“A second opinion changed my treatment plan for the better.”

Alan Kowalski · Prostate cancer patient

Told at home that surgery was his only real option, Alan wanted to be sure. A second opinion through our network pointed him toward advanced radiation therapy at the MD Anderson Radiation Center at American Hospital in İstanbul.

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“A second opinion through their network changed my treatment plan for the better. Fast and compassionate.”

The diagnosis

Alan, 67, from Texas, was diagnosed with localized, intermediate-risk prostate cancer after a rising PSA led to a biopsy. His first consultation left him with the impression that surgery was essentially his only option — and he wasn't comfortable with that answer without a second look.

“I'm the kind of guy who reads the manual twice,” Alan says. “A decision like this, I wanted more than one expert in the room.”

A second opinion that opened options

Alan sent us his PSA history, biopsy report, and MRI. We arranged a written second opinion from a radiation-oncology specialist in our network. The review confirmed that, for his risk profile, modern image-guided radiation therapy (with or without short-term hormone therapy) was a well-established alternative to surgery — with a different side-effect profile worth discussing.

For the first time, Alan felt he was choosing between real options rather than being handed a single path.

Treatment at the MD Anderson Radiation Center

Alan chose radiation therapy at the MD Anderson Radiation Treatment Center at American Hospital in İstanbul, under the care of Prof. Dr. Uğur Selek, a radiation oncologist who chairs the center and trained at MD Anderson in Houston. His treatment used precise, image-guided techniques designed to protect surrounding healthy tissue.

“The center had the same name as one of the most famous cancer hospitals in America,” Alan notes. “But what mattered day to day was that Dr. Selek's team treated me like they had all the time in the world for my questions.”

Coming home

Alan completed his radiation course and returned to Texas with a clear follow-up schedule for PSA monitoring, all documented for his local urologist. His coordinator arranged his check-ins and made sure his records arrived home before he did.

“I got a treatment I might never have considered, from a team I trusted, and I still had money left to enjoy my retirement,” he says. “That second opinion was the best phone call I ever made.”