Targeted Cancer Therapy

Targeted cancer therapy uses drugs designed to block a specific molecule that drives the growth of a tumour, for instance a mutated EGFR protein in lung cancer, HER2 in breast and stomach cancer or BRAF in melanoma. Most are either small-molecule tablets taken daily, or antibodies given as a drip or an injection.

When a tumour carries the matching target, these drugs can shrink it markedly, with side effects that differ from those of chemotherapy. They work only if the target is present, which is why testing of the tumour comes first. In advanced cancer, resistance commonly develops over months to years, at which point treatment is changed.

What Targeted Cancer Therapy involves

A pathologist tests your tumour tissue, and sometimes a blood sample containing circulating tumour DNA, using immunohistochemistry, FISH, PCR or next-generation sequencing panels. If an actionable alteration for which there is an approved drug is found, the oncologist prescribes it, often as the first line of treatment. Tablets are taken once or twice daily at home, continuously or in cycles, with attention paid to food and drug interactions. Antibodies such as trastuzumab, bevacizumab or cetuximab are given in a day unit every 1 to 3 weeks. You have clinic reviews and blood tests every 2 to 6 weeks at first, and ECGs or heart scans with some drugs, and scans every 2 to 3 months. If the cancer progresses, a repeat biopsy or blood test can identify the resistance mechanism and guide the next drug.

Who is a good candidate for Targeted Cancer Therapy?

Eligibility is determined by the biology of the tumour, not by the organ alone.

• Non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR, ALK, ROS1, BRAF, MET, RET, KRAS G12C or NTRK alterations
• HER2-positive breast, stomach and some other cancers
• Hormone receptor positive breast cancer, using CDK4/6 inhibitors alongside hormone therapy
• BRAF-mutated melanoma and bowel cancer
• BRCA-related ovarian, breast, prostate and pancreatic cancers, using PARP inhibitors
• GIST, chronic myeloid leukaemia, kidney, thyroid and liver cancers, where tyrosine kinase inhibitors are standard

It is usually not the right choice if:

• Tumours without the relevant target, in which these drugs do not work and still cause side effects
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Significant heart, liver or lung disease that specific drugs could worsen
• People taking interacting medicines that cannot be changed
• Off-label use founded on a sequencing report alone, without evidence that the drug works in that cancer, unless within a clinical trial

Technique options

• Tyrosine kinase inhibitors: Tablets such as osimertinib, alectinib, imatinib or lenvatinib, which block growth signals inside the cell.
• Monoclonal antibodies: Infusions such as trastuzumab, pertuzumab, cetuximab or bevacizumab, which act on the cell surface or on the tumour's blood supply.
• Antibody-drug conjugates: An antibody delivers chemotherapy directly to the target cell, for example trastuzumab deruxtecan. Effective, with chemotherapy-type side effects and a risk of lung inflammation.
• PARP inhibitors: Tablets for cancers with BRCA or related DNA repair defects.
• CDK4/6 inhibitors: Tablets combined with hormone therapy in breast cancer.
• Comprehensive genomic profiling: A broad sequencing panel on tissue or blood. Useful in lung cancer, rare cancers and after standard options; its yield of truly actionable findings varies by cancer.

What happens during your treatment

With tablets, treatment takes place at home and the hospital visits are for reviews, blood tests and prescriptions. Antibody infusions take from 30 to 90 minutes in a day unit, and the first dose is given more slowly with observation in case of reactions. Most people continue their normal daily activities.

Preparing for your trip

These drugs are taken for months or years, so long-term care has to be based near your home, with an oncologist who can prescribe the drug and manage its side effects. A visit can reasonably provide molecular testing on your existing tissue blocks, a second opinion on the results, and the start of treatment. Before you begin, check whether the recommended drug is licensed, available and affordable in your home country, since continuity is what counts.

• Tell the doctor about medication, allergies, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and any history of cold sores, keloid scars or autoimmune disease
• Avoid alcohol, aspirin and anti-inflammatory painkillers for a few days beforehand if your own doctor agrees, to reduce bruising
• Arrive without make-up on the treatment area and avoid sunbeds and strong sun for two weeks before

Recovery and results

There is no recovery period as such. Side effects often appear in the first weeks and are managed by supportive measures, a dose reduction or a short pause. Skin care, prompt treatment of diarrhoea, and blood pressure monitoring at home are common parts of the routine. Report breathlessness, chest pain, a severe rash or yellowing of the skin promptly. Do not stop or change the dose without telling your oncologist, and avoid grapefruit, St John's wort and new medicines until interactions have been checked.

• Back to everyday activity: Usually none
• When results show: First response scan at 8 to 12 weeks
• How long they last: For as long as the drug keeps working, often months to years

Safety, risks and revision policy

Side effects vary by drug class. These are the more common and the more important ones.

• An acne-like rash, dry skin and nail changes, particularly with EGFR inhibitors
• Diarrhoea, a sore mouth and loss of appetite
• High blood pressure, protein in the urine, bleeding or clotting and slow wound healing with anti-angiogenic drugs
• Weakening of the heart muscle with HER2-targeted drugs, monitored by heart scans
• Liver inflammation on blood tests
• Lung inflammation (pneumonitis), which is uncommon but serious
• Low blood counts and fatigue with PARP and CDK4/6 inhibitors
• Drug resistance and the return of tumour growth

Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.

Cost of Targeted Cancer Therapy in Türkiye

Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Targeted Cancer Therapy, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:

• The specific drug, which dominates the cost, and whether a generic or biosimilar exists
• Duration of treatment, often open-ended
• Molecular testing and any repeat biopsies
• Monitoring: blood tests, heart scans and imaging
• Availability and reimbursement in your own country

Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

Frequently Asked Questions