Prof. İbrahim Öztek, Head of the Department of Medical Pathology at Üsküdar University, participated in an online event organized by Esas Gayrimenkul within the scope of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Speaking under the theme “Empower with Awareness: Talking About Breast Cancer”, Prof. Öztek emphasized to participants the importance of early diagnosis, healthy lifestyle, moral support, and family support in breast cancer. In addition to explaining surgical, radiotherapy, and medical treatment methods, he also discussed the mechanisms of targeted therapies, underlining the critical role of awareness in the fight against the disease.
The online event was attended by Prof. İbrahim Öztek; Semra Gül, Deputy Manager of Sector Collaborations at Üsküdar University Career Center; and Ecem Keskinkaya Ökden, Senior HR Business Partner at Esas Gayrimenkul, along with women employees.
“Ignoring it because there is no pain is a big mistake”
Highlighting the importance of early detection in breast cancer, Prof. Öztek stated: “If we notice even the smallest lump, swelling, or pain in our body, we must see a doctor immediately. As the saying goes, ‘Don’t fear cancer, fear being late.’ Exercise frequently; it’s more beneficial than medicine. Eating grapefruit, pomegranate, or other vitamin C-rich fruits once or twice a day is very important. Watermelon is also a strong antioxidant, and it’s even beneficial to eat black grapes with the seeds. Broccoli, parsley, ginger, tomatoes—all are extremely valuable for the body. Prostate cancer is the most common in men, while breast cancer is most common in women. In both genders, lung and colon cancers rank second. Over a lifetime, one in every 7–8 women will develop breast cancer. Moreover, 90% of these lumps are painless. So, dismissing it just because there’s no pain is a huge mistake. Early diagnosis truly saves lives.”
“Keeping the immune system strong is crucial in illness”
Emphasizing the importance of morale and family support, Prof. Öztek said: “In illness, keeping the immune system strong is crucial. If you demoralize the patient, you actually weaken their immune system too. That’s why the patient must remain strong both medically and emotionally, and their spirits must be kept high. Severe stress, anxiety, and sadness seriously harm the patient. Here, the family’s attitude is very important. In many families I have observed, women who lose their breast may feel as though they’ve lost not just an organ, but their femininity or responsibility to their spouse. At that point, the husband must never let her feel this way. Regardless of the type of illness, every family member should approach the patient with love, give moral support, and make her feel that they are by her side.”
Targeted therapy is highly important…
Sharing information on current cancer treatments, Prof. Öztek explained: “Treatment options include surgery, radiotherapy, and medical therapies. Sometimes alternative methods are also part of medical treatment. In surgical treatment, sometimes only a small biopsy is taken, while in other cases the entire breast may be removed. Non-surgical treatments include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and certain alternative medicine practices. In chemotherapy, hormonal drugs are often used. In recent years, we also have targeted therapies, popularly known as smart drugs. However, these drugs are not suitable for every patient. Genetic tests are performed first. Depending on the results, the drug may stop the blood vessels feeding the tumor from working, or directly locate the tumor cell and neutralize it. This is why these medications are called targeted therapies.”
The event concluded with Prof. İbrahim Öztek’s insights and recommendations to the participants.