Breast Cancer in Turkey

Breast Cancer in Turkey is an article that aims to give you all the information you do not know about breast cancer in Turkey and more. We kindly shared the main headings with you;

One of the most prevalent malignancies to affect women and those who identify as female at birth is breast cancer (AFAB). It occurs when malignant cells in your breasts grow into tumors. An invasive breast cancer is one in which the tumor spreads to other parts of the body, accounting for about 80% of cases. Although it usually affects women over 50, breast cancer can also affect women and people with AFAB under 50. Breast cancer is also a possibility for men and those who were designated male at birth (AMAB).

Breast cells can mutate into cancerous cells that divide and multiply to form tumors, which is how experts know breast cancer occurs. They do not know what causes that change. On the other hand, evidence from research indicates that a number of risk factors could raise your risk of breast cancer. These consist of:

• Age: Being 55 years of age or older increases the risk of developing breast cancer
• Sex: Compared to men and people with AMAB, women and those with AFAB have a significantly higher chance of developing the illness.
• Family history: You are more likely to get breast cancer if any of your parents, siblings, children, or other close relatives already have the disease.
• Genetics: Hereditary genetic mutations are responsible for up to 15% of cases of breast cancer. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most frequently mutated genes.
• Smoking: The use of tobacco products has been connected to a wide range of cancers, including breast cancer.
• Drinking alcoholic beverages: Studies suggest that consuming alcohol-containing beverages may raise the risk of breast cancer. being overweight.
• Radiation exposure: You have an increased risk of developing breast cancer if you have ever received radiation therapy, particularly to the head, neck, or chest.
• Hormone replacement therapy: Individuals who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are more likely to receive a diagnosis of the illness.

Your breasts may be impacted by cancer in many ways. Certain symptoms of breast cancer are highly identifiable. Breast cancer may not show any signs at all. However, when it develops, the following symptoms could appear:

• Changes in dimensions, form, or outline of your breasts
• A lump or clump that could have the consistency of a pea 
• A lump or thickening that stays through your menstrual cycle in your breast area or under your arms
• A change in the way your breast or nipple’s skin appears or feels. You might notice scaly, puckered, dimpled, or inflammatory skin. It might appear darker than other areas of your breast (redder or more purple).
• Under your skin, a hardened area resembling marble.
• A bloody fluid discharge coming from your nipple.

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In order to customize treatment to be as effective as possible with the fewest possible side effects, healthcare experts identify the many types and subtypes of cancer. Typical forms of breast cancer consist of:

• Invasive (infiltrating) ductal carcinoma (IDC): Milk ducts are the initial site of invasive (infiltrating) ductal carcinoma (IDC), a malignancy that spreads to neighboring breast tissue. In the US, this is the most prevalent kind of breast cancer.
• Lobular breast cancer: Breast cancer that begins in the lobules, or milk-producing glands, of the breast frequently spreads to neighboring breast tissue. In the US, it is the second most prevalent type of breast cancer.
• Ductal carcinoma in citu (DCIS): Similar to IDC, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a type of breast cancer that begins in the milk ducts. The distinction is that DCIS stays inside your milk ducts.

The following breast cancer types are rarer,

• Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC): Compared to other breast cancers, this invasive malignancy is more aggressive and spreads more quickly.
• Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC): IBC, or inflammatory breast cancer, is an uncommon but rapidly spreading malignancy that resembles a rash on the breast. In the US, IBC is not common.
• Paget’s Disease of the breast: This uncommon malignancy may appear as a rash that affects the skin around your nipple. Paget’s disease of the breast accounts for less than 4% of all cases of breast cancer.

To search for indications of breast cancer, medical professionals may perform physical examinations or request mammograms. To identify the illness, however, they perform the following tests:

• Breast ultrasound
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Scan of the breast
• Breast MRI
• Hormone receptor detection using immunohistochemistry
• Genetic testing to find the mutations responsible for breast cancer

Medical professionals use systems for staging cancer to plan patient care. Providers can better determine a patient’s prognosis—what to expect after treatment—by staging the cancer. The staging of breast cancer is determined by the type of breast cancer, the location and size of the tumor, and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. The stages of breast cancer are:

• Stage 0: Your breast ducts are the only areas of your breast where the disease has not spread, indicating that it is non-invasive.
• Stage I: Neighboring breast tissue contains cancerous cells.
• Stage II: A tumor or tumors have been formed by the cancerous cells. The tumor can be larger than 5 centimeters across but not larger than 2 centimeters across, or smaller than 2 centimeters across and has spread to lymph nodes under the arms. At this stage, tumors can range in size from 2 to 5 centimeters in diameter and may or may not impact the lymph nodes in the surrounding area.
• Stage III: Neighboring tissue and lymph nodes have breast cancer. Locally advanced breast cancer is the term typically used to describe stage III.
• Stage IV: Your breast cancer has progressed to other parts of your body, such as your bones, liver, lungs, or brain.

The main treatment for breast cancer is surgery, though medical professionals may employ other strategies as well.

Surgery for breast cancer includes:

Mastectomy

A mastectomy is a surgical procedure wherein your breast tissue is removed entirely or in part. It prevents breast cancer as well as treats it. In order to help prevent breast cancer from developing in the future, your healthcare provider might advise a preventative mastectomy if you have a high risk of getting the disease. Mastectomies come in a variety of forms and involve removing all or a portion of your breast tissue. Following removal, there are numerous options for reconstructing your breast. You will have a number of decisions to make as you and your healthcare provider develop your breast cancer treatment plan.

Lumpectomy

A tumor and a normal margin of surrounding healthy breast tissue are removed during a lumpectomy, also known as a partial mastectomy, which is a procedure for treating breast cancer. Because a lumpectomy preserves your natural breast, unlike a mastectomy, which removes the entire breast, medical professionals view lumpectomy as breast-conserving surgery. Radiation therapy to the breast tissue is typically advised after lumpectomy surgery in order to help prevent cancer from returning to the breast.

Breast Reconstruction

Surgery to restore breasts following a mastectomy or lumpectomy is known as breast reconstruction. Reconstruction can occasionally require multiple surgeries. There are numerous methods for reconstructing breasts. Saline or silicone breast implants are used by some. Alternative methods employ a flap of your own body (e.g., lower abdominal tissue).

Breast reconstruction (also known as immediate reconstruction) can occur immediately following breast cancer surgery. Alternatively, it may occur years or months later (delayed reconstruction). You might need surgery to rebuild both of your breasts. Alternatively, your surgeon might swap out one breast and reshape the other to match. Your doctor might suggest several surgeries spread out over time.

To determine your specialized package and calculate your treatment price use the cost calculator provided below.

Breast cancer surgery is not an exception to the rule that all surgeries carry some risk of complications. It’s crucial to keep in mind that surgery can remove cancer that could be fatal while you weigh your options. The risks of breast cancer are generally greater than the complications.

Ask your medical professional to go over any possible side effects if you are having breast cancer surgery. These could include:

• Infection at the location of surgery
• Clots of blood may form following surgery
• Nerve injury
• It is the condition that occurs when something affects your lymphatic system.

Chemotherapy

One popular treatment for breast cancer is chemotherapy. It functions by eradicating any cancerous cells that are either inside your breasts or have spread there. Chemotherapy is frequently used by oncologists prior to and/or following breast cancer surgery. Your oncologist may administer chemotherapy alone, in combination with other treatments, or using a single type of chemotherapy drug.

Some of the side effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer may not show up until long after the treatment is over. To assist you in managing both short-term and immediate side effects, your oncologist will provide treatments and recommendations.

Radiotherapy

High-powered X-rays are used in radiation therapy for breast cancer in order to destroy or harm malignant cells in the breast. To remove tumors, breast surgeons and surgical oncologists—cancer specialists—frequently perform breast cancer surgery. To eradicate any remaining cancerous cells, radiation therapy is then managed by radiation oncologists. This treatment may be used to relieve symptoms of breast cancer or symptoms from other parts of the body in people with metastatic breast cancer.

There are two types of radiotherapy which are EBRT and IORT. Contrary to external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) for breast cancer involves administering radiation directly to the tumor rather than the whole breast. Delivered in a single dose, the radiation has fewer side effects than EBRT and destroys the cancer alone, sparing the healthy tissues.

Immunotherapy

A treatment called immunotherapy aids in the immune system’s attack and destruction of breast cancer cells. Immunotherapy is currently used by medical professionals to treat metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and high-risk, early-stage curable breast cancer. Early stage refers to testing that finds tumors before they spread, or metastasize.

Targeted Therapy

One type of cancer treatment called targeted therapy focuses on the genetic alterations or mutations that cause healthy cells to become cancerous. Healthcare professionals look for genetic alterations that support cancer cells’ growth and survival before using targeted therapy. After that, they pinpoint particular therapies to eradicate those cells or stop their growing. With targeted therapy, medical professionals can treat cancer cells without endangering healthy cells. More than 80 types of targeted therapies have been developed by medical professionals to treat various types of cancer. Targeted therapy is sometimes used as the first line of treatment. Targeted therapy may also be used in conjunction with other therapies.

Hormone Therapy

Hormones are substances that help your body perform various tasks in unison. Hormones released into the bloodstream by your glands communicate with your organs via the blood. Hormones are necessary for your body to function. Yet hormones could be a cancer’s fuel. Hormones are necessary for certain cancerous cells to proliferate and spread.

Hormone treatments that control the actions of estrogen in your body are called selective estrogen receptor modulators, or SERMs. For some forms of breast cancer, SERMs like raloxifene (Evista®) and tamoxifen (Nolvadex®, Soltamox®) are useful therapies.

The way hormone therapy functions is by eliminating cancerous cells that hormones require to grow. Healthcare professionals may combine hormone therapy with other therapies like radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery. Following treatment, hormone therapy may also be used to reduce the chance of cancer returning.

Weakness, nausea, and vomiting are typical side effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Similar side effects to immunotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy include gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea and constipation. Individuals respond to breast cancer treatments in different ways. Ask your healthcare provider about the potential side effects of your treatment, including how they might impact your day-to-day activities if you are undergoing it.

Consult your doctor about palliative care as well. In order to make your treatment experience as comfortable as possible, palliative care assists in managing the symptoms of breast cancer and the side effects of the medication.

The doctors offer the following guidance for all women and those who are AFAB, although there is no certain method to lower the risk of breast cancer:

• Reach and maintain a healthy weight: Maintain the weight that suits you best. Consult a medical professional for advice on establishing a healthy weight management program.
• Maintain a healthy diet: Research suggests that eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and lean protein can lower your risk of developing breast cancer. Steer clear of processed and red meat to lower your risk.
• Get moving: Research indicates that consistent exercise reduces the risk of breast cancer.
• Limit your alcohol consumption: Studies have linked alcohol consumption to breast cancer. Women and individuals who are AFAB should only have one drink per day.
• Get screened: When tumors are too small to feel, mammograms are frequently used to find them.
• Regularly examine yourself: Regular breast examinations can help detect breast cancer tumors and support breast health.

Oncology is no exception to the active development of medicine in Turkey. Turkish medical professionals are actively learning new techniques for detecting and treating cancer while frequently exchanging knowledge with overseas counterparts. Turkish oncologists are able to produce excellent results thanks to ongoing skill improvement, access to cutting-edge technology, and sophisticated equipment. The reasons to prefer Turkey for breast cancer treatment are listed as follows,

• Effectiveness of the treatment. Turkey provides patients with cutting-edge therapies. Patients are grateful for the favorable results of these cutting-edge therapies.
• The professionalism of the doctors. Turkish medical professionals with extensive training and experience in treating bladder cancer carry out a lot of procedures and treatments and are a part of renowned organizations.
• Service quality. Patients value the excellent quality of service, which includes complimentary services like transportation from the airport to the hospital and translation services.
• Cost. In Turkey, cancer treatment prices are more affordable than in other countries. The treatment price changes according to the stage of the cancer and the treatment types that are used. In Turkey, the average cost of breast cancer in 2023 will be €5,000 and may rise up to €10,000.

MCT team provides free consultation service in case you have concerns or questions about Breast Cancer in Turkey. Feel free to contact us.