Cancer treatment abroad: from histology review to a treatment plan within days
After hearing a cancer diagnosis, a family worries about two things at once: is the diagnosis correct, and how much time do we have. The service on this page answers both questions in one process: the histological material is re-examined by a pathologist at a foreign centre, the case is reviewed by a tumour board, and you receive a written plan that states the cost of medicines, cycles and the hospital stay from the outset. We handle cancer requests in a separate queue, because here waiting becomes part of the diagnosis itself.
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A fast-track queue for oncologyDocuments reach the centre the same day, and the translation follows before the board meets
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Histology is re-examinedThe block and slides go to the foreign centre's pathology laboratory
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A cost estimate with medicinesTargeted therapy and chemotherapy drugs listed with prices, not left off
Why we handle cancer cases separately and what this means in practice
In oncology three things have to happen at once that with other diagnoses happen one after another. So we run the process in parallel and do not make any stage wait for another.
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Documents at the centre the same day
The Georgian discharge summary and histology report go to the centre's Russian-speaking or Georgian coordinator before translation, so that the case is registered for the next tumour board meeting. The translation follows before the meeting.
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The block travels while you wait
You obtain the paraffin block and slides from the laboratory by written request, and we send them by international courier in temperature-protected packaging. The pathologist's report is already in the board's hands.
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Imaging in DICOM format
We upload the CT, MRI and PET-CT discs as a secure link, so that the radiologist can view the images directly and not just the Georgian colleague's report. This often removes the need for repeat scans.
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The board's decision in writing
You receive the minutes: the diagnosis and stage as assessed by the centre, the sequence of treatment, medicines and doses, the expected duration. You can show these minutes to your Georgian oncologist too, and we build the budget on them.
Where we send cancer cases and what determines the choice
The choice is made by the diagnosis, the type of treatment and the budget. Below is what each destination is most often chosen for.
| Country | Most often chosen for | Tumour board reply | What to expect in the price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | Breast, cervical and colorectal cancer, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, bone marrow transplantation | 2-4 working days | A package price for surgery; medicines often separate |
| Germany | Complex surgery (pancreas, liver, brain), proton therapy, sarcomas and rare tumours, clinical trials | 1-2 weeks | DRG rate with a deposit; medicines included in the hospital stay price |
| Israel | Haematology (leukaemia, lymphoma), immunotherapy, paediatric oncology, melanoma | 1-2 weeks | A deposit on the department's estimated cost, final bill based on actual costs |
Enrolment in a clinical trial, when standard treatment has been exhausted, is a separate route: we check whether there is an open trial for your diagnosis and on what terms it accepts foreign patients. Participation in a trial can never be guaranteed, and the decision rests with the trial doctor.
No hidden costs: what we require in the cost estimate before signing
A cancer cost estimate most often grows because the initial offer states only the procedure, while the real cost of treatment lies in the medicines and the duration. So we send the centre's cost estimate back until it answers five questions.
- Medicines by name and price: each chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy drug, the dose per cycle and the price per cycle. A line reading "medicines as used" is not acceptable to us.
- Number of cycles and interval: how many cycles are planned, how many days as an inpatient and how many as an outpatient, and what happens after the assessment if the regimen changes.
- Tests that may be added: immunohistochemistry, a molecular panel, PET-CT to clarify the stage, each with a price, so that you make the decision.
- Complication rates: the price of an extra day in the event of neutropenia, infection or transfusion, and the price of an intensive care day separately.
- What is refunded: the deposit refund rules if the tumour board cannot offer you treatment or the regimen continues in Georgia.
Our fee for the organisational service is fixed and not tied to the cost of treatment: a more expensive regimen does not mean more for us. We confirm this in writing before work begins.
Frequently asked questions about cancer treatment abroad
Can I send histology slides or a block for a repeat review?
Yes, and in oncology this is the most important step: the treatment plan is built on the histological diagnosis, and if that is inaccurate, the plan will be inaccurate too. You obtain the paraffin block and slides from the Georgian laboratory by written request (the laboratory cannot refuse to release them, as this is your medical material), and we send them by courier in special packaging to the pathology laboratory of the foreign centre. There they are re-examined and, if necessary, immunohistochemistry and molecular tests are added, which are needed to select targeted therapy. The result usually comes within 3-7 working days, and the block is returned to you.
How long does a cancer cost estimate take, and why does time matter so much?
Cancer centres in Turkey reply within 2-4 working days of receiving the documents, centres in Germany and Israel within 1-2 weeks, because the case is reviewed by a tumour board that meets once or twice a week. With some diagnoses every week changes the stage, so we do not wait for the translation: we send the Georgian version the same day to the centre's Georgian or Russian-speaking coordinator, and the translation follows before the board meets. While you wait, the block is already on its way and the imaging is uploaded, so that the board has no questions left and can decide at a single meeting.
Can I have part of the chemotherapy in Georgia?
Often yes, and this reduces the cost considerably. A common arrangement is: confirming the diagnosis, surgery or the first cycle abroad, and then the remaining cycles in Georgia under the foreign centre's protocol, supervised by a Georgian oncologist and with remote follow-up with the foreign centre. For this we ask the centre to write down the protocol in detail, with the doses and intervals of the medicines, and we check that the medicines in the regimen are registered in Georgia or can be imported individually. Only the oncologists on both sides decide whether splitting the treatment is possible in your case.
What is typically left out of a cancer cost estimate?
Most often three things: targeted therapy and immunotherapy drugs, which cost thousands of euros per cycle, while the cost estimate sometimes shows only the price of the procedure; genetic and molecular tests, which the tumour board requests after setting the plan; and management of complications, for example an extended hospital stay during neutropenia. So we return the cost estimate to the centre with three questions: the full list of medicines with prices, the list of tests that may be added, and the rate for days beyond the plan. The answer is added to the cost estimate in writing, and the family sees the real budget, not the starting figure.
What a cancer patient often needs at the same time
- Clinic search and second opinion Selection criteria and an independent reviewer, when the diagnosis is not oncological or not yet confirmed.
- Guide to funding surgery The state referral programme, foundations and crowdfunding, when the tumour board's cost estimate exceeds what the family can afford.
- Individual import of medicines Bringing in the medicines of a foreign protocol when the cycles continue in Georgia.
Histology sent today reaches the tumour board this week
Upload the histology report and the discharge summary. A coordinator will contact you within a few hours to agree on sending the block and the list of centres in a single day.