Leyla Şen, MD

Leyla Şen, MD is a radiation oncology specialist who practices in the Radiation Oncology unit at Acibadem Adana Hospital in Adana, Turkey. She has worked in medicine for more than 31 years, first as a general practitioner and, since 2011, as a radiation oncology specialist. Her clinical work centers on the planning and delivery of radiation therapy for adults with cancer, including head and neck cancers, brain tumors, gastrointestinal cancers and breast cancer.

Dr. Şen graduated from Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine in 1995. From 1997 to 2007 she worked as a general practitioner in the Emergency Department of Uşak State Hospital. She then completed specialty training in radiation oncology at İnönü University Faculty of Medicine in 2011. Following her training, she served as a Radiation Oncology Specialist at Gaziantep Dr. Ersin Arslan Training and Research Hospital from 2011 to 2017 and at Adana City Training and Research Hospital from 2017 to 2020, before joining Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2020. She is a member of the Üroonkoloji Association and the Türk Radyasyon Onkolojisi Association.

Clinical focus

Dr. Şen’s areas of expertise include head and neck cancers, brain tumors, gastrointestinal oncology and breast cancer radiotherapy. In each of these areas her role is to assess whether radiation therapy is appropriate for a given patient, to define the treatment target and dose in the context of the individual diagnosis, and to follow the patient during and after the course of treatment. Radiation oncology decisions are commonly made together with surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists and pathologists, and the suitability of any treatment depends on the type and stage of the disease, previous therapies and the patient’s general health.

She also has expertise in brachytherapy, a form of radiation therapy in which a radiation source is placed inside or close to the tumor. Whether external radiation therapy, brachytherapy or a combination is considered is determined case by case after review of the patient’s imaging, pathology and prior treatment history.

How Dr. Şen works with international patients

Dr. Şen speaks 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, arranges appointments and organizes 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 options, including whether radiation therapy is likely to be part of the treatment plan. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their case with Dr. Şen before deciding whether to travel; a final treatment recommendation still depends on a complete review of the medical records and, where needed, in-person assessment.