Skin cancer treatment in Turkey

Skin cancer treatment in Turkey provides comprehensive medical care using advanced techniques. Turkish oncologists have extensive experience in treating all malignant skin pathologies, including melanoma.

According to WHO, skin cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases. It ranks 5th among all types of cancer in men and 7th in women.

Treatment of melanoma in Turkey is especially in demand among residents of Eastern European, Balkan, and Central Asian countries. Doctors conduct an examination as quickly as possible, establish a diagnosis, develop and carry out therapy that corresponds to the characteristics of the disease. At the same time, prices for skin cancer treatment in Turkey are 30-40% lower than in hospitals in Spain and Germany. Foreign patients choose skin cancer treatment in Turkey due to the optimal price-quality ratio.

Among the main advantages of melanoma treatment in Turkey:

1. There are many medical centers in Turkey in the field of oncology and dermatology that have international JCI accreditation, which guarantees the safety of patients.
2. Skin cancer treatment in Turkey follows American protocols, which WHO considers the most effective.
3. The clinic’s technological equipment corresponds to that of the best European hospitals. For example, doctors at the Acibadem network of clinics have in their arsenal ultra-powerful Fotofinder video dermatoscopes with a memory function.
4. Skin cancer treatment in Turkey is carried out by leading experts who have undergone training and internships in hospitals in the USA and Europe. For example, the Sisli Memorial Clinic in Istanbul employs famous oncologists with many years of experience – professors Selim Yusufoglu and Ali Aydin.
5. Treatment of melanoma in Turkey is carried out according to an individual protocol, which is developed by an interdisciplinary commission. It consists of specialists from various fields. They take into account the patient’s characteristics and prescribe the most optimal regimen.
6. Innovative melanoma treatments are available in Turkey, similar to those available in Israel and Germany. At the same time, prices for treatment in Turkey are much lower.
7. Flights to Turkey are inexpensive and fast; visas are not required for many countries.
8. Patients are accommodated in comfortable hotel-type rooms or in hotels in the resort area.
9. The mild climate and relaxed atmosphere promote rapid recovery.

Patient reviews of melanoma treatment in Turkey are mostly positive.

Before starting treatment for skin cancer in Turkey, the doctor conducts a diagnosis. An experienced onco-dermatologist can visually suspect skin cancer. For accurate confirmation, the patient is prescribed a set of studies, which may include:

1. Dermatoscopy – a thorough examination of a mass or mole using a special device. The doctor examines all skin layers under high magnification and takes photographs and analyzes them using a computer program.
2. Biopsy – histological analysis of moles and questionable areas of skin. Samples are examined under a microscope with multiple magnifications. For melanoma, a sentinel lymph node biopsy is performed.
3. Studies with contrast (MRI, CT, PET-CT). Prescribed if the presence of metastases is suspected.

Diagnosis of melanoma in Turkey takes 1-3 days. Many clinics offer dermatological check-ups and consultations with leading specialists.

Melanoma is a malignant disease in which cancer cells form in melanocytes (the cells that color the skin). It can occur on any area of the skin. It is characterized by rapid growth and a tendency to early metastasis to the lymphatic system and internal organs.

Melanoma is a serious disease that requires attention to your health and skin. Signs that should alert you:

• asymmetrical moles with fuzzy edges and different shades;
• rapidly growing moles;
• pain, itching, burning, and bleeding in the area of moles or age spots.

The causes of melanoma are not fully understood, but the following factors are believed to influence its development:

• genetic predisposition;
• solar radiation (especially excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays in childhood and adolescence);
• injury to moles and pigmented formations;
• hormonal changes during pregnancy, menopause, taking steroid medications;
• decreased immunity due to chronic diseases, infections, and stress.

Melanoma stages are determined using the TNM system. It takes into account the size and depth of tumor germination, lesions or their absence in regional lymph nodes, and the presence of distant metastases:

1. Stage 0 (in situ). The tumor is located in the epidermis and does not penetrate the dermis.
2. Stage I. The tumor size is up to 2 mm, penetrates into the dermis to a depth of 1 mm. There are no metastases; the lymph nodes are not affected.
3. Stage II. Melanoma is up to 4 mm in size and penetrates to a depth of the dermis of up to 4 mm. There are no metastases or affected lymph nodes.
4. Stage III. The tumor can have any size and depth of germination; one or more lymph nodes or neighboring tissues are affected; there are no metastases.
5. Stage IV. There are metastases in other organs: the brain, lungs, and liver.

According to WHO, the five-year survival rate for melanoma is:

• 98% – at stage I;
• 90% – at stage II;
• 63% – at stage III;
• 20% – at stage IV.

The prognosis of melanoma treatment depends entirely on prompt diagnosis and therapy. If you contact Turkish specialists in a timely manner, the patient receives a good prognosis for a full recovery. Postoperative rehabilitation includes an annual examination by a dermato-oncologist. It is necessary to avoid exposure to the scorching sun and use sunscreens with a high protection factor.

The main treatment for melanoma in Turkey is surgery. At stages 1 and 0, surgical treatment may be sufficient for complete recovery. The high professionalism of Turkish surgeons makes it possible to remove skin tumors with a success rate of over 99%.

Basic surgical methods:

1. Wide excision (excision). It involves removing the tumor, including up to 2 cm of adjacent healthy tissue. During the procedure, an oncologist-pathologist examines the sample for the presence of malignant cells. At the same time, the doctor performs a biopsy of the sentinel nodes and removes them if they are affected by the tumor.
2. Mohs surgery (micrographic removal). This is a layer-by-layer removal of the tumor area, during which the doctor carefully analyzes each layer of skin under a microscope. The procedure is carried out until healthy tissue is removed. This is a gentle operation that is performed on patients in the early stages of melanoma, as well as people with basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell skin cancer. Most in demand in the facial area.
3. Removal of melanoma in the early stages using cryo-destruction, laser, electric current, photodynamic methods.

Suppose the disease is detected at stages 2, 3, and 4. In that case, surgical treatment of melanoma in Turkey is combined with other procedures that are carried out according to American protocols using the latest generation of drugs. Among them:

1. Radiation therapy using the IMRT technique. Destroys remaining cancer cells and prevents the risk of relapse.
2. Targeted therapy. A new approach to the treatment of melanoma with BRAF mutation. They use drugs that act on cancer cell receptors, causing their death.
3. Immunotherapy. It strengthens the patient’s immune system and fights cancer cells.
4. Chemotherapy. It is aimed at destroying cancer cells and preventing tumor spread. Usually prescribed for multiple metastases to vital organs to improve quality of life.

Some medical centers, such as Acibadem Clinic in Istanbul, provide CAR-T therapy. This innovative technology is based on the use of the patient’s own immune cells. To do this, a T-lymphocyte sample is taken from a person, a weak virus is introduced into them, and they are modified to recognize and destroy cancer cells.

This treatment of melanoma in Turkey has shown effectiveness in patients with multiple metastases, as well as in those who have not been helped by treatment using traditional methods.

The following factors influence the price of skin cancer treatment in Turkey:

• stage of the disease;
• prescribed procedures;
• volume of surgical intervention.

Estimated cost of skin cancer treatment in Turkey:

• consultation with a dermato-oncologist – from $100;
• biopsy – from $900;
• PET-CT – from $650;
• immunotherapy – from $2000-5000;
• targeted therapy – from $3000-7000;
• melanoma surgery (excision) – from $60,000.

To pre-determine the price of treatment for melanoma and other types of skin cancer in Turkey, you must contact Experts Medical coordinating doctors. They will prepare and submit the examination results to the Turkish hospital, based on which the doctor will be able to announce the preliminary cost of skin cancer treatment in Turkey.

The website of the international company Experts Medical, which helps patients receive medical care from the best specialists, has collected a large number of patient reviews about the treatment of melanoma in Turkey. They indicate:

• quick organization of the trip by Experts Medical coordinators;
• highly qualified Turkish oncologists;
• comfort and good service in Turkish clinics;
• attentive and responsive medical staff, including Russian-speaking employees;
• prescribing only necessary diagnostic and treatment procedures;
• modern effective drugs for targeted and immune therapy that had no side effects and were easily tolerated;
• significant improvement in health after therapy, in many cases the disease was cured;
• provision of a personal translator;
• affordable cost of treatment for melanoma.

In reviews of melanoma treatment in Turkey, patients also said that some clinics offer a flexible payment system and discounts. In general, all patients recommend skin cancer treatment in Turkey.

High results of treatment of melanoma and other types of cancer in Turkey are recorded in the following medical centers:

1. Anadolu Clinic in Istanbul. Thanks to cooperation with Johns Hopkins Hospital (USA), patients have access to the most modern treatment protocols. Professor Yesim Yildirim, a member of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), is involved in treating melanoma. Speaks Russian.
2. Liv in Istanbul. It is the most prestigious and most technologically equipped hospital in Turkey. JCI accredited. Turkey’s leading specialists in the treatment of melanoma practice here: professors Omer Rezak Ozalp and Selim Basar. They perform surgical removal of melanoma with minimal damage to healthy tissue. Radiation therapy is carried out on the latest generation linear accelerators Versa-HD Hexapod and MR Linac Unity Electa. This is a progressive radiation technology that allows you to destroy cancerous lesions and preserve healthy tissue.
3. Neolife Medical Center in Istanbul. It is one of the best cancer hospitals, and it is controlled by the Turkish Ministry of Health. Neolife uses advanced technologies to make an accurate diagnosis. They allow you to accurately determine the stage of the disease, including zero, tumor spread, the presence of metastases, and identify relapse.
4. Academic hospital in Istanbul. It is popular with patients from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Partner hospital of Harvard Medical School. This allows doctors to consult with leading US specialists and patients to get a second medical opinion. A wide range of oncology check-ups has been developed.
5. Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital in Istanbul. The new modern clinic is JCI-accredited and is a member of the American Cancer Society. It has PET-CT, MRI, and latest-generation dermatoscopes. All advanced treatments for melanoma are available, including innovative drugs for targeted and immune therapy, which will not soon be available in other countries. Experienced oncologists – professors Mehmet Alistar and Serdar Turhal – work with patients.

More detailed information about the treatment of melanoma in Turkey and the best price-quality ratio will be provided by Experts Medical doctors during a free consultation. The company’s website contains many honest reviews about treating melanoma and other types of skin cancer in Turkey.

The Experts Medical team has been organizing trips for melanoma treatment in Turkey for patients from different countries for many years. Therefore, he will quickly select a leading dermato-oncologist and a clinic to treat the patient, taking into account the characteristics of his disease.

To organize a trip for skin cancer treatment in Turkey, just contact the coordinating doctors of Experts Medical by leaving a request on the website.

The patient will be helped to prepare medical documents, if necessary, organize a preliminary consultation with a doctor, book tickets and a hotel room, and transfer.

Experts Medical, with the help of a personal curator 24/7, resolves all issues related to the patient’s stay for skin cancer treatment in Turkey.