How breast cancer is treated in Korea

Outcomes, confirmed by national statistics

For people diagnosed with breast cancer in Korea between 2019 and 2023, the 5-year relative survival rate is 94.7%. This comes from the national cancer registry — it is not one hospital's results. In US SEER data, the 5-year relative survival rate for female breast cancer is 91.9% (diagnosed 2016–2022).

Korea's national screening program offers mammography every two years from age 40, and about 30,000 cases were diagnosed in 2023. Breast cancer in Korea tends to occur at younger ages than in Western countries, so care that also considers breast conservation, reconstruction, pregnancy, and fertility preservation is well developed.

For patients coming from abroad, this means that alongside your stage, whether you have subtype results (estrogen and progesterone receptors, HER2, Ki-67) is central to the review.

The treatment path depends on stage and subtype

When the tumor is not large, breast-conserving surgery removes the cancer and a margin of surrounding tissue, followed by radiation therapy. When the tumor is large or present in several places, a total mastectomy is performed, and reconstruction (with an implant or your own tissue) can be done during the same operation. For the axillary lymph nodes, sentinel node biopsy allows only as many nodes as necessary to be removed.

For HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer, the standard is to give chemotherapy and targeted therapy before surgery to shrink the tumor and confirm the response. If the cancer is hormone receptor positive, hormone therapy continues for 5–10 years after surgery; because it is an oral medication, it can be continued at home.

If there is metastasis, treatment combines options such as CDK4/6 inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, and immunotherapy according to subtype. Younger patients are counseled about fertility preservation before treatment begins.

What international patients actually pay

Based on published hospital prices, breast-conserving surgery runs roughly USD 8,000–15,000, and a mastectomy with reconstruction costs more. For radiation therapy the total depends on the number of sessions, and for chemotherapy and targeted therapy it depends on the drug and the number of cycles.

The estimate lists tests, surgery, reconstruction, radiation, medication, interpretation, and accommodation as separate line items, and for drug therapy it separates the first cycle from later cycles. If you proceed to treatment after a pre-arrival review, the review fee is credited against your medical bill.

What is possible in your case

Is conserving surgery possible? Can reconstruction be done at the same time? Should chemotherapy come first? Which drugs suit your subtype? How many radiation sessions? The written opinion answers in that order.

Send us your mammography, ultrasound, and MRI imaging, biopsy and subtype results, and your diagnosis. Breast surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists will review them and give you a written opinion within 5 business days.

Frequently asked questions

Can reconstruction be done on the same day?

Immediate reconstruction at the same time as a mastectomy is possible in many cases. If radiation therapy is planned, the timing is adjusted, and we set this out in your written opinion.

Why is chemotherapy given before surgery?

In HER2-positive and triple-negative disease, it lets the team confirm in advance whether the drugs are working and shrinks the tumor, improving the chance that conserving surgery is possible.

Do I need to receive hormone therapy in Korea?

It is an oral medication, so once we provide the prescription and the plan, you can continue it at home. The handover document also lists the follow-up tests.

How long a stay should I plan for?

About two weeks for surgery alone, with another 3–5 weeks if radiation therapy is included. For chemotherapy before surgery, you either travel back for each cycle or extend your stay.

Is fertility preservation possible?

You can be counseled about freezing eggs or embryos before chemotherapy. We set the timeline together at the review stage.