Cancer treatment in Turkey

Cancer treatment in Turkey: what you should know

A cancer diagnosis brings difficult decisions, and some patients and families look abroad — for a faster appointment, a second opinion, a treatment that is hard to access at home, or a lower private price. Large private hospitals in Istanbul and other Turkish cities have oncology departments that treat international patients with surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and bone marrow transplantation, usually with a coordinator who speaks your language.

Oncology treatment in Turkey can be a reasonable option, but it is not the right choice for everyone. Cancer care is rarely a single operation: it is a plan that often runs for months, with scans, several treatment types and years of follow-up. The most important questions are therefore not only "where" and "how much", but also whether the plan is right for your diagnosis and how your care continues when you are back home. No hospital — in Turkey or anywhere else — can promise a cure, and you should be cautious of anyone who does.

This guide explains how to start with a second opinion, what cancer treatment in Turkey costs, what packages include, how to check a hospital, how long you may need to stay and how to keep your doctors at home involved. Requesting a review of your records through our site is free and does not commit you to anything.

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Oncology in Turkey: how it works

1. 1
   Send your photos and questions

   Free and without obligation: tell us what you want to change and send a few photos — by form or WhatsApp.

2. 2
   Get a written plan and price

   A surgeon reviews your case and you receive a personal plan with the price, usually within 24 hours. Compare hospitals; nothing is paid in advance.

3. 3
   Travel, surgery and aftercare

   Airport pick-up, examination, surgery and check-ups in Istanbul, then follow-up with your surgeon after you fly home.

Oncology in Turkey: price list

Starting prices of the treatments the hospitals on our site list, in your currency, next to typical private prices in the UK & EU.

Why plan Oncology in Turkey with Treat Journey?

• Free for patients

  Searching, comparing and requesting quotes costs nothing. You pay the hospital directly, at the price in your written quote — never a pre-payment to us.

• Real hospital prices, published

  Every price on this page is the hospital's own price for international patients, shown live in your currency, with what the package includes.

• A named surgeon and a written plan

  Your quote names the surgeon and the hospital and lists exactly what is included — no anonymous packages.

• Licensed hospitals only

  We list licensed hospitals with an international patient department; accreditations such as JCI are shown on each hospital page.

• Honest reviews

  We show real patient reviews, including Google reviews and critical ones, and we never invent ratings.

• Support before, during and after

  A coordinator in your language answers within hours, arranges transfers and an interpreter, and stays in touch after you fly home.

How much does cancer treatment cost in Turkey?

The cost of cancer treatment in Turkey depends on the type and stage of the cancer, the treatment plan and the medicines used, so a reliable price is only possible after an oncologist has reviewed your reports. The price list on this page shows the starting prices the hospitals on our site publish. The table below compares two common procedures with approximate private prices elsewhere; these are rough ranges, and prices in every country vary widely between hospitals and cases.

For drug treatments the medicine itself is often the largest cost, and modern immunotherapy and targeted drugs are expensive in every country. Ask for a written estimate per cycle and for the whole planned course, including scans, blood tests and hospital fees. A price far below other quotes is a reason for questions, not a bargain.

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Which cancer treatments are available in Turkey?

Most cancer treatments in Turkey are offered by the oncology departments of large private and university hospitals. The main options are:

• Diagnosis and staging: cancer diagnostics, complex oncology diagnostics with PET-CT, biopsy and pathology review, and screening.
• Surgery: for example mastectomy with breast reconstruction, lumpectomy, robotic prostatectomy, lung cancer surgery, colon cancer surgery and HIPEC for selected abdominal cancers.
• Radiotherapy and radiosurgery: radiotherapy, CyberKnife, Gamma Knife and proton beam therapy.
• Drug treatments: chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy, chosen according to the tumour type and, increasingly, its molecular profile.
• Blood cancers: bone marrow transplantation and, for selected patients, CAR-T cell therapy.
• Local treatments: radiofrequency ablation and other ablation or embolisation techniques for selected liver, kidney, lung or bone tumours.

Patients most often ask about breast cancer treatment in Turkey, prostate cancer treatment in Turkey, and lung, colorectal, pancreatic and cervical cancer. Whether a treatment suits you depends on the diagnosis and stage, not on what a hospital offers.

Start with a second opinion

For many patients the most useful first step is not travel but a second opinion. You send your records, and an oncologist — ideally after discussion at a multidisciplinary tumour board of surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists and pathologists — tells you whether they agree with the diagnosis and plan, and what they would suggest. A second opinion can confirm the plan you already have, which is also a valuable result.

Prepare: pathology reports (and, if asked, the tissue blocks or slides for re-examination), recent scans on disc in DICOM format with the reports, blood tests and tumour markers, a summary of treatment so far and a list of your medicines. Ask whether the opinion is written, who reviewed it and whether you can share it with your doctors at home — you should always be able to.

Oncology treatment packages: what is and is not included

For surgery and short procedures, hospitals usually quote a package: the surgeon and anaesthesia, the operating theatre, the hospital stay, standard tests during admission, transfers and an interpreter. For chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy, the price is usually per cycle, per session or per course.

Often not included: new scans or biopsies requested after arrival, medicines after discharge, additional cycles, treatment of complications, a companion's costs, hotels and flights. Ask for the estimate in writing, with the name of the responsible specialist and what happens if the plan changes after new results.

Is cancer treatment in Turkey safe? Regulation and accreditation

Turkish hospitals need a Ministry of Health licence, and hospitals that treat international patients need an additional health tourism authorisation. Many large private hospitals are accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI). Medicines are licensed by the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency, and oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgical oncologists are registered specialists.

Safety in cancer care also means that the hospital can manage side effects and emergencies: an intensive-care unit, a 24-hour oncology team, a blood bank and, for bone marrow transplantation, protected isolation rooms. A licence and accreditation are minimum checks, not a guarantee of the right plan for you.

How to choose among the best cancer treatment centers in Turkey

People often search for the best cancer treatment centers in Turkey, but the right centre depends on your cancer type. Check:

1. A multidisciplinary tumour board that discusses your case before treatment starts.
2. Specialists for your cancer type — for example breast, gastrointestinal, urological or blood cancers — with regular experience of it.
3. The full pathway in one hospital: diagnosis, surgery, drug treatment, radiotherapy and intensive care.
4. A written plan that follows recognised international guidelines and explains the aim — curative, controlling or relieving symptoms — honestly.
5. Communication with your doctors at home, including reports in your language.

Red flags: promises of a cure or a guaranteed result, "miracle" or unproven therapies offered instead of standard treatment, pressure to pay or travel quickly, refusal to share records, and a plan made without seeing your pathology and scans. You can compare the hospitals on our site with their accreditations and reviews.

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How long do you need to stay in Turkey?

The time in Turkey depends on the treatment and on your recovery; the treating doctor confirms when you are fit to fly.

Because drug treatments last months, many patients have surgery or a procedure in Turkey and continue cycles at home with their own oncologist, or stay for the first cycle and then continue at home.

Continuity of care after you fly home

Cancer care needs one doctor at home who knows your case. Before you travel, tell your oncologist or GP what you plan, and agree who will manage side effects, blood tests and scans after you return. Bring home a full discharge summary, the operation and pathology reports, the treatment plan with drug names and doses, and copies of all scans. Know which symptoms need urgent attention — for example fever during chemotherapy — and where to go at home.

Ask the hospital in Turkey how follow-up works (video consultations, sharing new scans) and how it communicates with your doctors. Normal travel insurance usually excludes planned treatment abroad, so check your cover. If you live in the UK, the NHS continues to treat you, but it may not continue a private plan made abroad unchanged — discuss this with your team before you go.

When treatment at home may be the better choice

Travel is not advisable when you are too unwell to fly, when treatment is urgent and available quickly at home, when your plan is mainly long-term drug treatment that your local team can give, or when you would be far from family support for a long time. Sometimes the best result of a second opinion from Turkey is the confidence to be treated at home.

All Oncology treatments

Browse every Oncology treatment available at our partner hospitals in Turkey, grouped by category.

Oncology in Turkey reviews

Reviews of the hospitals and surgeons on this page that perform Oncology, with reviews about this treatment first. Reviews from Google are marked.

All reviews of Lokman Hekim Istanbul HospitalAll reviews of Academic Hospital

Conditions

Frequently asked questions