Cost of immunotherapy in Turkey
The cost of immunotherapy in Turkey ranges from £2,200 to £15,500 depending on the protocol. The price depends on the type of treatment, the drugs used, and how often you need check-ups. In the UK, it is generally provided through your NHS care pathway, and your situation will determine what is covered.
| Immunotherapy in Turkey | £2,200 - £15,500 (depending on the protocol) |
| Immunotherapy in the UK | Generally provided by your health system |
Introduction
Cancer is one of the serious conditions that can be difficult to treat. It is linked to the formation and rapid spread of abnormal cells in the body. These cells build up to form a mass called a malignant tumour.
The disease reaches an advanced stage when cancer cells enter the blood and lymphatic vessels. They then form a tumour called a metastasis. Treatment becomes harder at this point, and the chance of survival falls.
Several treatments, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, are used in oncology departments. But they can fail. Immunotherapy in Turkey may then be considered, depending on the type of cancer and its biomarkers.
This innovative approach is attracting growing interest among international patients. Many plan a medical trip to Turkey to receive it. The country has genuine experts in immunotherapy.
Read our guides on Parkinson’s disease treatment in Turkey, lung cancer treatment, brain tumour treatment and prostate cancer treatment in Turkey.
What is immunotherapy in Turkey ?
Immunotherapy in Turkey is an innovative approach to cancer. It is also known as biological therapy. The aim is to stimulate the immune system so it can do its job better: detect each cancer cell and destroy it. But cancer cells sometimes manage to evade the body’s natural defences by :
- Changing their genetic appearance so they become invisible,
- Blocking immune cells with proteins on their surface,
- Altering the healthy cells around the tumour so they disrupt the immune response.
Immunotherapy specialists use a range of treatment approaches. Some are designed to stimulate the immune system, boosting its ability to stop or slow the growth of cancer cells. Other immunotherapy approaches help destroy them instead, preventing cancer cells from spreading through the body.
Who is the ideal candidate for immunotherapy in Turkey ?
Immunotherapy in Turkey is mainly recommended for people :
- With metastatic cancer that has spread through the body,
- Whose cancer keeps coming back after treatment,
- Who have not responded to other treatments.
Immunotherapy is also used to treat certain types of cancer, depending on the stage and the biomarkers :
- Triple-negative breast cancer, a very aggressive form that does not respond to other treatments,
- Advanced non-small cell lung cancer,
- Melanoma,
- Blood cancers,
- Prostate cancer.
Biological therapy extends survival in certain indications. In metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with a PD-L1 score of at least 50%, 5-year survival reaches 31.9% with pembrolizumab versus 16.3% with chemotherapy[2].
Who is eligible for immunotherapy ?
Eligibility depends on the type of tumour, its stage and its biomarkers: PD-L1 status, microsatellite instability (MSI) or tumour mutational burden. In the United States, in 2018, 43.63% of cancer patients were estimated to be eligible for a checkpoint inhibitor, and 12.46% were responders[3].
A favourable biomarker does not guarantee a response. In the KEYNOTE-158 trial, among patients with advanced solid tumours who had already been treated, 29% of those above 10 mutations per megabase responded, versus 6% below that threshold[4]. Patients who are not eligible need other treatments, such as chemotherapy in Turkey.
How does the treatment work ?
Preparation
Immunotherapy in Turkey is carried out on the recommendation of an oncology specialist. Several medical tests are needed before treatment begins. They allow the doctor to establish an accurate diagnosis. The specialist can then identify the most appropriate approach and draw up a treatment plan suited to the patient’s profile.
The tests required before the procedure vary depending on the type of cancer being treated. They may include :
- Urine tests,
- Blood tests,
- A biopsy,
- A PET CT scan,
- An immunohistochemistry test, or IHC,
- A DNA test on a tissue block…etc
Treatment
During immunotherapy in Turkey sessions, the doctor chooses between different types of drugs. They may use monoclonal antibodies. These are designed to supplement or replace natural antibodies, and come in several varieties.
Each antibody used acts as an inhibitor, however. The most widely used, checkpoint inhibitors, block PD-1, PD-L1 or CTLA-4, which are brakes on the immune system. They differ from targeted therapy, which attacks the tumour cell itself.
The oncology specialist may prescribe non-specific immunomodulatory drugs. Some are based on interferon or interleukin. Their role is to trigger the immune reaction. Others are based on bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). They stimulate the immune system, which can then identify and destroy each cancer cell.
Oncolytic viral therapy is another approach used. It involves using viruses to kill cancer cells. T-cell therapies and the cancer vaccine can be added to that list.
Recovery
The medical team draws up a follow-up schedule. It may last weeks or months. Each check-up is designed to assess how well the treatment is working. The doctor also identifies the risk of a serious side effect during follow-up.
What are the side effects of immunotherapy in Turkey ?
Immunotherapy in Turkey is often described as a gentler treatment. The drug used may nonetheless cause moderate side effects such as :
- Headaches,
- Diarrhoea,
- Confusion,
- Fatigue,
- Loss of appetite,
- Nausea,
- Skin rashes,
- Mouth sores,
- Hair loss,
- Itching.
More serious problems can also arise during treatment. These include :
- Thrombocytopenia,
- Neutropenia,
- Anaemia,
- Allergic reactions.
The specialist doctor in immunotherapy provides regular monitoring of the patient’s health. The patient should still report any concern as soon as it appears. The effects specific to immunotherapy target particular organs: compared with standard treatments, the risk of hypothyroidism, pneumonitis or colitis rises, although these remain uncommon[5].
What does immunotherapy in Turkey cost ?
The price of immunotherapy in Turkey depends on a number of factors. These include :
- The type of hospital and the quality of the room chosen,
- The cost of the various tests carried out before treatment,
- The technique used,
- Side effects,
- Accommodation and transport costs,
- The length of treatment,
- The patient’s state of health,
- The quality of the facilities at the medical centre,
- The associated service,
- The reputation of the medical team.
International patients often choose to use a specialist agency. They can then get help organising their medical trip to Turkey. That support typically covers the costs of :
- Finding and selecting the immunotherapy centre,
- Booking the specialist appointment,
- Organising the trip,
- Accommodation,
- Language support,
- Transport.
Why have immunotherapy in Turkey ?
Having immunotherapy in Turkey is a worthwhile option. Oncologists in the country use advanced technology. The patient can therefore expect effective care, while the cost of treatment stays reasonable.
Turkey also has many hospitals with a department specialising in immunotherapy, such as :
- Anadolu Medical Centre in Istanbul,
- Medipol Mega University Hospital in Istanbul,
- Medical Park Group Hospital in Istanbul,
- Memorial Hospital in Ankara…etc.
FAQ - Immunotherapy in Turkey
How long does a stay for immunotherapy in Turkey last?
It is impossible to state precisely how long a stay for immunotherapy in Turkey will be. It varies with the stage and type of the disease, the technique chosen and the response. There is no standard duration: the schedule of cycles is set with the oncologist.
Which country is best for immunotherapy?
No study compares immunotherapy outcomes by country of administration. The verifiable criterion is continuity of care: complete transfer of information between teams is a recognised condition of that continuity in cancer care[6].
What is the success rate of immunotherapy in Turkey?
Results depend heavily on how the patient’s body responds to treatment. There is no overall success rate: in the United States, in 2018, 12.46% of cancer patients were estimated to be responders[3].
What are the risks of immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy in Turkey is effective only in certain indications. It does carry risks, however. These are linked to the harmful effects of the drugs given, which can be particularly troublesome and dangerous.
What are the results?
Oncology professionals cannot guarantee a complete cure after immunotherapy in Turkey. In advanced melanoma, median overall survival reaches 71.9 months with nivolumab and ipilimumab, with ten years of follow-up[7].
How do I arrange medical travel for immunotherapy in Turkey?
Each patient can organise their own stay in Istanbul. It is usually better, though, to ask a specialist agency for help. The trip for immunotherapy in Turkey then runs more smoothly.
Sources & References
- Assurance Maladie. À quoi sert la prise en charge en affection de longue durée (ALD) exonérante ? ameli.fr, 2026. Read the source
- Reck M, Rodríguez-Abreu D, Robinson AG, et coll. Five-Year Outcomes With Pembrolizumab Versus Chemotherapy for Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer With PD-L1 Tumor Proportion Score of 50% or more. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2021. Read the source
- Haslam A, Prasad V. Estimation of the Percentage of US Patients With Cancer Who Are Eligible for and Respond to Checkpoint Inhibitor Immunotherapy Drugs. JAMA Network Open. 2019. Read the source
- Marabelle A, Fakih M, Lopez J, et coll. Association of tumour mutational burden with outcomes in patients with advanced solid tumours treated with pembrolizumab: prospective biomarker analysis of the multicohort, open-label, phase 2 KEYNOTE-158 study. The Lancet Oncology. 2020. Read the source
- Baxi S, Yang A, Gennarelli RL, et coll. Immune-related adverse events for anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 drugs: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2018. Read the source
- Haute Autorité de Santé. La conciliation des traitements médicamenteux pour sécuriser la prise en charge des patients atteints de cancer. 2019. Read the source
- Wolchok JD, Chiarion-Sileni V, Rutkowski P, et coll. Final, 10-Year Outcomes with Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma. New England Journal of Medicine. 2025. Read the source
