Cancer Perception
Cancer does not equal death! Cancer perception is a mystery where we ask the right questions relatively less often. Unfortunately, we ask the wrong and inaccurate questions too much. We fall into a social despair and surrender to the answers that do not suit our hearts.
However, the fact that our knowledge about cancer is increasing day by day and that we can take a snapshot of the problem with all the details thanks to scientific and technological developments should move us to an important position, an optimistic and real perception; cancer “does not equal” death.
Just as we think that the treatment process begins and our lifestyle will change when we are diagnosed with diabetes or heart disease, when we are diagnosed with cancer, we should not just think that we will die. When we get the diagnosis, what we should think about is not death and goodbye, but where can I get the best treatment and how can I be organized in this process.
For this reason, my first suggestion to our patients diagnosed or suspected of cancer is; knowing that the treatment in question can be a long process and choosing an environment where they can feel comfortable and safe during this process as a struggle and living space. Immediately afterwards, they identify a team of experts who know their job well, do well, equipped with technical and medical issues, and can get support in every subject, as their companion.
Let’s keep this in mind and be hopeful; Today, we can treat many types of cancer, or at least make it a chronic disease and prolong the life of people who have this disease. We now live in the age of tumour agnosia…
Cancer is now a ‘genomic’ disease whose treatment is decided by identifying the genomic changes that direct both the onset of the disease and the process. The determination of the treatment decision according to the standard protocols determined by large studies in which patients from the same organ at certain stages participated in, has lost its validity.
Recognition of mutations and biomarkers that enable cancer cells to grow, detection of treatments developed against them, and identification of patients with a high probability of responding to these have formed the basis of research conducted in recent years. Tumour-agnostic treatments target specific genomic changes within the tumour, regardless of the tissue of origin, regardless of where the tumour begins to grow in the body.
In this respect, it is different from traditional anti-cancer treatments. A serious paradigm shift is taking place now; Who will receive what treatment should be determined by the mutation-specific decision, not anatomically or histologically. That’s why genetic testing is part of our cancer treatment protocols.
From the moment of diagnosis, we perform the genetic profiling necessary to identify ‘patient-specific’ treatments. Let’s not forget that there is not a single disease without hope of recovery. With treatments for you and your genetic mutation, we can at least promise a longer life for cancer patients.
Science and technology continue to develop and change rapidly. At the same time, we are more hopeful and courageous than ever before to fight the cancer of each individual. Turkey is a lucky country in terms of cancer treatment investments. Both the Ministry of Health and the private sector invest in large amounts in terms of human resources and technological equipment.
Our country, which stands out with its qualified manpower and health infrastructure and technology in the field of health, is one of the centres of World Health Tourism and hundreds of thousands of people prefer our country for treatment every year. For this reason, when we are diagnosed with cancer, we should not forget that we can get the best treatment in our country.
