed in interdisciplinary tumor boards in which specialists from various disciplines (oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, radio-oncologists and organ specialists) participate. In addition to the tumor characteristics, the individual resources and any limitations of the patient also play a role. The resulting therapy recommendation is explained in detail in a personal discussion with the patient and relatives.

The main pillars of tumor therapy consist, if possible and appropriate, of surgical removal of the tumor and, if necessary, pre- or post-irradiation of the tumor bed (by radiation oncology) and, depending on the situation, drug therapy that reaches the tumor cells anywhere in the body.

The selection and sequence of the various treatment modalities is often quite complex and requires close cooperation between all specialists. Our network has many well-established collaborations that guarantee the best possible therapeutic outcome.

Whether chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy or hormone therapywe find the best possible form of therapy for our patients with tumor diseases.

Cancer cells can be slowed down and killed with tablets and infusions. The use of these drugs depends on the situation at hand:

1. before an operation (neoadjuvant): with the aim of shrinking the tumor so that it can be operated on more effectively
2. after an operation (adjuvant): with the aim of ridding the body of suspected remaining tumor cells.
3. to reduce the size of metastases and control the disease if metastases have formed.

A precise histological examination of the tumor allows the therapy to be tailored to the tumor disease. Depending on the nature of the tumor, one or more groups of drugs (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, anti-hormone therapy) can be used to achieve the best possible disease control.

Today, there are many auxiliary drugs available that make chemotherapy well tolerated so that everyday life is affected as little as possible. Your attending physician will carefully plan the therapy together with your care team and discuss it with you in detail. You will be closely monitored during treatment so that any side effects can be quickly identified and treated. Chemotherapy is usually administered via a vein and thus reaches all tumor cells in the body. As tumor cells react more sensitively to chemotherapy than normal body cells, tumor cells can be destroyed by chemotherapy while normal cells recover.

Chemotherapy is administered once a week to once every 3 weeks and repeated several times.

The pathological examination determines whether a tumor has hormone receptors for female hormones (oestrogen and progesterone). This is the case in the majority of breast cancer tumors. In the case of so-called "hormone-sensitive" tumors, anti-hormonal therapy can be extremely effective and is usually very well tolerated. Various preparations are available. Most hormone therapies are taken once a day in tablet form (Letrozole, Anastrozole, Exemestane). Some are injected monthly under the skin or into the gluteal muscle (Fulvestrant, Zoladex).

Immunotherapy consists of antibodies applied via the vein that recognize tumour cells by means of HER2 receptor-specific sensors on the surface (so-called "HER2-positive" tumour cells) and block them in a targeted manner. These sensors are formed in approx. 15 % of breast cancers. Normal body cells are hardly affected by antibody therapy, which is why these therapies are excellently tolerated and in some cases can be used successfully for many years with very few side effects. Immunotherapy is applied every 3 weeks and can also be administered in combination with chemotherapy. There are various immunotherapies that block the HER2 receptor at different sites (trastuzumab, pertuzumab). A particularly sophisticated drug consists of an antibody to which a chemotherapy molecule is also bound (T-DM1). After docking to the tumor cell, the chemotherapy is introduced into the tumor cell and thus specifically destroys only the tumor cell, sparing healthy cells.

Certain tumors escape the body's own defenses by immobilizing the immune system. Immune checkpoint inhibitors interrupt this immobilization and "wake up" the immune system again so that immune cells become active against the tumour disease. This novel mode of action has been used with great success in many tumors in recent years. An immune checkpoint inhibitor is often used in combination with chemotherapy. This therapy is administered via a vein every 2-3 weeks.

Radiation (radiotherapy) is often used as a component in the treatment of tumor diseases. High-energy X-rays are used to prevent tumor cells from growing. The duration and extent (volume/dose) of the treatment is individually tailored to the tumor situation. Radiation treatment can last from a few days (palliative situation) to several weeks (adjuvant situation). The outpatient therapy sessions take place daily (Mon-Fri). Personal consultation, planning and radiotherapy take place in the same building, in the radiotherapy department of the Stephanshorn Clinic.

The procedure at our Tumor and Breast Center

Registration at the TBZ is usually done by your family doctor or gynecologist. If you have any complaints or questions, you can also make an appointment directly with us. We treat patients of all insurance classes.
We allocate appointments according to urgency. In the event of suspicious changes, you will be offered an appointment for clarification within a maximum of 2 (working) days.
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please inform us as soon as possible.

We can quickly clarify any changes or abnormal findings. As part of the initial consultation, we carry out a detailed discussion and, for example, a palpation and ultrasound examination. In the event of abnormal findings, a sample can be taken immediately (biopsy) using a thin needle. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia and takes around 15 minutes.

In most cases, various examinations are necessary for a comprehensive assessment. These are carried out at the Stephanshorn Clinic, among others. We plan these on the same day directly before or after your appointment in our consultation hours. A shuttle service is organized by us and guarantees a quick way to the clinic and back to us.
If necessary, we can organize additional examinations (e.g. MRI) for you via our colleagues in radiology.

We will inform you of the results of the examinations as quickly as possible and discuss the next steps in your individual situation with you. Very often, the changes are harmless and do not require any further treatment.
However, if you are diagnosed with cancer, your findings will be discussed by our team and at our interdisciplinary tumor conference. At the TBZ, we will then explain the treatment recommendation to you and advise you in detail. We will then plan the next steps together with you.
If an operation is planned, we will discuss the procedure with you in detail. It is very important to us that, wherever possible, you are operated on by the same doctor who carried out your investigations and therefore knows you and all the necessary findings best.

We will perform your operation at the Stephanshorn Clinic.
You will receive all the necessary documents from the Stephanshorn Clinic. If you are known to have any relevant concomitant illnesses, you may be invited separately for an anesthesia consultation. As a rule, however, you will be admitted to the clinic directly on the day of the operation.
You will be operated on by your attending physician from the Tumor and Breast Center Eastern Switzerland and then cared for during your stay in hospital.
You can also find detailed information about your hospital stay directly via the Stephanshorn Clinic link:

www.hirslanden.ch/de/klinik-stephanshorn/ihr-aufenthalt/ablauf-ihres-aufenthalts.html

In the week following the operation, or at any time if required, we carry out a wound check at the TBZ.

In the case of cancer, a second discussion takes place at the tumor conference after the operation. As part of the wound check, we will explain the findings of the tumor operation and their significance for the further course of the disease to you in a personal discussion. Additional treatments are often recommended to prevent a relapse, e.g. radiotherapy or drug therapies.

At the TBZ, surgeons and oncologists work closely together and discuss all cases on an interdisciplinary basis. This also enables a seamless transition to the oncology consultation. Your oncologist will discuss the treatment options and their benefits, procedure and expected side effects with you in detail. All therapies, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and anti-hormone therapy, take place on an outpatient basis at one of our locations. You will always be accompanied by your oncologist and the team of specially trained nurses.

The procedure at our Tumor and Breast Center

Registration at the TBZ is usually done by your family doctor or gynecologist. If you have any complaints or questions, you can also make an appointment directly with us. We treat patients of all insurance classes.
We allocate appointments according to urgency. In the event of suspicious changes, you will be offered an appointment for clarification within a maximum of 2 (working) days.
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please inform us as soon as possible.

We can quickly clarify any changes or abnormal findings. As part of the initial consultation, we carry out a detailed discussion and, for example, a palpation and ultrasound examination. In the event of abnormal findings, a sample can be taken immediately (biopsy) using a thin needle. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia and takes around 15 minutes.

In most cases, various examinations are necessary for a comprehensive assessment. These are carried out at the Stephanshorn Clinic, among others. We plan these on the same day directly before or after your appointment in our consultation hours. A shuttle service is organized by us and guarantees a quick way to the clinic and back to us.
If necessary, we can organize additional examinations (e.g. MRI) for you via our colleagues in radiology.

We will inform you of the results of the examinations as quickly as possible and discuss the next steps in your individual situation with you. Very often, the changes are harmless and do not require any further treatment.
However, if you are diagnosed with cancer, your findings will be discussed by our team and at our interdisciplinary tumor conference. At the TBZ, we will then explain the treatment recommendation to you and advise you in detail. We will then plan the next steps together with you.
If an operation is planned, we will discuss the procedure with you in detail. It is very important to us that, wherever possible, you are operated on by the same doctor who carried out your investigations and therefore knows you and all the necessary findings best.

We will perform your operation at the Stephanshorn Clinic.
You will receive all the necessary documents from the Stephanshorn Clinic. If you are known to have any relevant concomitant illnesses, you may be invited separately for an anesthesia consultation. As a rule, however, you will be admitted to the clinic directly on the day of the operation.
You will be operated on by your attending physician from the Tumor and Breast Center Eastern Switzerland and then cared for during your stay in hospital.
You can also find detailed information about your hospital stay directly via the Stephanshorn Clinic link:

www.hirslanden.ch/de/klinik-stephanshorn/ihr-aufenthalt/ablauf-ihres-aufenthalts.html

In the week following the operation, or at any time if required, we carry out a wound check at the TBZ.

In the case of cancer, a second discussion takes place at the tumor conference after the operation. As part of the wound check, we will explain the findings of the tumor operation and their significance for the further course of the disease to you in a personal discussion. Additional treatments are often recommended to prevent a relapse, e.g. radiotherapy or drug therapies.

At the TBZ, surgeons and oncologists work closely together and discuss all cases on an interdisciplinary basis. This also enables a seamless transition to the oncology consultation. Your oncologist will discuss the treatment options and their benefits, procedure and expected side effects with you in detail. All therapies, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and anti-hormone therapy, take place on an outpatient basis at one of our locations. You will always be accompanied by your oncologist and the team of specially trained nurses.

Our locations

We are where you need us! We offer highly competent oncology and senology advice and treatment close to where you live at our easily accessible location. Individual care in a family atmosphere by our experienced and well-coordinated practice teams is important to us. This gives patients and their relatives the certainty that they will receive empathetic and personal support even in difficult life situations.

St. Gallen

Phone: 071 / 243 02 02info@tbz-ost.ch

To the location
Chur

Phone: 081 / 257 01 30info.chur@tbz-ost.ch

To the location
Rapperswil

Phone: 055 / 536 13 00info.rapperswil@tbz-ost.ch

To the location
Wattwil

Phone: 071 243 02 90info.wattwil@tbz-ost.ch

To the location