Assoc. Prof. Fatma Tokat, MD

Assoc. Prof. Fatma Tokat, MD is a pathologist at Acibadem Maslak Hospital in İstanbul, where she works in the Pathology Department. Her work centers on the examination and interpretation of tissue and cell samples, providing diagnostic information that clinicians use when confirming a diagnosis and planning treatment. Dr. Tokat has more than 26 years in medicine and works closely with the wider clinical team, since pathology findings are generally read together with the patient’s history, imaging and other laboratory results.

Dr. Tokat graduated from İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine in 2000 and completed her specialty training in medical pathology at Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine in 2007. She has been working within Acıbadem Healthcare Services since 2022. She is a member of the Federation of Pathology Societies and the Kayseri Medical Chamber. Her published work includes studies on the detection of urothelial carcinoma in urine cytology combined with CK-20 immunostaining, the comparison of urine marker tests used alongside standard cytology, the role of percutaneous needle core biopsy in the diagnosis of renal masses, tumor tissue markers in gastric adenocarcinoma, and the correlation between prenatal ultrasound findings and fetal autopsy results.

Clinical focus

Dr. Tokat’s practice is in medical pathology and diagnostic pathology. This involves the laboratory evaluation of tissue samples, such as biopsies and surgically removed specimens, and of cell samples, such as those obtained from body fluids or fine-needle aspirations. The samples are processed, stained and examined under the microscope, and additional techniques such as immunostaining may be applied when they help to characterize a finding. The result is a written pathology report describing what was seen and, where possible, a diagnosis.

Pathology reports are one part of the diagnostic picture. Their interpretation depends on the quality and representativeness of the sample and on the clinical context, and the final diagnosis and treatment decisions are made by the treating physicians together with the patient. In some cases a review of existing slides or additional testing may be suggested before a conclusion can be reached.

How Dr. Tokat works with international patients

Dr. Tokat works in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. The Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, for example MRI, CT, X-ray or ultrasound reports, laboratory and pathology results, operative notes and discharge summaries, and arranges appointments and the hospital visit. For pathology, existing pathology reports and, where available, the original slides or tissue blocks are particularly relevant for a review. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination where appropriate, and a discussion of the options, including whether further sampling or a second review of existing material may be helpful. Video consultation is available for international patients, which can be used to discuss existing findings and next steps before or instead of travel, depending on the case.