1. The main reasons why women choose breast cancer (BC) treatment in Turkey

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• Technologies that maximize breast preservation. During the operation, foreign doctors use special devices that examine the excised tissue. If cancer cells are found at the edges, they increase the volume of the intervention. Surgeons dissect the tissue until the edges are clean. Thanks to the technology, foreign doctors do not need to remove all the gland for reinsurance, as is done in the CIS countries.

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• High precision radiation therapy with minimal risk of side effects . For radiotherapy in hospitals abroad, the latest generation devices have been installed (2013-2019). Such installations are equipped with a system that allows you to adjust the radiation beam to the shape and size of the tumor with an accuracy of 0.5 mm. This minimizes the impact on the surrounding healthy tissue. For comparison, in the CIS countries they use installations from 2003-2008, the accuracy of which is several cm. At the same time, radiation therapy with the help of a new device in a foreign clinic can cost you the same price as with the help of an old one in a domestic hospital.

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• Effective chemotherapy with hair preservation. Abroad, doctors select the chemotherapy drug and its dose individually for each woman based on the results of a tumor study. She is also prescribed effective supportive therapy to relieve her symptoms. In the CIS countries, oncologists use standard chemistry protocols. In some foreign hospitals, special caps are available that cool the scalp during therapy. Due to this, the blood flow in the area of hair growth slows down, the preparations in a smaller amount reach the follicles and they do not fall out.

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• Innovative treatment methods. Targeted and immunotherapy are indicated for malignant breast tumors with a genetic mutation. Doctors abroad have extensive experience in the successful application of these techniques, and more of these drugs are available abroad than in the CIS. For comparison, in world practice, about 70 immunopreparations are used, in Russia - 18, in Ukraine - 12.

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2. What are the prognosis for breast tumors?

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Breast cancer responds well to treatment - this is the first thing to know for women with this diagnosis. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the milestone of 5 years is going through:

• 99% of patients in whom the disease has not gone beyond the gland (stage 0-1);

• 85% of women with secondary tumors (metastases) in the lymph nodes (stages 2-3);

• 27% of patients with metastases in distant organs (stage 4).

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If we talk about the average 5-year survival rate for all stages, then it is 90%.

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It is important to understand that statistics are averaged data, and the effectiveness of treatment is individual in each case. In addition to the stage, it is influenced by the type of tumor, the woman's age, general health, properly selected and performed treatment.

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3. Where to treat breast cancer: popular countries

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• Germany. In German clinics, the strictest control over the quality of medicine and the level of qualifications of doctors. German hospital departments that specialize in the treatment of breast cancer are equipped with the latest equipment, and their doctors apply effective techniques. This is evidenced by accreditation from the German Cancer Society.

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• Israel. In Israeli hospitals, women with breast cancer receive doctors who are trained and trained in Europe and the United States. The organization of treatment here is faster than in Germany. The difference is due to the fact that the system of work of the international department of Israeli clinics allows you to quickly get a doctor's opinion on medical statements.

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• Turkey. The country's hospitals offer the best value for money. They work according to American and international protocols, some of them are included in the TOP of the most high-tech hospitals in the world from the Top Master's in Healthcare Administration. At the same time, the cost of treatment in Turkey is lower than in Israel and Germany.

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4. How to choose a clinic for the treatment of breast cancer?

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When choosing a clinic for the treatment of breast cancer, it is necessary to consider the following factors:

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• Techniques available at the medical center. It is important to undergo treatment that is most effective in a particular case, and not the only one possible within a particular hospital. Therefore, pay attention that the clinic uses surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormonal, targeted and immunotherapy.

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• Equipment level. In order for the treatment to proceed with the minimum risk of side effects, the clinic must have the latest medical equipment. For example, radiation therapy machines (linear accelerators) must be no older than 2013.

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5. What does the price depend on?

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The price of breast cancer treatment depends on the following factors:

• Treatment program. It can include one technique or a complex of several procedures that doctors select depending on the stage of the disease and the type of tumor. Therefore, the cost of breast cancer treatment is individual in each case.

• Selected country and clinic. Prices for breast cancer treatment in different countries can differ several times. This is due to the level of economic development of states. For example, the cost of surgery for breast cancer in India is from $ 2 850, in Israel - from $ 9 500. The cost of procedures within one country may differ depending on the type of medical center (private / public) and class.

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6. How is breast cancer diagnosed abroad?

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Diagnosis of breast cancer in Turkey includes:

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• Doctor's consultation and manual examination.

• A detailed blood test - determines deviations from the norm in its composition, which may indicate violations in the work of any organ.

• Tumor marker test - with its help, doctors identify proteins in the blood that are characteristic of breast cancer.

• A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that can detect a tumor before it can be felt by palpating the breast.

• Ultrasound - helps to detect neoplasms in tissues and lymph nodes. With the help of an ultrasound examination, doctors can understand what the formation is filled with and distinguish a tumor from a cyst.

• Breast MRI - a technique used to establish the size of the tumor, its spread to adjacent tissues.

• A biopsy is a procedure for taking tissue from a tumor for laboratory examination.

• Histology and immunohistochemistry of the neoplasm - analysis of material obtained using a biopsy. With their help, doctors determine the presence of cancer cells, the type of tumor, the receptor status of the neoplasm (the presence of a genetic mutation in it, in which targeted and immunotherapy is indicated), the stage of the disease and select treatment tactics.

• CT scan of the chest and abdomen - allows doctors to determine if the tumor has metastases to organs located in these areas.

• Scintigraphy - performed if bone metastases are suspected.

• Positron emission computed tomography (PET-CT) is a full-body scan that helps detect even the smallest metastases - up to 3 mm.

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7. What are the innovative diagnostic methods?

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In some Turkish hospitals, the latest breast cancer diagnostics methods are available:

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• Tomosynthesis is a three-dimensional mammography that does not require breast compression.

• Molecular tomography - allows you to detect a tumor in patients with a dense mammary gland.

• Positron emission mammography (TEM) is a type of positron emission tomography that can detect even 1.6 mm neoplasms in the breast.

• Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) - allows you to distinguish a benign tumor from a malignant one without biopsy using a current.

• Oncotype DX is a genetic tumor test that determines the risk of breast cancer recurrence in patients who are treated early in the disease.

• Mammaprint test - predicts the likelihood of recurrence and metastases within 10 years after removal of the primary tumor, and doctors use it to determine the need for postoperative chemotherapy.

• BluePrint test - with its help doctors determine the subtype of breast cancer, predict the effectiveness and need for preoperative therapy.

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8. How is breast cancer treated?

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Breast cancer treatment abroad is carried out using the following methods:

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1. Surgery

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The amount of intervention depends on the size of the tumor. There are the following types of operations for breast cancer:

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• Organ-preserving ones - are indicated in the initial stages of the disease. Subspecies of the procedure:

  • Sectoral resection (tumorectomy, lumpectomy) - is indicated for tumors less than 2 cm.During the operation, surgeons excise the tumor and about 1 cm of the surrounding healthy tissue to prevent relapse - the return of the disease.

  • Quadrantectomy - like a lumpectomy, it saves the breast. During the intervention, surgeons remove the tumor and about 2 cm of nearby tissues.

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• A total mastectomy is the complete removal of the breast. If there is a risk of spreading the disease to a healthy gland, doctors cut it out as well.

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If there is a risk of metastasis, in addition to the main operation, surgeons can perform lymphadenectomy - removal of lymph nodes. To determine its feasibility, doctors excise 1 lymph node and analyze it. This is called a sentinel biopsy (sentinel lymph node biopsy).

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2. Radiotherapy (radiation therapy)

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This is a course of procedures during which the tumor is irradiated and gradually destroyed. Doctors perform radiation therapy in the following cases:

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• before surgery (neoadjuvant radiotherapy) - to reduce the growth and preserve breast tissue as much as possible;

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• after surgery (adjuvant radiation therapy) - to destroy the remaining cancer cells and prevent the disease from returning;

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• instead of surgery, in the later stages to slow tumor growth and reduce symptoms.

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3. Radiosurgery

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This is the simultaneous destruction of a tumor with high doses of radiation. Such treatment is carried out at the initial stages of the disease, if the patient has contraindications for surgical intervention.

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4. Chemotherapy for breast cancer

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This is the reception of special anticancer drugs, which are carried through the body with the blood flow and destroy cancer cells. Types of chemotherapy:

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• Neoadjuvant (preoperative) - allows you to shrink the tumor so that doctors can preserve the gland tissue as much as possible during surgery.

• Adjuvant (postoperative) - destroys metastases throughout the body.

• Palliative - improves the quality of life in the later stages of the disease.

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5. Hormone therapy

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Treatment with hormonal drugs is prescribed to patients with hormone-dependent tumors in such situations:

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• after surgery to prevent the return of the disease;

• if the disease has metastasized;

• with relapse.

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9. What innovative methods of treatment are there?

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Such innovative methods of breast cancer treatment are available abroad:

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1. Cryotherapy (cryosurgery / cryoablation)

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This is the freezing of the tumor with an injection of liquid nitrogen. Due to the effect of low temperatures, cancer cells stop multiplying and the neoplasm dies.

The technique is indicated for stages 0-1 breast cancer.

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2. Intraoperative radiation therapy

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The purpose of the procedure is to destroy all cancer cells that may have remained in the area of the removed tumor. The procedure takes place once with a high dose of radiation. Thanks to it, the patient does not need to undergo a course of postoperative radiation therapy to prevent relapse.

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3. Immunotherapy

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Immune drugs activate the patient's immunity, so that the body begins to recognize cancer cells and destroy them on its own.

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4. Targeted therapy

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Targeted drugs target cancer cells and do not harm healthy tissues. This treatment has fewer side effects than chemotherapy.

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10. How is breast reconstruction going after treatment?

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For patients who have partially or completely removed their breasts, plastic reconstructive surgeons carry out the restoration of the gland. To do this, they use implants or the woman's own tissue, which is obtained from the lower abdomen. If the nipple was removed during the operation, surgeons create a special elevation on which you can later make a tattoo, giving it the desired color.

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11. How to organize the treatment?

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To organize breast cancer treatment abroad, leave a request on the site. At a convenient time for you, the Bookimed medical coordinator will contact you, who will advise you on all issues of interest. He will tell you about leading doctors, medical centers and help you choose the best clinic for the treatment of breast cancer, focusing on your wishes in terms of price and quality. The coordinating doctor will explain what documents are required for the trip for treatment and will write you to the hospital of your choice.

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Medikal & Estetik Group will stay in touch from the moment you contact us and even after returning home.

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• Basic diagnostics and tumor removal from $ 5370

• Basic diagnostics + Lumpectomy from $ 7116

• Mastectomy with check of lymph node involvement in breast cancer from $ 8500

• Breast cancer diagnostics from $ 1989

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Help is needed?

Doctors-coordinators will advise you and help you with the choice. Medikal & Estetik Group services are free of charge for you and do not affect your clinic bill.

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Medikal & Estetik Group coordinator will help find the best solution for breast cancer treatment

CHOOSE CLINIC

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