Cancer (Oncology) Treatment Abroad
By the number of cancer patients, Ukraine occupies one of the first places in the world. 450 people get cancer every day in the country. And these are not just dry statistics, they hide human fates.
Fortunately, over the past 20 years, most innovations have been introduced in oncology. For the treatment of oncology abroad, new methods of treatment are increasingly being used, which bring excellent results. Ukrainian medicine is also developing, but it happens much slower than in other countries. Therefore, many citizens of Ukraine seek to undergo cancer treatment abroad.
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Benefits of Cancer Treatment Abroad
Treatment in one's own country has only one positive point: it is cheaper. In terms of qualifications, Ukrainian doctors are not inferior to foreign colleagues, but the lack of necessary equipment and a low level of funding significantly worsen the quality of work of our oncologists. Therefore, today cancer treatment abroad wins in all respects.
Main advantages:
- Short time for diagnosis and treatment. Malignant tumors can grow in size in a matter of days. To prevent their spread, it is necessary as soon as possible to carry out diagnostic measures and begin treatment. The diagnosis in foreign clinics takes no more than 3-4 days, after which the methods of therapy are selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient;
- The use of modern equipment for diagnostics. With the development of cancer it is very important to establish the cause of its occurrence. Often outdated equipment of Ukrainian clinics is not able to cope with this task;
- New methods of therapy. Treatment of oncology abroad is carried out using modern methods and the latest technology, which in 95% of cases allows to achieve a positive result.
Not only health, but also the life of the patient depends on the quality of therapy; therefore, when choosing a treatment site, it is important to consider all possible options (including treatment abroad) and choose the best one.
What methods are used to achieve high effectiveness of cancer treatment abroad?
Foreign physicians in their work use both traditional methods, already proven by time, and completely new ones.
The effectiveness of cancer treatment abroad is provided by:
- Chemotherapy. Modern chemotherapy drugs have minimal side effects and are well tolerated by patients. The high level of control over the production of medicines ensures their reliability, high efficacy and safety for health;
- Radiation therapy. For many years, sparing methods have been used that have a minimal effect on healthy tissue. The systems like CyberKnife, Gamma Knife allow you to carry out the procedure under visual control, adjust the intensity of radiation and adjust the direction of the rays;
- Immunotherapy. For the discovery of this method, its creators were awarded the Nobel Prize. Oncologists in many countries for several years successfully use various types of immunotherapy. The essence of the method is to activate the patient’s immune system to fight the tumor;
- Targeted therapy. It’s discovery was a real breakthrough in oncology. Thanks to this method, drugs are delivered as accurately as possible to abnormal cells, which greatly increases the effectiveness of the treatment process.
The use of modern techniques somewhat increases the cost of cancer treatment abroad, but when it’s about life or death, it is worth sacrificing something.
To which countries do people usually go for oncology treatment?
Unfortunately, not all residents of Ukraine can afford to be treated abroad. The wealthy citizens most often choose Israel, which is recognized as the world leader in the number of patients cured of cancer. Then come Germany, Turkey, India, and the USA.
But the cost of treatment in the United States is about 2 times higher than in Israel and Germany.
Prices for oncology treatment abroad
Also, the price of cancer treatment abroad depends on the type of medical institution (public or private) and the stage of the disease. Early stages of oncology in 95% of cases are successfully treated laparoscopically and this will be one price. A completely different amount will have to be paid when the stage of the disease is complicated.
But despite the fact that the cost of cancer treatment abroad is more expensive than in Ukraine, our citizens use the slightest opportunity to get into a foreign clinic. The high cost is compensated by modern methods of treatment, excellent care and high probability of cure.
Violetta YanyshevskaAuthor and medical editor
