One in Every 8 Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

Medical Point Gaziantep Hospital held events throughout October 1-31 for breast cancer awareness month. At the event, Medical Point Gaziantep Hospital Chief Physician Prof. Dr. Ekber Şahin and specialist doctors in the field provided information, emphasizing early diagnosis in breast cancer. Medical Point Gaziantep Hospital Chief Physician Prof. Dr. Ekber Şahin stated that they successfully treat many cancer diseases, particularly breast cancer, noting: 'Breast cancer is one of the most frequently occurring cancers. One in every eight women develops breast cancer. Breast cancer treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach.' Şahin added: 'Our hospital has every specialty related to this. We are an oncology-centered hospital. All types of cancer surgery are performed at our hospital with great success. Here, breast cancer can be successfully treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Any cancer patient who chooses our hospital can receive all their treatments here without needing any other healthcare facility.'

'Innovations in advanced-stage breast cancer occur daily'

Medical Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Hakan Büyükhatipoğlu emphasized that patients diagnosed with breast cancer early may not require chemotherapy. Büyükhatipoğlu stated: 'This month is breast cancer awareness month. Much has changed in breast cancer treatment. The only thing that remains unchanged is the importance of early diagnosis. Patients diagnosed early can avoid chemotherapy. In this regard, for many of our early-diagnosed patients, surgery alone may be sufficient, or we can continue with hormone therapy without offering chemotherapy as an option. Beyond this, significant technological progress has been made in advanced-stage breast cancer as well. This cancer type, which previously seemed untreatable, can now be managed like a rheumatic disease. We are working to make life quality sustainable in this disease. Additionally, among patients with advanced-stage breast cancer treated with our methods, some achieve complete recovery. Breast cancer is a treatable disease.' Nuclear Medicine Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Füsun Kökçü stated that women need to be more careful and vigilant regarding breast cancer. Kökçü said: 'During breast cancer awareness month, our most important duty as a nuclear medicine clinic is to guide the treatment of patients diagnosed with cancer at the diagnostic stage using PET CT imaging to evaluate both the extent of disease in the breast and throughout the entire body. After all these processes are completed, treatment begins for breast cancer patients. During breast cancer awareness month, we have one message for all women: pay attention to your breast health and smile at life. Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer has become a much easier cancer type to manage.'

'Self-examination by women, especially starting from age 20, is important'

General Surgery Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mesut Gül emphasized that cosmetic improvement of the breast can be achieved without tissue loss, and continued: 'Although breast cancer is now very common in society, it has begun to emerge as an important health problem and is increasingly becoming a public health issue. In breast cancer, early diagnosis is truly the most critical aspect. What matters here is self-examination of the breast by women, especially starting from age 20. In cancers diagnosed early, with the drug treatments applied and surgical interventions performed, breast cancer can be completely cured while preserving breast tissue cosmetically. In fact, with oncoplastic breast cancer surgery, which we have recently introduced, breast cancer has become a completely curable disease with no tissue loss in breast structure and free from cosmetic concerns by preserving breast tissue cosmetically.' Radiation Oncology Specialist Dr. Ali İhsan Şeran noted that one of the most important problems in breast cancer is recurrence of the disease in the same area or nearby area. Şeran explained: 'Radiotherapy at this stage is one of the most important therapeutic tools in preventing recurrence, or in other words, preventing disease recurrence. At our hospital, using a device called TrueBeam with the IMRT method, which is widely used recently, only the cancerous area is targeted while all healthy tissues, particularly critical organs like the lungs and heart, are protected. This way, while reaching the ideal radiotherapy dose to the target tissue, no adverse effects occur in critical organs.' Source