Prostate cancer treatment at Koç University Hospital

Prostate cancer treatment at Koç University Hospital, a university hospital in the Topkapı district of Istanbul, Turkey, is delivered by urologists together with radiation and medical oncologists. According to the hospital, the team performs robotic prostatectomy and radiotherapy, and each patient's plan is set by a multidisciplinary tumor board. A 3 Tesla MRI scanner is available for prostate imaging.

Who treats prostate cancer at Koç University Hospital

Prostate cancer at Koç University Hospital is treated by the urology department working with radiation oncology and medical oncology. The hospital is the teaching and research hospital of Koç University School of Medicine, and its cancer care runs as a Comprehensive Cancer Program. According to the hospital, treatment is decided at a tumor board where doctors from different specialties review each case together.

Urologists at the hospital whose clinical interests include prostate cancer are Prof. Yakup Kordan and Prof. A. Erdem Canda. Kordan is a urologic oncologist; according to the hospital, his clinical interests include prostate, kidney and bladder cancer, robotic and laparoscopic surgery and fusion prostate biopsy, and he trained in urologic oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the USA. Canda works at the ARIES center (Advanced Robotic, Invasive Endoscopic Surgery Center); according to the hospital, his clinical interests include robot-assisted prostatectomy and robotic surgery for kidney and bladder cancer. Both have practiced urology since 2003, according to the hospital.

Diagnosis: MRI and PET/CT

The hospital has a 3 Tesla MRI scanner, which its radiology department uses for high-resolution prostate imaging. PET/CT is available according to the Turkish Ministry of Health portal; which tracers are used for prostate imaging should be confirmed with the hospital. Fusion biopsy, in which an MRI image is overlaid on ultrasound so the needle targets the suspicious area, is among the clinical interests of urologist Yakup Kordan, according to the hospital.

Surgery: robotic prostatectomy

Radical prostatectomy removes the prostate when the cancer is confined to the gland. According to the hospital, Koç University Hospital performs it robotically. The robot gives the surgeon a magnified 3D view and precise instruments through small incisions. Whether surgery suits you is decided by the urologists based on stage, MRI and biopsy results.

Radiotherapy and drug treatment

Surgery is not the only option. According to the hospital, the radiation oncology department works in collaboration with MD Anderson Radiation Oncology Center and uses IMRT and VMAT, which shape the dose to the tumor, as well as SBRT, stereotactic radiotherapy given in a small number of sessions. Medical oncology provides chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy when the disease has spread beyond the prostate.

When you may not need to travel

Not every prostate cancer diagnosis needs urgent treatment abroad. For some low-risk tumors, doctors discuss active surveillance, which is usually carried out close to home. That is why it makes sense to send your records for a second opinion first: according to Koç Healthcare International, one is possible before you arrive.

Documents to prepare

For a case review, it helps to have: PSA results with dates, the prostate MRI report and image files, the biopsy pathology report with the Gleason score, a PET/CT or bone scan if done, discharge summaries and a list of current medications.

For international patients

The hospital is authorized by the Turkish Ministry of Health to treat international patients. According to Koç Healthcare International, interpreting is available in 22 languages.