Cancer treatment abroad is becoming increasingly popular.
This is entirely understandable: every year more than 8 million people die of cancer, which is currently the second most common cause of death in the world.
For most clinics, oncology is a serious challenge – one that many already meet with distinction.
Today there are international protocols for the effective treatment of all types of cancer, unique and effective equipment, and medicines that are gentle on the body.
THE ROLE OF DIAGNOSIS IN CANCER TREATMENT ABROAD
Diagnosis is considered one of the most important stages of cancer treatment abroad.
The choice of treatment strategy, and how effective it will be, depend on an accurate diagnosis and on determining the type, size and location of the tumour.
Inaccurate diagnosis is the bane of medicine in developing countries. The best clinics abroad, by contrast, almost never make such errors.
According to medical travel experts, one in three patients from the CIS countries arrives abroad with an incorrect or imprecise diagnosis, which is then overturned by the doctors there.
The problem is complex: a shortage of good equipment, new-generation cancer drugs and technologies, and questionable competence owing to a lack of qualified staff, and so on.
That is why more and more people are choosing treatment abroad, in countries such as Switzerland, Germany and Israel.
Clinics in Switzerland, for example, have access to more advanced technologies and equipment for cancer diagnosis, which make it possible to detect cancer at an early stage and to make an accurate diagnosis.
In addition, modern technologies make possible tests such as the circulating tumour cell (CTC) blood test, now known worldwide. With just one blood sample, specialists can detect cancer as early as the so-called “stage zero”.
The patient does not even need to come to the clinic for this: the blood sample can be delivered by a special courier service. Such tests have long been used in treatment in Switzerland.
A clear advantage of cancer treatment abroad is the speed of the examinations: the patient receives all diagnostic results within about 24 hours, and a few days later a treatment plan based on the results.
FEATURES OF CANCER TREATMENT IN SWITZERLAND
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical oncology have been used to treat cancer for many years. Today, however, these methods are fundamentally different from those of the past, or from those still used in less developed countries.
In 2022, methods that seemed like science fiction 10 years ago are already being used to treat cancer in Swiss clinics.
They include stem cell therapy, the use of targeted drugs (biological and immunological), brachytherapy, tomotherapy and much more.
Chemotherapy protocols, for example, have become more sensitive, as have the drugs themselves.
There are new devices for radiotherapy and radiosurgery that require fewer radiation cycles, offer the highest precision and are safe for healthy tissue. They include Novalis, TrueBeam, Gamma Knife, CyberKnife, NanoKnife, Elekta and others.
Surgical methods have changed too. Minimally invasive interventional methods are at the forefront of cancer treatment abroad, and organ-preserving operations are preferred whenever possible.
WHICH COUNTRY IS BEST FOR CANCER TREATMENT?
Israel and Switzerland are widely regarded as leaders in medicine. Cancer treatment is no exception.
The equipment described above is available at the leading institutions in these countries, as are FOCUS-rated doctors with national and international recognition in medicine.
When choosing a country for cancer treatment, pay particular attention to the clinic and to the doctor who will guide the patient through the most difficult stages of the illness.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones.
If you would like advice on choosing a clinic, we will be delighted to help and advise you.
