TOP 10 clinics for oncology treatment 2023

Of all areas of medicine, oncology is one of the fastest growing. In recent years, new, more effective and safer methods of treating cancerous tumors have appeared. For example, in 2022, the World Health Organization added 34 innovative cancer drugs to the Essential Medicines List. Among them are fundamentally new drugs that can improve survival rates for lung and prostate cancer, melanoma, multiple myeloma and leukemia.

However, despite recent advances, the incidence of cancer throughout the world continues to grow. According to the Global Cancer Observatory, 18,094,716 million new cases of cancer were detected in 2022 and 9,8 million deaths from this disease were recorded. These numbers are expected to rise to 30 million and 16 million by 2040, respectively. Health experts and the best oncologists in the world explain this by the fact that new methods of diagnosis and treatment of cancer are currently available only in developed countries.

Why is it better to treat cancer abroad?

In the post-Soviet space, the level of cancer care is still far from perfect. There is a positive trend: cancer treatment clinics are purchasing modern equipment, introducing progressive methods of treatment. But there are also disadvantages. Complex and expensive equipment is often operated without proper inspection and maintenance from the manufacturer. The lack of a powerful diagnostic base does not allow making an accurate diagnosis and prescribing personalized treatment, which is why it is often selected by trial and error. Some effective anticancer drugs, which have long been included in the standard treatment protocols in developed countries, are still not certified in the countries of the former CIS.

That is why more and more patients prefer oncology treatment abroad. Doctors of cancer centers in Turkey, Israel, Germany, Spain, China and Korea use the most modern technologies to treat cancer. Most surgical procedures are minimally invasive. Some of them use Da Vinci robots. In the case of prostate cancer treatment, this allows doctors to preserve the organ affected by the cancer and avoid complications. For radiation therapy, radiologists use high-precision equipment that focuses the radiation directly on the malignant focus and does not affect healthy tissue.

In addition, progressive drug treatment methods, such as targeted therapy, immunotherapy, are available in foreign clinics. The best cancer centers are focused on foreign patients from all over the world.

The best foreign cancer clinics 2021

MedTour has prepared TOP-10 clinics where cancer is best treated. When compiling a rating of cancer centers, our experts paid attention not only to the prestige of the medical center, but also to such criteria as: price / quality ratio of treatment and availability in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is impossible to get to Israel today even with oncological diseases. Difficulties can also arise when entering China. Our experts did not exclude these oncology clinics from the rating, since the situation may change in the near future.

1. Medicana Health Group in Turkey

One of the largest multidisciplinary clinic network in Turkey, consisting of 25 hospitals. Most are JCI accredited (certificate of the highest quality of medical care), and Medicana Avcılar Clinic is a member of the American Society for Quality. One of the distinguishing features of Medicana Health Group is its well-developed medical tourism infrastructure. Thousands of patients from around the world are treated here every year.

Medicana has powerful resources for effective care of patients with cancer diagnoses. More recently, the clinic’s management has invested more than 10 million euros in modern equipment and software for cancer treatment.

Oncology treatment in Turkey at the Medicana clinic by the method of radiation therapy is carried out using the latest generation linear accelerators. One of them – Versa HD allows you to perform stereotaxic operations with an accuracy of 1 mm. Many experts in the field of oncology and radiology recognize the treatment performed on the Versa HD system as the reference. Other advanced technologies are available to Medicana patients: CyberKnife M6, Da Vinci Xi robot, targeted and immunotherapy, brachytherapy, intra-abdominal hyperthermic therapy.

2. Teknon medical center in Spain

The institute of oncology at the Teknon medical center offers comprehensive medical services in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It is organized according to the model of the Memorial cancer center. Sloan-Kettering in New York, renowned for its innovative approaches to cancer treatment.

Teknon has state-of-the-art radiation therapy equipment – a True-Beam STX linear accelerator with an HDMLC120 multilayer collimator. It allows doctors to target the malignant focus without affecting the healthy surrounding tissues. Here, this device is actively used for the treatment of neoplasms of the brain and the treatment of malignant tumors in children.

Teknon is also famous for its advanced methods of treatment of advanced forms of cancer of the abdominal cavity and organs of the female reproductive system, especially those that have metastasized to the peritoneum. To combat peritoneal carcinomatosis, cytoreductive surgery is used in combination with intraperitoneal chemotherapy HIPEC.

3. Medipol University Hospital in Turkey

The largest private medical complex. All types of solid tumors are successfully treated here, including cancer of the lungs, mammary glands, prostate, colon, stomach and esophagus, head and neck tumors, as well as melanoma, sarcoma, brain neoplasms, and neuroendocrine cancer. Medipol‘s oncologists actively use such treatment methods as chemotherapy with the latest generation drugs, high-precision radiation, targeted and immunotherapy. The latest diagnostic methods in the field of molecular oncology make it possible to select a treatment protocol for each patient, taking into account the type of cancer and sensitivity to certain anticancer drugs.

The bone marrow transplantation center (BMT) based on the Medipol clinic provides ample opportunities for the treatment of multiple myeloma, lymphoma, acute and chronic leukemia, and aplastic anemia. Turkish oncology clinics have access to a bone marrow donor base, which makes it possible for them to carry out transplants faster.

4. Liv clinic in Turkey (medical concern Medical Park)

Liv Hospital is one of 28 multidisciplinary hospitals in the Medical Park network. It is home to Turkey’s leading bone marrow transplant center for adults and children, collaborating with the largest bone marrow banks in the world (EBMT, CIBMTR, ISCT). The doctors of the center carry out not only autologous (from the patient himself), but also allogeneic (from a compatible donor) transplantation.

All innovative methods of treatment of malignant tumors are available at the Liv clinic: targeted, immuno-, hormonal therapy, radiofrequency and cryoablation. Liv’s doctors perform operations mainly in a minimally invasive way, giving preference to organ-preserving operations.

Doctors use a high-tech linear accelerator Siemens Oncor to conduct radiation therapy at Liv Hospital. It allows modulating the radiation intensity, increasing it in the tumor area and decreasing it in the area of ​​the surrounding healthy tissues. This increases the effectiveness of radiation therapy and minimizes side effects. They also use a fundamentally new effective method of cancer treatment – tomotherapy. In this case, the irradiation is carried out in layers and in a spiral, allowing uniform exposure of irregularly shaped and long tumors.

5. Helios medical centers network in Germany

Helios cancer center (HOZ) unites 7 specialized departments for the treatment of skin, colon, lung, breast, head and neck tumors, cancer of the female reproductive organs, neurooncological diseases, and malignant tumors in children.

The Helios network of medical centers has great potential for the treatment of various types of leukemia. According to the American news magazine “Newsweek”, the Hematology Oncology Center at the Helios Berlin-Buch clinic was included in the list of the best medical institutions in the world in the “Top Specialized” category. It includes two departments: hematology oncology and oncology and palliative medicine.

Helios doctors use the most progressive approaches to cancer treatment: therapy with monoclonal antibodies, targeted therapy, complex chemotherapy, regional deep hyperthermia in combination with systemic chemotherapy. In addition, Helios is one of the best clinics in the world for the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas.

The doctors of the clinic actively use the Da Vinci Xi robotic system in the field of visceral surgery, urology and gynecology. This allows them to perform highly complex procedures to remove cancerous tumors in a minimally invasive way through small incisions up to 2 cm in size.

6. Ichilov medical center (Sourasky) in Israel

This center is widely known for its innovative approaches and research activities. Oncologists at the Ichilov medical center in Tel Aviv actively cooperate with leading domestic and international research organizations such as CECOG in Europe and NSABP in the United States. Here, the newest drugs and procedures for the treatment of various types of cancer are developed and introduced into practice.

Ichilov is the first medical institution outside the United States and Canada to receive membership in the RTOG (Radiotherapy Oncology Group). The clinic is equipped with some of the world’s best linear accelerators Novalis TrueBeam STX from Varian Medical System with sophisticated data processing and treatment planning systems. Using them, a medical physicist creates a 3D model of the patient’s internal organs on a computer. This allows doctors to direct radio beams directly to tumor foci.

The center has a powerful diagnostic base that allows differentiating various types of cancerous tumors and prescribing personalized drug treatment – chemotherapy, targeted or immunotherapy.

7. Assuta clinic in Israel

This is the first Israeli private clinic to be accredited by the American JCI commission, which testifies to the high quality of medical services.

For the diagnosis of cancer in the Assuta clinic, the most modern methods are used: virtual colonoscopy, digital mammography, MRI, CT, PET-CT, FNA and FNL biopsies. This allows Israeli doctors to make a diagnosis in the shortest possible time and prescribe an effective treatment.

Assuta is the leader in Israel in terms of the number of minimally invasive surgical procedures performed, including those using robotic systems. The most complex reconstructive operations are also performed here, allowing to restore the appearance of patients after removal of large or widespread cancerous tumors.

8. KUIMS clinic in Korea

KUIMS is one of the best Korean clinics specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It successfully treats cancer of the brain, lungs, mammary glands, stomach, liver, pancreas, female reproductive system, prostate, as well as various types of leukemia and lymphomas.

The Korean society of gastrointestinal endoscopy has recognized the endoscopy department at KUIMS as the best in Korea. Early detection and treatment of cancers of the digestive system is one of the priorities of this clinic.

The radiotherapy department of the KUIMS Center is equipped with innovative systems for conducting radiation therapy. One of them – RapidArc allows doctors to modulate the volume, angle and intensity of radio beams, targeting the tumor. This approach significantly increases the therapeutic effect and shortens the time of radiotherapy.

9. Anadolu clinic in Turkey

Anadolu is a well-known and demanded clinic among medical tourists in Turkey. Planetree International has awarded Anadolu medical center with the gold certificate of excellence in personalized medical services. The Medical Travel Quality Alliance included this clinic in the top ten hospitals of the year. Thanks to state financial support, the prices for diagnostics and treatment in Anadolu are about 20% lower than in clinics in the USA, Europe and Israel with a similar level of medical care.

Anadolu center is one of the leaders in Turkey in the implementation of advanced technologies. Cancer patients are offered the most modern methods of diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Removal of malignant neoplasms is carried out by surgeons mainly in a gentle, minimally invasive way. The Da Vinci robotic unit allows complex surgical procedures to be performed with minimal risk to patients. The Cyberknife M6 ™ progressive system is used for stereotactic surgery – removal of complex tumors without incisions. Anadolu is one of the few medical centers in Turkey equipped with tomotherapy, an innovative cancer treatment.

10. Fuda clinic in China

The treatment of oncological diseases is a priority area of ​​the Fuda clinic. More than 20 methods of anticancer therapy are used here. Among the traditional ones: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy, all types of ablation, installation of radioactive stents, antiangiogenesis (treatment with drugs that prevent the growth of blood vessels that feed cancerous tumors). In addition, Korean doctors actively use minimally invasive techniques, such as: irreversible electroporation, interventional microsphere therapy, photodynamic therapy, microwave hyperthermia.

The main feature of the Fuda clinic is that here oncologists use both the most modern protocol methods of cancer treatment and traditional Chinese therapy. Such an integrated approach helps to achieve success even in the most difficult cases and restore health faster.

One of the specialties of the Fuda medical center is cryosurgery – exposure to a malignant focus with ultra-low temperature. Local doctors have extensive experience in the treatment of cancerous tumors with this method. The clinic has performed more than 5,000 successful cryosurgery operations – much more than any other clinic in the world.

Fuda also uses a unique “CCC + P” treatment protocol that includes cryosurgical ablation (CSA), vascular and interventional radiology (CVI) and combined immunotherapy (CIC). The protocol is developed individually for each patient. It is the best choice for patients with inoperable, metastatic, recurrent or refractory tumors.

Treatment abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic

Today, one of the best destinations for medical tourism is Turkey, if we take into account such parameters as: the quality of diagnostics and treatment, pricing policy, readiness to serve patients from abroad and availability during a pandemic.

As for the rest of the countries, the conditions for entering them are different. Israel is still closed to medical tourists. Spain has included Ukraine in the list of countries of the “green zone” since July 27, so at the moment you can come there without a vaccination certificate, provided that you fill out the sanitary control form in advance. You can enter Germany only if you have a certificate of vaccination, and at least 14 days must elapse from the moment the second dose is administered. South Korea accepts medical tourists only after undergoing mandatory quarantine. China is currently in the zone of maximum restrictions, so it is rather difficult to come to the country.

How much does oncology treatment cost abroad in 2021

The cost of treatment in foreign clinics depends on many factors, including:

• The type of cancer and its stage;
• The complexity of the surgery and subsequent rehabilitation;
• Duration of radio or chemotherapy and other individual characteristics of treatment.

In different clinics, prices for certain methods of diagnosis or treatment vary widely:

• In Turkey, an initial consultation with an oncologist will cost from $120, a course of radiation therapy – from $7 000, and a robotic prostatectomy – from $16 600.
• In Spain, for a consultation with an oncologist, you will need to pay from $550, for daily hospitalization – from $800, for prostatectomy by a Da Vinci robot – from $24 000.
• In Germany, the first appointment with an oncologist starts at $280, complex treatment for thyroid cancer – from $15 000, and a standard surgical prostatectomy – from $9 150.
• In Israel, the cost of the first consultation with an oncologist is from $600, daily hospitalization – from $1 000, and a course of radiation therapy – from $8 000.
• In South Korea, for the first doctor’s appointment, you will need to pay $600, for an operation using the Da Vinci robot – from $17 800, for an operation to remove a breast – from $1 200.
• In China, an oncologist’s consultation costs from $100, an operation to remove a mammary gland – from $6 000, cryotherapy – from $6 300.

MedTour company cooperates with many foreign clinics. Our experts will select the best cancer treatment clinics for you, free of charge, that best suits your personal needs, expectations and capabilities. Leave a request on the website and our coordinating doctors will contact you as soon as possible.