Seeking hope outside of modern medicine in cancer treatment has very important results! Hope is very important to all of us. We’re chasing all kinds of things to keep hope alive!
Breast, cervical, lung and colon cancers are common in women. In men, lung cancer, prostate cancer, head, neck and stomach cancers are more common in our country. Especially in women, breast and uterine cancer screening is very important. For men, after the age of 40, the PSA test should definitely be done!
Could you give information about the multidisciplinary approach in cancer treatment? What difference and benefits does this approach bring to the treatment and the patient?
We were able to achieve higher treatment success with a multidisciplinary approach in oncology. Multidisciplinary approach; It is a way of thinking in which many branches come together, evaluate the patient together, and decide on treatment methods together.
In order to eliminate the disease or its complications in the appropriate patient, these branches come into play in surgery, small or large stages. Radiation therapy is the same. We can usually give it as a preventative after surgery, but every patient is special in himself. We don’t just look at it as a case of prostate cancer when people walk through the door if it’s prostate cancer.
Because we know that prostate cancer, like breast or lung cancer, are different biological subgroups of other cancers. In this subgroup, we highlight the stage of the disease, the characteristics of our patient, and the treatments specific to that patient.
While doing this, we always come together with related branches. Since every organ system has cancer, doctors working in each department have experience in surgery and oncology
Oncology; Radiotherapy is a combination of intensive efforts in diagnosis-oriented branches and pathology.
What are the most common types of cancer in men and women?
Could you give information about the incidence of cancers by gender?
Breast cancer, cervical cancer, lung and colon cancers are common in women. In men, lung cancer, prostate cancer, head, neck and stomach cancers are more common in our country.
Although cancers related to smoking in our country are better than in the past due to some attitudes, unfortunately they continue their increasing trend.
Some reduction may have started after the smoking bans. But still smoking-related cancers are a serious problem. Among these, we can count head and neck cancers, lung cancer, bladder cancer, kidney tumors and bone marrow tumors.
Unfortunately, smoking continues to be an important problem in our country as it increases the risk of developing many cancers.
“MALE CAN ALSO HAVE BREAST CANCER”
Is breast cancer only seen in women? Do men also need to do some check-ups or have them done, knowing the importance of early diagnosis?
Breast cancer is more common in women. 1 out of every 8 women is diagnosed with breast cancer. The incidence in men is about 1 percent of the incidence in women. Although it brings easy diagnosis due to the anatomical structure of the male breast, with the thought and approach that breast cancer will not occur in men
, we see that there are developments in the diagnosis, exactly the opposite of what is believed.
Here, no special screening is required for male breast cancer, but we should be aware of the existence of other cancer types that require screening
.
Certain cancers stand out in Turkey. If we reduce this to Antalya, is there a prominent cancer type?
We don’t have a very different view in Antalya from other mosaics in Turkey. Skin cancer is one of the tumors that can be seen in Turkey. Its frequency may be increasing in Antalya.
It may have increased with greater exposure to sunlight, and especially with damage to the ozone layer, but we don’t have any solid statistics to show that it has increased compared to previous years.
In general, we see more European distribution in cancers as we go to the western parts. Colon, breast, lung are more prominent.
When we go to the eastern part, we see that different types of cancer, such as esophagus and stomach, can predominate regionally.
“FAMILY STORY HAS AN IMPORTANT PLACE”
What would you recommend to our readers for cancer screening? To whom and how often would you recommend the scans?
I would like to remind you that screening for breast and uterine cancer, especially in women, is very important. After the age of 40, he should have a mammogram every year. For cervical cancers, smears can be taken at least once every 3 years.
I would like to remind you that after the age of 50, especially large intestine screening may be on the agenda. For colon cancer, a colonoscopy can be performed every 10 years after the age of 50.
Another important point is family history. In men, PSA can be tested after the age of 50, again at an advanced age. Colon evaluation also applies to men. Low-dose tomography screening for lung cancer is a prominent method in the world.
I am still waiting for it to gain popularity in our country. We see that some cancer cases have increased in some families. Having a first-degree relative with breast cancer or colon cancer doubles the risk of cancer.
How are we at the point reached in cancer treatment, prevention or reduction of cancer?
It is possible to answer as follows; 50 years ago, when a patient with advanced testicular cancer came, there was no chance of cure when the disease spread to the lungs or liver. We would have lost this patient. Today, we can cure most of these patients with healing. We are extremely successful in the treatment of a number of tumors. We have had success in treatment with new agents, even in advanced stages.
So I can safely say that we are in an unimaginably different point than we were 50 years ago. Progress beyond that happens often, but in small steps.
In cancer, “morale” and “support” are more important than anything else!
Searching for hope outside of modern medicine in the treatment process had very important results. Hope is very important to all of us. We are chasing all kinds of things that will keep hope alive. The pursuit of alternatives to treatment is very common all over the world. The American is chasing something different, the Turkish is chasing something else. But the essence is the same. People want hope. We have to understand this.
We know that only 10 percent of all natural resources in the world have been screened for cancer or not. But if something is going to come out of there one day, there is no way other than science to uncover it.
