Prof. Gamze Uğurluer Sümer, MD

Prof. Gamze Uğurluer Sümer, MD is a radiation oncologist working in the Radiation Oncology unit of Acibadem Maslak Hospital in İstanbul. Her clinical work centers on the radiation treatment of head and neck cancers, brain tumors, breast cancer and gastrointestinal cancers, including external radiotherapy and brachytherapy. She consults in Turkish and English.

Dr. Sümer graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 2000 and completed her specialty training in Radiation Oncology at Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital in 2004, where she then worked as a specialist doctor in the Radiation Oncology Clinic. From 2004 to 2006 she was a specialist doctor at Van State Hospital. Between 2006 and 2009 she held the position of Assistant Associate Professor Doctor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, where she also served as Deputy Chief Physician of the Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine Training and Research Hospital from 2006 to 2008 and sat on the Faculty Board as the Assistant Associate Professor Representative from 2007 to 2009. She joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2009. She is a member of the Rare Cancer Network, the Turkish Medical Association, the Radyasyon Onkolojisi Association and the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

Clinical focus

Dr. Sümer plans and delivers radiotherapy for several groups of cancers. She treats patients with head and neck cancers, brain tumors, breast cancer and gastrointestinal cancers. Her expertise also includes brachytherapy, a form of radiotherapy in which the radiation source is placed inside or close to the tumor. Radiotherapy is often one component of a wider oncology plan, and whether it is suitable for an individual patient depends on the diagnosis, the stage of disease, previous treatments and the patient’s general condition.

Her published work consists mainly of case reports and retrospective reviews. Topics include bilateral breast cancer with simultaneous invasive lobular and invasive ductal carcinoma, radiation recall dermatitis, primary testicular lymphoma, rectal cancer during pregnancy, transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter, vulvar rhabdomyosarcoma, prognostic factors and survival in oral cavity cancers, and a comparison of brain and lens doses with different treatment plans in whole brain radiotherapy.

How Dr. Sümer works with international patients

Dr. Sümer consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. Before a visit, the Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as MRI, CT, X-ray or ultrasound reports, laboratory and pathology results, operative notes and discharge summaries, and arranges appointments and the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the possible options, including whether radiotherapy or brachytherapy may have a role in the overall treatment plan. Video consultations are available for international patients, which can be used to review a case before travel or to follow up after treatment.