Partner briefing · Albania
Check The Life
Integrated prevention and early detection in Istanbul: for families touched by cancer, and for everyone who wants to know where they stand.
Measure together, manage together.
Programme lead
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Özdoğan
Memorial Göztepe, Istanbul
Partner in Albania
Clinavia Medical
A question
When one person has cancer, the whole family lives with it.
Who takes care of the people who take care?
Families who travel to Istanbul for cancer treatment rarely come alone. A husband, a daughter, a brother sits in waiting rooms for weeks.
They carry the stress, often share part of the risk, and almost never think about their own health.
01 · Why families
Why families, why now.
Cancer is common in Albania, it clusters in families, and it weighs heavily on the people who care for patients.
Albania
One in five people will face cancer before 75.
GLOBOCAN estimates, population about 2.8 million
Most frequent new cancers
Screening is still young
First organised cervical screening programme: 2019, women aged 40–50.
Source: IARC Global Cancer Observatory, GLOBOCAN Albania fact sheet; UNFPA EECA, Eliminating cervical cancer in Albania.
Family risk
Cancer runs in families, and so should prevention.
Breast cancer risk by number of affected first-degree relatives (1.0 = no affected relative)
colorectal cancer risk with one affected parent or sibling; about 2.7× if diagnosed before 60
of all cancers are strongly linked to an inherited gene change
Risk is not destiny
87% of women with one affected relative are free of breast cancer at 80. What they need is a personal plan.
Source: Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer, Lancet 2001;358:1389–99; Taylor 2010 (in Genet Med systematic review, PMC4955831); US National Cancer Institute.
Caregivers
Four in ten caregivers show signs of depression.
Pooled prevalence of depression among caregivers of cancer patients (%)
35 studies · 11,396 caregivers · 18 countries
What we see in practice
Long hospital days, poor sleep, irregular meals, postponed own check-ups, and a quiet question: “Will this happen to me?”
The Check The Life answer
Psychological support, a sleep and nutrition plan, and a clear answer about personal and family risk, during the same stay in Istanbul.
Source: Depression among caregivers of cancer patients: updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncology 2022 (PMC9828427).
Who we serve
Two client groups, one integrated programme.
Family members of cancer patients
Mostly 30–50 years old, often already in Istanbul
Their needs
- “Am I at risk? Are my children?”
- Stress, poor sleep, no time for themselves
- Already in Istanbul for the patient’s treatment
What we offer
- Family tree and hereditary risk assessment
- Personal cancer screening calendar
- Psychological support for caregivers
- Scheduled around the patient’s treatment days
Health-conscious individuals
Any age, wanting a trusted, complete picture
Their needs
- A thorough check-up they can trust
- One doctor who connects all results
- Follow-up after returning home
What we offer
- Five specialties in one visit
- One integrated report in English
- 12-month remote follow-up
- Annual re-measurement in Istanbul
02 · About us
A prevention programme led by an oncologist.
Memorial Göztepe, Istanbul. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Özdoğan — founder and programme lead, medical oncology. Years of treating cancer, now focused on preventing it and finding it early.
Prof. Özdoğan’s profileNot a longevity app
Our goal is both a longer life (lifespan) and more healthy years (healthspan).
Data starts with the person
Questionnaires, sleep, stress, nutrition and family history before any test is ordered.
Five specialties, one table
Internal medicine, cardiology, psychology, nutrition and physiotherapy review the same person together.
Measure together, manage together
One report, one plan, and 12 months of follow-up.
02 · Method
How Check The Life works.
From the person’s own data to a 12-month plan.
Own data
Online questionnaire: history, family, sleep, stress, nutrition
Five specialties
Internal medicine, cardiology, psychology, nutrition, physiotherapy
Tests
Selected for this person, not a fixed list
Personal report
One clear report and one action plan
Follow-up
App, video consultations, yearly trend
Remote
Steps 1 and 5 happen from home, via the app and video calls.
In Istanbul
Steps 2–4: one visit day at Memorial Göztepe, plus a short results meeting.
Personal
Tests depend on age, sex, family history and findings.
02 · Team
One table, one person.
The specialists who review every client together.
02 · What we measure
What we measure.
The final test list is personal and decided by the responsible physician.
Internal medicine & labs
Full examination; blood count, sugar (HbA1c), cholesterol, liver, kidney, thyroid, vitamins, iron
Heart & vessels
ECG, echocardiography, exercise test, blood pressure, cardiovascular risk
Cancer screening
Breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate and skin checks by age and family history; lung CT for eligible smokers
Hereditary risk
Three-generation family tree; genetic counselling and testing if criteria are met
Mind & sleep
Stress, anxiety, depression and sleep scales; talk with our psychologist
Nutrition & movement
Body composition, personal nutrition plan, posture and strength assessment
02 · Family module
From family history to a personal plan.
The family module, designed for relatives of cancer patients.
Family tree
Three generations, drawn by our hereditary risk team
Risk assessment
Compared with international referral criteria
Genetic counselling
Only if criteria are met; testing when indicated
Screening calendar
Which test, from what age, how often
Family letter
For siblings and children, with the client’s consent
Why it matters
Most people with a family history will never develop cancer. But the few who carry a high-risk gene benefit most from early, targeted screening.
What we do not do
We do not order genetic tests for everyone, and we never present a risk without a plan to manage it.
03 · The CTL app
Before, during and after.
One app carries the client from the first questionnaire to the twelfth month.
Before the visit
Health questionnaire
With family history — about 15 minutes.
Every day
Daily plan
Steps, sleep, nutrition tips and reminders from the team.
After the visit
Follow-up
Video consultations, team messages, report and family letter.
03 · The report
One report, five specialties, one plan.
At a glance
Six health domains, key findings, top three actions
Family & screening
Family tree, risk assessment, screening calendar
Results & plan
Labs with reference ranges, trends, 12-month plan
03 · Reporting process
From measurements to a plan the client understands.
Target timeline for international clients.
- 01
Visit day
All measurements in one day at Memorial Göztepe
- 02
Results
Laboratory and imaging results come in
- 03
Team review
Five specialties review the client together
- 04
Report
One integrated report (PDF) in the CTL app
- 05
Explained
Video consultation with the responsible physician
- 06
12 months
Follow-up and annual re-measurement
Before flying home
short preliminary summary with the physician
~10 days
full integrated report (target)
English
report language; interpreter support to be arranged
Patient-owned
results are shared only with the client’s consent
04 · Client journey
Two days in Istanbul, twelve months of care.
Before travel
2–4 weeks- 1EnquiryThrough Clinavia Medical
- 2QuestionnaireIn the CTL app, from home
- 3SchedulingDate confirmed by the CTL coordinator
In Istanbul
2 days- 1Day 1 · CTL dayFasting; about 5 hours; all five specialties
- 2Day 2 · short visitExtra tests if needed; preliminary summary
- 3Relatives of patientsScheduled around treatment days
At home
12 months- 1ReportFull report in the app; video explanation
- 2Follow-upVideo check-ins at months 3, 6 and 9
- 3Month 12Re-measurement in Istanbul
04 · Who does what
Partner lane and medical lane, step by step.
Partner
Clinavia Medical
Medical
Check The Life team
04 · Communication
Clear communication, clear boundaries.
Rules for the partnership.
One coordinator
Every client and the partner have one named CTL coordinator as the single point of contact.
Fast response
First response within one business day; the visit date is confirmed in writing.
Medical data stays medical
Results go only to the client. The partner sees dates and logistics, and results only with written consent.
Language
English as working language; interpreter support available for Albanian-speaking clients.
04 · Our standards
What we promise, and what we do not.
We promise
- Evidence-based tests with a clear reason
- Five specialties reviewing the same person
- One clear report and a practical plan
- 12 months of follow-up after the client returns home
- Data protected under Turkish law (KVKK); results belong to the client
We do not
- Order tests “just in case”, or genetic tests for everyone
- Promise outcomes or guarantee that cancer will be prevented
- Replace the patient’s cancer treatment; that is managed separately
- Share medical results with third parties without consent
- Present a risk without a plan to manage it
04 · Next steps
Partner toolkit and how we start.
Partner briefing
This programme overview, in English
One-page flyer
For families and clients, in English and Albanian
Referral form
Contact consent and basic details
FAQ
Common questions from families
Sample report
A fictional example to show clients