Assoc. Prof. Semiha Urvay, MD

Assoc. Prof. Semiha Urvay, MD is a Medical Oncology specialist in the Medical Oncology Department of Acibadem Kayseri Hospital in Kayseri. She has more than 23 years in medicine, with a background in Internal Medicine followed by specialist training in Medical Oncology. Her clinical work covers a range of solid tumors, including lung and other thoracic cancers, head and neck cancers, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer and ovarian cancer.

Dr. Urvay graduated from İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine in 2003. From 2003 to 2008 she worked as an Internal Medicine Research Assistant at the Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine, completing her Internal Medicine training at Ankara University Faculty of Medicine in 2008. In 2009 she completed a period of compulsory service (mecburi hizmet) at Çankırı Devlet Hospital. She then trained in Medical Oncology at Ankara Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, completing this training in 2013. Between 2013 and 2015 she worked at Sivas Numune Hospital, and from 2015 to 2016 she was Assistant Associate Professor at Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine. She has worked with Acıbadem Healthcare Services since 2016. Dr. Urvay is a member of the Turkish Medical Oncology Association and the Sivas Kanserle Yaşam Association. She has co-authored articles in the Middle East Medical Journal and the Ortadogu Medıcal Journal on topics including tumor markers and prognostic factors in breast cancer, hormone receptor and HER-2 expression changes between primary tumor and metastasis in metastatic breast cancer, Helicobacter pylori infection and survival in gastric cancer, the frequency of thrombosis in patients, and approaches to gliomas.

Clinical focus

Dr. Urvay’s areas of expertise include lung cancer and other thoracic cancers, as well as head and neck cancers. In gastrointestinal oncology, she treats colorectal cancer, including colon cancer and rectal cancer, together with gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Her practice also covers breast cancer and gynecologic cancers, specifically cervical cancer and ovarian cancer. As a medical oncologist, her role centers on the systemic, non-surgical management of these conditions, and the appropriate treatment approach is determined for each patient after a review of the diagnosis, stage and previous treatments.

How Dr. Urvay works with international patients

Dr. Urvay 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, 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 options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their case before deciding whether to travel.