LUNG CANCER TREATMENT IN TURKEY
MENU PAGES:
1. What are the benefits of lung cancer treatment in Turkey?
2. How to choose a clinic for the treatment of lung cancer?
3. How to get to a foreign clinic for lung cancer treatment?
4. Which countries are chosen for the treatment of lung cancer?
5. What methods of lung cancer diagnostics are available abroad?
6. How is lung cancer treated in Turkey?
7. What new techniques are used in the world?
8. How is the treatment stage by stage?
9. What influences the prognosis in lung cancer?
10. What affects the cost of treatment?
11. COST OF TREATMENT AND DIAGNOSTICS OF LUNG CANCER IN TURKEY
1. What are the benefits of lung cancer treatment in Turkey?
Low-traumatic operations. In leading clinics abroad, surgeons in most cases prefer low-traumatic VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) interventions. Unlike the traditional open surgery, which is used in the CIS, VPATS allows you to keep the ribs intact and speed up recovery by 2 times. This is possible due to the low-traumatic access - the doctor performs all actions through 3 punctures up to 1 cm in the intercostal space.
New installations for effective and safe radiation therapy. The leading foreign hospitals use the latest generation devices (2013-2018). They are equipped with a 3D imaging system that provides irradiation with an accuracy of 0.5 mm. As a result, the impact on healthy tissue is minimal. For comparison, in the clinics of the CIS, linear accelerators were installed in 2003-2008. The irradiation accuracy with such installations is a few cm.
Large selection of drugs for drug therapy. More anticancer drugs are available abroad than in the CIS. For example, if we talk about immunologic drugs, in the world oncological practice more than 70 of them are used, in Ukraine - 12, in Russia - 18. The same situation is with chemotherapy drugs. For example, in Israel there are about 200 registered, in Ukraine and Russia - about 40. This is one of the reasons why the effectiveness of treatment abroad is higher. Here, patients undergo the therapy that is most effective in their case.
The catalog contains the best clinics for the treatment of lung cancer abroad. The rating is based on the selection of our patients. Leave a request on the website so that the coordinating doctor of Medikal & Estetik Group will contact you at a convenient time for you. He will answer your questions, tell you about the leading oncologists, and guide you on the cost of the procedures. The coordinating doctor will help with the selection of the best medical center for your case and the organization of treatment. You do not pay for Medikal & Estetik Group services.
2. How to choose a clinic for the treatment of lung cancer?
When choosing a clinic for the treatment of lung cancer, you must focus on:
The level of qualifications of doctors. Check out their resume. Leading foreign specialists who carry out therapy and surgery of lung tumors have more than 15 years of practical experience. They are trained and trained in top medical institutions in Europe and the United States. Thanks to this, doctors exchange experience with foreign colleagues and improve their skills in treatment.
Available techniques. It is important that the doctors of the clinic use not only the traditional treatment of lung cancer (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy), but also the latest techniques that have proven their effectiveness (targeted and immunotherapy). In this case, the patient will undergo the most effective treatment in his case, and not the only one possible within the framework of a particular medical center.
The level of technical equipment. For effective and safe treatment of lung cancer, the clinic must have the latest medical equipment. For example, for radiotherapy, it is important to use the 2013-2018 installations. release. They irradiate tumors with an accuracy of 0.5 mm, which minimizes the risk of exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. For comparison, the accuracy of older linear accelerators is a few cm.
3. How to get to a foreign clinic for lung cancer treatment?
To undergo lung cancer treatment abroad, leave a request on the Medikal & Estetik Group website. Our specialized coordinator doctor will contact you. He will tell you about the leading clinics, oncologists, and guide you on the cost of the procedures.
Together with the coordinating doctor, you will choose the best medical center for your case. He will explain what documents are needed to register at the clinic and ask you for an individual diagnostic and treatment program. If you are satisfied with the program and cost, the coordinating doctor will book a date for you to arrive at the medical center.
If necessary, the care department of Medikal & Estetik Group will help with booking tickets and accommodation. Patients do not pay for our services.
4. Which countries are chosen for the treatment of lung cancer?
When choosing where to treat lung cancer, patients of Medikal & Estetik Group in most cases prefer the following countries:
Germany. In German clinics, the strictest control over the quality of medicine and the level of qualifications of doctors. The departments of clinics that specialize in the treatment of lung tumors are equipped with the latest equipment, and their doctors apply effective methods. This is evidenced by accreditation from the German Cancer Society.
Israel. In Israeli clinics, patients are accepted by world-renowned oncologists 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.
Turkey. Turkish clinics offer the best value for money. They work according to American and international protocols. Leading clinics 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 lung cancer treatment in Turkey is lower than in other countries from this list.
5. What methods of lung cancer diagnostics are available abroad?
In more than 50% of cases, a tumor in the lungs is not primary, but secondary (metastasis, which is caused by cancer of another organ, such as the stomach). Therefore, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination not only of the lungs, but of the whole organism, on the basis of which doctors will make an accurate diagnosis and select the most effective methods of therapy and surgery.
Interesting to know:
In some foreign clinics, it is possible to choose a treatment using artificial intelligence - IBM Watson. The system, with an accuracy of 96%, determines the effective methods for a specific patient with lung cancer, according to the developer's data. To make decisions, IBM Watson processes 25,000 patient records, 15 million scientific studies, 300 medical journals, 200 textbooks in a few minutes. No oncologist is capable of this.
The main methods for diagnosing lung cancer abroad include:
Laboratory tests - general and biochemical blood tests, urinalysis.
A test for tumor markers - allows you to detect substances in the blood that are characteristic of lung cancer.
Sputum cytology to detect cancer cells.
Chest X-ray - with its help doctors determine if there is a neoplasm in the lungs.
CT of the chest - allows you to establish the size, location of the tumor and its extent to the surrounding tissue.
Pleurocentesis (puncture of the pleural cavity) is the collection of fluid from the pleura for analysis, which determines the presence of cancer cells. The procedure takes place through a puncture in the chest wall.
Mediastinoscopy is an examination of the tissues of the mediastinum (the area between the two lungs) using an endoscope.
Bronchoscopy - allows doctors to visually examine the trachea, bronchi and take a fragment of the tumor for analysis. The procedure is carried out using a special tube with a camera, which doctors insert into the patient through the nose or mouth.
Endobronchial ultrasound EBUS is a modern method of bronchoscopy. It additionally allows you to take the tissue of the lymph nodes for analysis.
Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscop with the SuperDimension Bronchus System is a technique that helps explore even the most difficult-to-reach organ tissues. It is carried out using a special probe.
Percutaneous puncture biopsy (transthoracic aspiration biopsy) - sampling of neoplasm tissue for analysis. Doctors resort to the procedure if they have not received material during bronchoscopy / EBUS.
In some clinics in Turkey, an innovative biopsy for the diagnosis of lung cancer, which was developed by German scientists, is available - the NEOliquid liquid biopsy (NEOliquid). It passes with the help of a blood test, without puncture of the sternum. The technique allows you to track the reaction of the tumor to different methods of treatment and select the most effective of them.
Tumor analyzes (histology, immunohistochemistry, genetic test) - with their help, doctors:
distinguish a benign tumor from a malignant one;
determine the rate of its growth, the type of lung cancer;
select the most effective chemotherapy;
identify genetic mutations for which immuno- and targeted therapy is indicated.
In some clinics (for example, Souraski and Assuta in Israel, Anadolu in Turkey), a tumor test is available to select the most effective drug for immuno- and targeted therapy - FoundationOne CDx.
Scintigraphy (osteoscanning) - allows you to identify metastases (secondary tumors) in the bones.
MRI or CT of the head - Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography can help detect brain metastases.
Positron emission computed tomography (PET-CT) is a full-body scan that doctors use to determine the presence of even the smallest secondary neoplasms - 2-3 mm.
6. How is lung cancer treated in Turkey?
To help patients with lung cancer, doctors use the following techniques:
1. Surgical treatment
Surgery is the main treatment for lung cancer. Depending on the size, location of the tumor and
stage of the disease, surgeons carry out the following types of procedures:
wedge resection - removal of the neoplasm and a small amount of surrounding healthy tissue;
segmentectomy - removal of an organ segment;
lobectomy - removal of a lobe of the lung;
pneumonectomy - complete removal of an organ.
In leading foreign clinics, lung cancer operations are performed using the low-traumatic method VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery) - VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery). It allows you to keep the ribs intact, in contrast to the traditional open intervention, and to speed up the recovery by 2 times. This is possible due to the fact that the surgeon performs all actions through 3 punctures up to 1 cm in the intercostal space. The visibility of the operated area is provided by a special camera.
If it is impossible to conduct a minimally invasive operation, the surgeon removes the tumor using the traditional open method through 1 incision in the chest area.
2. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy stops the growth and division of cancer cells with anticancer drugs, which the patient takes with droppers or in pill form.
Chemotherapy is given to:
reduce the neoplasm before removing it;
prevent relapse (return of the disease) by destroying cancer cells that remain after the operation;
destroy an inoperable tumor;
slow down the progression of the disease and reduce symptoms in the later stages.
3. Radiation therapy (radiotherapy)
During radiation therapy, cancer cells are destroyed by exposure to ionizing radiation.
For malignant lung tumors, doctors may prescribe radiation therapy:
as the main treatment if there are contraindications to surgery or the tumor is not resectable;
after surgery to kill cancer cells that have not been removed;
to destroy metastases;
to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in the later stages of the disease.
For lung oncology, doctors perform radiation therapy with a remote or contact method.
Remote irradiation is carried out using a linear accelerator - a special installation that is located at a distance from the patient. Most of the TOP clinics abroad use the TrueBeam STx device for this. According to the manufacturer ( Varian Medical System ), the device irradiates the neoplasm with an accuracy of 1 millimeter, which minimizes the risk of exposure to healthy tissues and ensures high safety of the procedure.
Contact radiation therapy is called brachytherapy . Doctors place special radioactive grains (which are 2.5 times smaller than a grain of rice) or needles into the tumor. They irradiate the tumor pointwise without affecting the surrounding healthy tissue.
4. Radiosurgery
Radiosurgery is a one-time irradiation of a tumor with a high dose of radiation. To do this, leading clinics abroad use the CyberKnife apparatus, which adapts to the patient's breathing, so the procedure is accurate and safe.
7. What new techniques are used in the world?
Innovative treatments for lung cancer include photodynamic therapy, cryosurgery, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. The approach to cancer treatment with immune and targeted drugs is not new, but large research centers are constantly developing and researching drugs, making them more effective and safer.
1. Photodynamic therapy
Doctors inject the patient with a photosensitive anticancer drug and activate it with a laser in the area of the tumor. The medicine destroys the vessels that feed the neoplasm, and it dies.
The procedure is resorted to only at the initial 0 stage of the disease.
2. Cryosurgery
Cryotherapy is the freezing of a tumor with liquid nitrogen. As a result, malignant cells stop multiplying and the neoplasm dies.
The technique is shown at stage 0 of the disease.
3. Targeted (targeted) therapy
Targeted therapy, unlike chemistry, does not harm healthy tissues, but its use is possible only for tumors with a genetic mutation (EML4-ALK, EGFR, ROS-1, PG-L1).
4. Immunotherapy (biological therapy)
If chemotherapy is ineffective, patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer are prescribed Keytruda's medication by oncologists. It is an immunotherapy drug that helps the body identify cancer cells and destroy them on its own. Other medicines that patients may be prescribed are Nivolumab and Ipilimumab. Scientists are actively exploring vaccines against cancer, monoclonal antibodies and signal transduction inhibitors - promising drugs for small and non-small cell tumors.
It's important to know!
Today in the world there are more than 7,000 clinical trials for the treatment of lung cancer, including stage 4. They give a chance of recovery to people who are not helped by standard protocol treatment.
8. How is the treatment stage by stage?
The treatment program for lung cancer is individual in each case. It depends on the stage of the disease, the location and type of neoplasm, the presence and localization of metastases, the general state of human health.
0 stage
Non-small cell lung cancer:
Photodynamic therapy, segmentectomy or wedge resection. For hard-to-reach tumors - lobectomy or pneumonectomy.
Brachytherapy (sometimes at risk of recurrence)
Carcinoid lung cancer:
Photodynamic therapy or surgical removal of the tumor.
Stage 1
Non-small cell lung cancer:
segmentectomy or lobectomy;
postoperative radiation, chemotherapy, or targeted therapy to reduce the risk of the disease returning.
Small cell lung cancer:
surgery to remove the neoplasm and, if necessary, regional lymph nodes
chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Carcinoid lung cancer:
surgery to remove the tumor.
Stage 2
Non-small cell lung cancer:
lobectomy or pneumonectomy and removal of lymph nodes;
preoperative or postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Small cell lung cancer:
operation;
chemotherapy, radiation therapy and, in the presence of mutations, targeted or immunotherapy.
Carcinoid lung cancer:
surgical intervention.
Stage 3
Non-small cell lung cancer:
preoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy;
operation;
in the presence of genetic mutations - immuno or targeted therapy.
Small cell lung cancer:
chemo, radiation, immuno and targeted therapy;
surgery (if the patient's condition and the size of the tumor allow).
Carcinoid lung cancer:
chemotherapy, radiation, immuno, targeted therapy;
operation.
Stage 4
For any type of tumor, palliative therapy is indicated to reduce symptoms.
9. What influences the prognosis in lung cancer?
The prognosis for lung cancer is individual in each case. It depends on such factors:
size, location and type of tumor;
the presence of genetic mutations in the neoplasm;
the presence and location of secondary tumors (metastases);
age, general condition of the patient and the presence of concomitant diseases.
Lung carcinoma develops quickly, so when a tumor is detected, it is important to start treatment as soon as possible so that the prognosis is better.
10. What affects the cost of treatment?
The price for lung cancer treatment depends on the following factors:
The scope of diagnostics. The more procedures include diagnostics, the higher the final check. Therefore, patients who have already undergone some kind of examination at the place of residence (biopsy, MRI, CT, PET-CT) should take their results with them to the clinic. If they are informative, the doctor will review them and the procedure will not have to be repeated.
The more techniques are used by specialists to help a patient, the higher the final cost of treatment. Also, the price depends on the volume of surgery and the number of courses of therapy.
Selected country and clinic. The cost of lung cancer treatment in different countries depends on the general price level for medical services. The price of therapy and surgery in different medical centers of the same state differs depending on the type of institution (private / public), the level of service and the class of the ward for hospitalization.
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.
Medikal & Estetik Group coordinator will help find the best solution for lung cancer treatment
COST OF TREATMENT AND DIAGNOSTICS OF LUNG CANCER IN TURKEY
Diagnostics + 1st line of drug therapy from $ 7420
Diagnostics and treatment of lung cancer at the Nordwest Cancer Center from $ 18,113
Extended diagnostics for lung cancer from $ 2849
Extended diagnostics for suspected lung cancer from $ 3502
Lung cancer biopsy from $ 450
CT (computed tomography) for lung cancer from $ 50
PET-CT for lung cancer from $ 500
Brachytherapy for lung cancer on request
Immunotherapy with Keytruda (Pembrolizumab) for lung cancer from $ 3300
Chemotherapy for lung cancer from $ 1200
Cyber knife for lung cancer from $ 4400
Cyber knife for lung cancer from $ 6000
Da Vinci robotic system for lung cancer from $ 16,000
Lung cancer immunotherapy on request
Lobectomy (removal of a lobe of the lung) for lung cancer from $ 7000
Lung cancer surgery from $ 10,300
Segmental lung resection for lung cancer from $ 11300