Melanoma treatment in Turkey: surgery, immunotherapy and targeted therapy
Warning signs, diagnosis, surgery, sentinel lymph node, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and care in Turkey: everything you need to know.
What does melanoma treatment in Turkey involve?
Melanoma is a skin cancer that develops from the cells that give skin its color. It can appear on an existing mole or on normal skin. Found early, it is cured in the vast majority of cases by simple surgery.
Melanoma treatment in Turkey is provided by dermatologists, surgeons and oncologists in centers in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, authorized by the Turkish Ministry of Health. It relies on removing the melanoma with a safety margin, sometimes with sentinel lymph node biopsy, then, for high-risk or advanced forms, on immunotherapy and targeted therapy, which have transformed results. The price is set in a free quote.
TurquieMed organizes your stay: forwarding your file to the oncology team, opinion and detailed quote within 48 hours, airport pick-up, transfers, hotel, interpreter and 7-day-a-week assistance.
- First opinion
- Within 48 hours, based on your file
- Treatments
- Surgery, immunotherapy, targeted therapy
- Stay for surgery
- Usually 5 to 7 days
- Follow-up
- Skin examination, with your dermatologist
How much does melanoma treatment cost in Turkey?
The price depends on the stage: surgery for an early melanoma costs much less than surgery with sentinel lymph node biopsy or immunotherapy, priced per cycle. For a comparable level of care, the total cost in Turkey is often significantly lower than in Western Europe or North America.
Your free quote is prepared after your file has been reviewed and details the procedure, cycles, accommodation, transfers and interpreter.
Why have melanoma treated in Turkey?
Melanoma treatment combines precise surgery and, for high-risk forms, recent medicines. Turkish centers bring dermatologists, surgeons and oncologists together around the same file.
- Diagnosis by experienced dermatologists. Dermoscopy, and sometimes digital mole mapping, help spot suspicious lesions.
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy. It shows whether the melanoma has reached the lymph nodes, through a minor procedure, without removing all the lymph nodes.
- Access to immunotherapy. Anti-PD1 antibodies, alone or combined with ipilimumab, are offered after surgery or for advanced forms.
- Targeted therapies. In case of a BRAF mutation, tablets combining anti-BRAF and anti-MEK are available quickly.
- A collective decision. The dermatologist, surgeon and oncologist define the protocol together, following European guidelines.
What are the causes and risk factors of melanoma?
Melanoma is a skin cancer closely linked to ultraviolet (UV) rays. The main risk factors are:
- sun exposure: especially sunburn in childhood, and sunbeds;
- fair skin: red or blond hair, freckles and skin that tans poorly;
- many moles: more than 50, or irregular moles;
- a personal or family history: of melanoma;
- weakened immunity: for example after an organ transplant.
Protecting yourself from the sun and checking your skin with the ABCDE rule (asymmetry, irregular border, uneven colour, diameter over 6 mm, evolution) help prevent it or find it early.
What are the signs of melanoma?
The ABCDE rule helps spot a suspicious mole:
- A for Asymmetry: an irregular, non-round shape;
- B for Borders that are irregular and poorly defined;
- C for Color that is uneven: several shades of brown, black, red or white;
- D for Diameter greater than 6 mm;
- E for Evolution: a mole that changes size, shape or color.
A mole that bleeds, itches or does not look like the others (the “ugly duckling”) should also prompt a visit to a dermatologist.
How is melanoma diagnosed?
Skin examination
The dermatologist examines the lesion with a dermatoscope, an illuminated magnifier that shows details invisible to the naked eye.
Excision and analysis
The suspicious lesion is removed completely, under local anesthesia. Its analysis confirms the melanoma and measures its thickness (Breslow depth), which guides everything that follows.
Staging tests
Depending on the thickness, a lymph node ultrasound, CT scan or PET-CT looks for spread. BRAF mutation testing is done for high-risk forms.
What are the treatments for melanoma?
Treatment depends on the thickness of the melanoma, lymph node involvement and any spread. It is decided by a multidisciplinary tumor board.
Wide local excision
After diagnosis, the surgeon removes the scar with a margin of healthy skin of 0.5 to 2 cm depending on the thickness, to prevent local recurrence.
Sentinel lymph node
For thicker melanomas, the first lymph node draining the area is located and analyzed. If it is affected, additional treatment is discussed.
Immunotherapy
It helps the immune system destroy melanoma cells. After surgery, it reduces the risk of recurrence in high-risk forms; for advanced forms, it allows lasting control in many patients.
Targeted therapy
In case of a BRAF mutation, present in about half of melanomas, a combination of anti-BRAF and anti-MEK tablets is very effective.
How does your care in Turkey work?
- You send your file. Your complete medical file: melanoma analysis report, photos of the lesion and imaging. You receive an opinion and a quote.
- Arrival and tests. Consultation with the dermatologist, surgeon and, if needed, oncologist.
- The treatment. Wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy if needed, often as day surgery or with one night on site, or starting immunotherapy.
- The return. With a complete report; immunotherapy can continue near home.
Follow-up after treatment
Follow-up includes a full examination of the skin and lymph nodes every 3 to 6 months at first, and imaging for high-risk forms. Protecting yourself from the sun and checking your own skin every month are essential. Follow-up takes place close to home, with your dermatologist.
What are the possible side effects?
Melanoma surgery is usually simple, and the effects of medical treatments are well known and monitored.
| Effect | After which treatment | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Scar, mild pain | Surgery | The scar fades within a few months |
| Swelling of the limb | Sentinel lymph node | Rare and usually temporary |
| Tiredness, thyroid problems, skin reactions | Immunotherapy | Monitored and treated if caught early |
| Fever, tiredness, rash | Targeted therapy | The dose can be adjusted |
How to choose your hospital and quote?
A low price is not enough. Ask the hospital these questions before committing:
- Is the hospital authorized by the Turkish Ministry of Health to treat international patients?
- Who will perform the procedure, and how experienced are they with this technique?
- Is sentinel lymph node biopsy offered if the thickness of the melanoma justifies it?
- Is BRAF mutation testing planned to guide treatment?
- Who takes care of a complication, on site and after your return home?
- What medical follow-up is planned, and with whom?
What a good quote should specify
- The name of the hospital and the doctor
- The tests, anesthesia, hospital stay and medication included
- The number of nights in hospital and at the hotel, and the transfers
- What happens in case of complication or cancellation
- The follow-up offered after your return
Also budget for your flight and follow-up consultations. Planned treatment in Turkey is usually not covered by public health insurance: ask your insurer in writing before committing.
Take time to think, and be wary of any offer that pushes you to decide quickly.
Our partner hospitals in Turkey
Frequently asked questions about melanoma treatment in Turkey
How much does melanoma treatment cost in Turkey?
The price depends on the stage: a wide local excision, surgery with sentinel lymph node biopsy and immunotherapy, priced per cycle, do not cost the same. It is usually significantly lower than prices in Western Europe or North America. The exact price appears on your free quote.
Can melanoma be cured?
Yes, very often: found early, when thin, melanoma is cured in the vast majority of cases by surgery alone. For advanced forms, immunotherapy and targeted therapy now allow lasting control in many patients.
What is the Breslow depth?
It is the thickness of the melanoma, measured in millimeters on the analysis. The thinner it is, the better the prognosis. It determines the surgical margin and the need for sentinel lymph node biopsy.
How long do I need to stay in Turkey?
Usually 5 to 7 days for wide local excision with sentinel lymph node biopsy, including assessment and check-up. Immunotherapy requires repeated infusions, which can continue near home.
Which documents should I send to get an opinion?
Send the melanoma analysis report (with the Breslow depth), photos of the lesion or scar, imaging if done, BRAF mutation testing and your medical history.
How can recurrence be prevented?
By following the planned surveillance, protecting yourself from the sun (clothing, sunscreen, avoiding the hottest hours) and examining your skin every month for any new or changing lesion.
Is treatment in Turkey covered by insurance?
Planned treatment in Turkey is usually not covered by public health insurance systems, which generally only reimburse urgent and unforeseen care abroad. Some private insurers and international health plans do cover treatment abroad: ask your insurer in writing before committing, and keep all your invoices and medical reports.
Request a free medical opinion and quote
Send us your complete medical file: reports, imaging and test results. The medical team will review it, and you will receive a detailed medical opinion and an estimated quote.
