Lung Cancer
“From my first email to coming home, a coordinator was with us every step.”
After a non-small-cell lung cancer diagnosis in Florida, Marcus wanted an expert plan quickly and affordably. We coordinated his molecular testing, a targeted-therapy plan, and treatment at Koç University Hospital in İstanbul — and stayed with him the whole way.
“From my first email to coming home, a coordinator was with us every step. The care was outstanding.”
The diagnosis
Marcus, a 61-year-old retired firefighter from Florida, went to his doctor for a cough that wouldn't quit. A scan and biopsy confirmed stage III non-small-cell lung cancer. His local options were good, but the out-of-pocket cost after insurance was overwhelming — and the wait times for specialist appointments stretched out for weeks.
“I spent thirty years running toward emergencies,” Marcus says. “But this one, I didn't know which way to run.”
A faster path to a plan
Marcus contacted us and uploaded his imaging and pathology. Our coordinator flagged that his tumor hadn't yet been fully molecularly profiled — a step that can open the door to targeted therapy. Within our network, comprehensive biomarker testing was arranged, and a thoracic-oncology specialist reviewed his case.
The recommended plan combined chemoradiation with a modern systemic regimen, delivered at an academic teaching hospital — the same standard of care he'd receive at a major U.S. center, at a fraction of the cost.
Treatment at Koç University Hospital
In İstanbul, Marcus's care was led by Prof. Dr. Fatih Selçukbiricik, a medical oncologist specializing in lung and solid tumors at Koç University Hospital — a modern academic medical center. Marcus and his wife were met at the airport, settled into a nearby apartment, and supported by an interpreter at every visit.
“What surprised me most was the technology and how organized it was,” he says. “It felt every bit as advanced as home — and the team explained every decision in a way we could actually understand.”
Coming home
Marcus returned to Florida with a full treatment summary and imaging that his local pulmonologist and oncologist could use to continue his follow-up. His coordinator arranged his remote check-ins and helped schedule his next scans back home.
“I never felt like a tourist who got dropped at a hospital,” he says. “I felt like somebody had my back the entire time.”
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