Advanced skin cancer treatment thanks to non-invasive imaging technology
Brussel, 27th May 2024 - As the fine weather returns we like to get out in the sun. Although the sun is beneficial in terms of vitamin D and mental well-being, overexposure can bring risks. Ultraviolet rays damage our cells and this can encourage the development of skin cancers. The only hospital in Belgium using a combination of two ultra-precision machines to permit real-time diagnosis, the Brussels University Hospital is able to provide a rapid response to these types of cancer.
Innovative machines that remove the need for a biopsy.
The standard diagnosis procedure consists of a visual dermoscopic examination and a biopsy. A long, costly and invasive process. To avoid biopsies and to refine the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers, the Department of Dermatology now uses non-invasive imaging techniques. The Brussels University Hospital is the only hospital in Belgium using a combination of two ultra-precision machines to permit real-time diagnosis without recourse to an external laboratory: the confocal microscope and LC-OCT.
A rapid and ultra-precise diagnosis
Thanks to a 3D reconstruction from a 2D image, simply placing the microscope on the skin makes it possible to establish whether or not a lesion is cancerous. An artificial intelligence tool also refines the doctor’s diagnosis and detects suspect lesions. In addition to their diagnostic role, these machines are an aid to decision-making and treatment follow up. Surgery is often necessary when melanoma or carcinoma is detected. The LC-OCT makes it possible to determine more precise presurgical margins, guaranteeing that all the cancer cells are removed. It also makes it possible to check treatment effectiveness by identifying suspect zones that remain after treatment. These two high-tech tools enable the Brussels University Hospital to ensure a more rapid and more precise response to skin cancer for its patients.
The Dermatology Department's non-invasive skin imaging team is led by Prof Mariano Suppa and Prof Véronique del Marmol, and includes several young doctors who are experts in this field.
To make an appointment:
- Jules Bordet Institute Screening Clinic:
Tel : +32 (0)2 541 30 55
Email : accueil_depistage@hubruxelles.be
- Erasmus Hospital Department of Dermatology:
Tel : +32 (0)2 555 35 07
Tel : +32 (0)2 555 36 57
E-mail: Cons.Dermato.erasme@hubruxelles.be
- The Children’s Hospital Department of Dermatology:
Tel : +32 (0)2 477 31 69
Clara Mercier
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About the Jules Bordet Institute
An integrated multidisciplinary centre, the only one of its kind in Belgium, the Jules Bordet Institute is an autonomous hospital dedicated exclusively to cancerous diseases.
During the past 80 years the Jules Bordet Institute has been offering its patients diagnostic and treatment strategies at the leading edge of progress to prevent, detect and actively fight cancer. The Institute pursues three missions: care, research and teaching. The Institute's international reputation attracts leading experts in the field of cancer. Its spirit of innovation has enabled it to participate in the development and discovery of new methods of diagnosis and major treatment innovations, with the aim of translating the results into improved patient care as rapidly as possible.
In May 2028, the Jules Border Institute was officially awarded, for the second time, OECI (Organisation of European Cancer Institutes) accreditation as a "Comprehensive Cancer Center", a quality label reserved for multidisciplinary cancer care institutions that combine research and training. The Jules Bordet Institute is the only Comprehensive Cancer Centre with OECI accreditation in Belgium.
On 28 November 2021, the Jules Bordet Institute opened its new building on the ULB university campus in Anderlecht with 80,000 m² fully dedicated to leading edge cancer care, research and training, as well as a patient well-being centre. It offers 250 hospitalisation beds and 43 day hospitalisation beds.
The Jules Bordet Institute is also part of the H.U.B., the University Hospital of Brussels, which includes the Erasmus Hospital, the Jules Bordet Institute and the Queen Fabiola Children's Hospital. Thanks to new investments, this internationally renowned university hospital group is able to guarantee high quality care accessible to all combined with excellence in research and training.
About the Erasmus Hospital
The Erasmus Hospital is located on the Erasmus hospital-faculty campus, which includes the Faculty of Medicine (about 3500 students), the Faculty of Motor Sciences (about 1100 students) and the School of Public Health (about 600 students). Opened in 1977 and with a capacity of 1,048 beds, the hospital receives 25,000 to 30,000 inpatients annually and has 350,000 to 400,000 consultations.
More than 4,000 members of staff, in 80 different professions, contribute on a daily basis to providing care under the sign of ambition, excellence and well-being. The Lothier Polyclinic and 2 external centres (the Traumatology and Rehabilitation Centre - CTR and the Geriatric Revalidation Centre - CRG) complete the care offer.
ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
The Queen Fabiola University Children's Hospital is the only Belgian hospital exclusively dedicated to children and adolescents. By doing everything possible for the well-being of children, our hospital contributes to their being actors of their own development and to their blossoming in society.
The hospital's mission is to
- To care for and support children, adolescents and their families through comprehensive, multidisciplinary, humanistic and excellent care.
- To provide high-level teaching and research through a continuous process of innovation and development of knowledge.
- To contribute actively to health education.
The Children’s Hospital in figures: 183 beds, nearly 135,000 consultations, more than 36,000 emergency admissions and more than 41,000 days of hospitalisation per year. More than 3,700 operations are performed in the operating area each year. More than 1,000 people work there today, representing 750 FTEs (full-time equivalents), including 170 FTE doctors (52.5 post-graduate FTEs) and 440 FTE nurses and paramedics.
ABOUT THE H.U.B
The Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B) is the academic hospital of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), which unites the Jules Bordet institute, the Erasme Hospital and the Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital (HUDERF) since 2021.
As an international reference center, located in the heart of the Brussels Region, the H.U.B offers high quality general, oncological and pediatric care.
This excellent care, accessible to all, is enriched and sustained by a dual approach of scientific research and teaching for the caregivers of tomorrow.
In 2022, the H.U.B. is composed of more than 6,000 employees who share the following values: Interest of the patient, Respect, Commitment, Solidarity, Diversity and Inclusion, and the principle of Free enquiry.