Empress Unit

Our Breast Cancer Service include outpatient services and surgery for the treatment for all breast conditions including breast lumps, breast abscesses, nipple discharge, and breast pain, distortion of breast tissue and breast cancer. We also look after patients with a significant risk of breast cancer due to family history and provide a breast care service for male patients.

If you wish to contact the number please call 01322 428100 and ask for the Empress Unit.

Darent Valley Hospital

Our dedicated Empress Breast Unit at Darent Valley provides a one-stop outpatient service for patients to access diagnostics, tests and treatment in one place, on the same day, to provide a centralised point of care.  

The Unit has a specialist team of consultant surgeons, specialist nurses, radiologists, oncologists and breast clinical nurse specialists to provide:

  • Consultation and clinical examinations for suspected and symptomatic breast cancer
  • Diagnostic investigations as part of the NHS Breast Screening programme:
    • Mammography scan of the breast and/or
    • Ultrasound scan of the breast
  • Interventional procedures such as:
    • Biopsy - the removal of a small sample of breast tissue under local anaesthetic for further examination by our pathology team
  • Clinical Nurse Specialist-led Clinics for benign breast diseases and for patients with a family history of breast disease/cancer
  • A quiet room for counselling

Our Unit aims to provide our patients the best cancer care using evidence-based practice; using the latest surgical techniques to detect breast cancer early to significantly improve outcomes.