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유방암 · Breast cancer · ICD-10 C50
Breast cancer: treatment options in Korea
Korea's 5-year relative survival for breast cancer is 94.7% and China's is 81.0%. For breast cancer found at a localized stage, 5-year survival is 99.2%. Korea runs a national mammography screening every two years for women aged 40 and over. On the surgical side, Korean hospitals have rich experience in oncoplastic breast conservation, robotic breast surgery and DIEP reconstruction with the patient's own tissue, balancing treatment and appearance.
Why consider Korea
- 5-year relative survival 94.7% (diagnosed 2019–2023)[1]
- 5-year relative survival of breast cancer found at a localized stage is 99.2%[3]
- National cancer screening: mammography every two years for women aged 40 and over[4]
- Breast cancer screening participation was 70.6% in 2024[5]
- First multicenter study of robotic breast-conserving surgery (7 Korean hospitals, 150 patients): positive margin rate about 0.7%, surgery-related complications about 4%[6]
- Severance Hospital's DIEP breast reconstruction with abdominal tissue has reached 1,000 cases, with a success rate of 98.5%hospital or media claim[7]
Korea vs. China
Korean figures are for patients diagnosed in 2019–2023 and Chinese figures for patients diagnosed in 2019–2021. Both are 5-year relative survival rates published by each country's national cancer center. The years and methods are not identical, so only the rough gap is meaningful. Relative survival is compared with the general population of the same age, so values above 100% can occur. Korea's high survival for stomach and colorectal cancer is closely linked to national cancer screening, which finds more cancers early.
| Item | Korea | China | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| When it is found | Mammography every two years for women aged 40 and over; participation in 2024 was 70.6% | Stage III–IV accounts for 21.6% at diagnosis of breast cancer (the lowest of the five major cancers) | The Chinese data come from reports on the Guideline for Cancer-Prevention Checkups in Health Examination Institutions (2025 edition) issued by the National Cancer Center and others[4][5][8] |
Treatments
Breast-conserving surgery Surgery
Only the tumor and a rim of normal tissue are removed, keeping the breast, usually followed by radiotherapy. Korean hospitals often combine it with oncoplastic techniques that reshape the breast during removal. Some hospitals also do robotic breast-conserving surgery through a small incision.Robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy Surgery
When all breast tissue must be removed, a robot removes the breast through a few-centimeter incision in the armpit or side of the chest, keeping the nipple and breast skin, usually with reconstruction at the same time. No obvious scar is left on the breast surface.Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (incl. DIEP flap) Surgery
The breast is removed and a plastic surgeon rebuilds it at the same time. An implant can be used, or the patient's own abdominal fat and skin (DIEP flap, which takes vascularized tissue without cutting the abdominal muscle).Sentinel lymph node biopsy Screening / tests
During the operation only the first 1–3 lymph nodes that receive lymph fluid from the tumor are removed and examined. If there is no spread, the whole armpit does not need to be cleared, which reduces aftereffects such as arm swelling.Hospitals
Severance Hospital, Yonsei University 세브란스병원
Robotic breast surgery; DIEP breast reconstruction with abdominal tissue has reached 1,000 casesSamsung Medical Center 삼성서울병원
Newsweek 2026 oncology: 3rd in the world; breast cancer center; performs robotic breast surgeryAsan Medical Center, Seoul 서울아산병원
Cancer Hospital breast cancer center; the breast surgery team performs cosmetic breast cancer surgery and robotic surgerySeoul National University Hospital 서울대학교병원
Seoul National University Cancer Hospital breast center; specializes in oncoplastic surgery and hereditary breast cancerKorea University Anam Hospital 고려대학교 안암병원
Breast and endocrine surgery; performs robotic breast cancer surgery and oncoplastic surgeryDoctors
Hyung Seok Park 박형석 · Severance Hospital, Yonsei University
Co-corresponding author of the first multicenter study of robotic breast-conserving surgery (7 Korean hospitals, 150 patients, published in Surgical Endoscopy)[6]; Specialties listed on the hospital website: breast cancer, robotic breast cancer surgery, hereditary breast-ovarian cancer clinic[9]Dae Hyun Yoo 유대현 · Severance Hospital, Yonsei University
Has performed DIEP breast reconstruction with abdominal tissue at Severance Hospital since 2005; by February 2026 the hospital had reached 1,000 cases with a reported success rate of 98.5%hospital or media claim[7]Jae Min Yu 유재민 · Samsung Medical Center
Co-corresponding author of the first multicenter study of robotic breast-conserving surgery[6]; Specialties listed on the hospital website: breast cancer, robotic breast surgery, hereditary breast-ovarian cancer syndrome[10]Se Kyung Lee 이세경 · Samsung Medical Center
Specialties listed on the hospital website: breast cancer, breast cancer surgery, malignant breast disease, robotic breast surgery; also works at the international patient center[10]Byung Ho Son 손병호 · Asan Medical Center, Seoul
Specialties listed on the hospital website: breast cancer, cosmetic breast cancer surgery, robotic surgery[11]Hee Jeong Kim 김희정 · Asan Medical Center, Seoul
Specialties listed on the hospital website: breast cancer, young-onset breast cancer, cosmetic breast cancer surgery, robotic surgery; also works at the international patient center (care for foreign patients)[11]Wonshik Han 한원식 · Seoul National University Hospital
Specialties listed on the hospital website: breast cancer, oncoplastic surgery (reshaping during breast conservation)[12]Hyeong-Gon Moon 문형곤 · Seoul National University Hospital
Specialties listed on the hospital website: breast cancer, malignant phyllodes tumor[12]Ji Young You 유지영 · Korea University Anam Hospital
Specialties listed on the hospital website: breast cancer, hereditary breast cancer, robotic breast cancer surgery, oncoplastic surgery[13]Coming to Korea for treatment
Documents to prepare: Breast ultrasound and mammography reports, Needle biopsy pathology (including hormone receptor and HER2 results), Breast MRI (if available), Chest and abdominal CT or bone scan (if any), Family history (when hereditary breast cancer is suspected)
Time in Korea: about 7~14 daysestimate, of which in hospital about 2~7 days
After returning home: Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted or hormone therapy are often needed after surgery, and some can be continued at home; hormone therapy usually continues for several years and needs regular checks.
FAQ
- Does the whole breast always have to be removed?
- Not necessarily. When the size and position of the tumor are suitable, breast-conserving surgery plus radiotherapy is possible. When the whole breast has to be removed, reconstruction can be done at the same time, and some patients can have a robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy. The doctor decides from the test results.
- Is robotic breast surgery safe?
- A multicenter study of 150 patients at 7 Korean hospitals showed that robotic breast-conserving surgery had a positive margin rate of about 0.7% and surgery-related complications of about 4%. The technique is still fairly new and suits a limited number of patients.[6]
- Implant or your own tissue for breast reconstruction?
- Both are possible. Your own tissue (such as an abdominal DIEP flap) feels natural and avoids implant-related problems, but the operation is more complex; implant surgery is shorter. Discuss with a plastic surgeon, taking into account body type, whether radiotherapy is needed and your own preference.