# Frequently Asked Questions — OncologyIstanbul Source: https://oncologyistanbul.com/faq OncologyIstanbul is an independent patient-advocacy service (not a hospital, not a broker) connecting international cancer patients with accredited Istanbul oncology hospitals. ## Money & fees **If hospitals pay you, aren't you on their side?** Every partner hospital pays the same fixed percentage — winning your case brings us the same fee wherever you treat. Our only lever for keeping you is being right and being cheap to verify: named doctors, itemized quotes, published index. **Is the second opinion really free?** Yes. The tumor-board review, the written assessment, and the professor's video answer cost you nothing and create no obligation. Hospitals pay our fee only if you later choose to treat with one of them — the review itself is free for every patient. **What if I find a lower price going direct?** Show us the quote. Our hospital agreements include a price-parity clause: you never pay more through us than going direct. If a direct price is genuinely lower for the same protocol and hospital, we match it — or tell you to take it. **How do I pay the hospital — card, transfer, cash?** You pay the hospital directly — card, bank transfer, or cash at the hospital's own cashier. We never take patient payments and never ask for deposits. The itemized quote you approve is the contract price with the hospital. **Are there hidden costs the quote won't show?** The quote lists everything the hospital controls: surgery, anesthesia, pathology, inpatient nights, surgeon follow-up. Flights, accommodation, and complication scenarios are itemized separately in your personal quote — never hidden inside a headline price. **Why do hospitals pay you at all?** Because we bring them verified international cases with complete documentation — cheaper for a hospital than advertising. That saving funds our fee, and competition between departments is what keeps your quote honest. **Is this safe, or is it a scam?** We never ask you to pay us anything, ever — you pay the hospital directly, and only after you approve an itemized quote. Every doctor who reviews your case is named, not anonymous, and every hospital carries public accreditation you can independently verify. If a service asks for payment upfront, refuses to name a reviewing doctor, or won't put prices in writing, that is the pattern to be wary of — not us. ## Privacy & documents **Who sees my medical reports?** Your named coordinator and the reviewing physicians — no one else. Files travel through an encrypted channel, and hospitals receive your case anonymized until you approve a quote. **Do I need to translate my documents?** No. Send reports in Russian, Uzbek, Azerbaijani or any other language — medical translation is part of the free service. Phone photos of paper reports are fine as long as the text is readable. **How do I send DICOM discs and large MRI files?** Telegram takes folders up to 2 GB, or we send you a secure upload link. If a disc won't read, photos of the written radiology report are enough to start the review. **Can you delete my data after the review?** Yes. Ask your coordinator and we delete your files and case record within 30 days, confirmed in writing. We never sell data or share it with third parties. **Is my case shared with hospitals without my consent?** Hospitals see an anonymized case summary — no name, no contacts — until you decide to proceed. Only then, with your written consent, do we pass on the identity documents needed for admission. **How do I know I'm talking to the real OncologyIstanbul, not an impersonator?** We only ever contact you from the WhatsApp and Telegram numbers listed in this site's footer, or from an @oncologyistanbul.com email address — never from a personal number, a different domain, or a third-party booking site. We will never ask you to pay us directly, and no legitimate coordinator will ever pressure you to decide quickly. If in doubt, message the official channels yourself and ask them to confirm. ## The 72-hour review **What exactly do I receive in 72 hours?** A written tumor-board assessment, a short video from the named professor who reviewed your case — subtitled in your language — a treatment plan, and itemized price ranges from competing hospitals. **When does the 72-hour clock start?** When your coordinator confirms your documents are complete — you get that confirmation the same day you send them. The deadline is tracked per case, from a timestamp you can see. **What if my documents are incomplete?** We start anyway. The board lists what's missing and what it would change. Many cases begin with just a biopsy report and a discharge summary. **Who actually reviews my case?** A subspecialty tumor board — surgical, medical, and radiation oncology — chaired by a named professor whose name and credentials appear on your assessment. Never anonymous "our experts." **Is a remote review as reliable as coming in person?** It replaces neither an in-person examination nor a pathology re-read — it tells you whether the proposed plan matches current international protocols, and what it should cost. Every assessment states exactly what could and could not be verified remotely. **What happens after I get the answer?** Nothing, unless you want it to. Take the assessment to your local doctor, ask the board follow-up questions, or ask us to arrange treatment. No obligation, no sales calls. **Can the board disagree with my current diagnosis?** Yes, and it happens — a review can change staging, protocol, or treatment sequence. If the board agrees with your current plan, we tell you that too: it is still an answer. ## Traveling to Istanbul **Do I need a visa for treatment in Turkey?** Most patients from KZ, UZ, AZ, KG and Russia enter visa-free or with an e-visa for stays that cover treatment. Your coordinator confirms the rule for your passport and prepares the hospital invitation letter. **How fast can treatment start after I arrive?** Typically 2–4 days: arrival, in-person consultation and baseline tests, then admission. Your quote comes with a day-by-day plan before you book flights. **Can someone meet me at the airport?** Yes — hospital transfer from both Istanbul airports is included in every inpatient quote, with a driver holding your name and your coordinator on the phone. **I don't speak Turkish or English. Who translates?** Your coordinator and a hospital interpreter work in Russian, Uzbek and Azerbaijani. Consultations, consents, and discharge papers are translated — you never sign anything you can't read. **Where do I stay, and what does it cost?** Guest apartments and hotels near the hospitals run roughly $30–80 per night, and many hospitals discount partner hotels. Accommodation is always itemized separately in your quote, never bundled. **Can a family member stay with me in the hospital?** Standard rooms in partner hospitals have a companion bed, and one accompanying adult is normal practice — included in inpatient quotes unless stated otherwise. **How long will I need to stay in Istanbul?** Surgery cases usually plan 10–14 days including follow-up; radiation courses run 2–6 weeks depending on fractions. Your written plan states the expected stay before you commit. **What if I need follow-up after I fly home?** Follow-up is part of the plan: your file, imaging, and the operating team's report go home with you, and scheduled video check-ins with the treating doctor are arranged through your coordinator. ## Hospitals & doctors **Which hospitals do you work with?** Accredited Istanbul oncology centers — JCI-accredited and licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Health. Quotes arrive anonymized ("Hospital A · JCI") and names are revealed with your personal quote, so no hospital can pay to be pushed. **Why are hospital names hidden at first?** So the comparison stays honest. Departments quote against each other without knowing who else is bidding; you see named hospitals the moment you have a real quote to compare. **Can I choose a specific doctor?** Yes. Every profile on this site is a real, named physician. Ask for a specific professor and we route your case to their board — and if they're not the right subspecialty, we tell you who is. **How do I verify a doctor's credentials?** Every doctor page lists the professor's institution, subspecialty and publications, and every assessment is signed by name. Turkish physicians can be checked in the Ministry of Health's public registry — ask us for the direct link for your doctor. **How do I verify the JCI accreditation?** JCI publishes its list of accredited organizations — search the hospital's name on jointcommissioninternational.org. Each hospital profile on this site links to its accreditation entry. **Can't I just contact the hospital directly?** You can — and the price-parity clause means it won't be cheaper. Going through us adds the tumor board, competing quotes and a named coordinator, at the same price the hospital would charge you direct. Medical disclaimer: every cancer case is individual. Assessments are based on the reports you provide and do not replace in-person examination. Survival statistics are population-level data, not personal predictions.