Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
Israel, Tel Aviv
Ofer Merimsky
41 years of experience
accreditations :
Clinic is certified :
| Israel | Turkey | Austria | |
| Chemotherapy for breast cancer | from $22,500 | from $1,200 | from $15,000 |
| Radiation therapy for colorectal cancer | - | from $7,000 | from $12,000 |
Dr. Pelles Sharon specializes in advanced liver cancer treatments at Sourasky Medical Center, including liver resection and chemoembolization.
Prof. Merimsky leads the Soft Tissue and Bone Oncology Unit at Sourasky Medical Center, specializing in complex cancer cases.
Prof. Nadir Arber heads the Integrated Cancer Prevention Center at Israel's Sourasky Medical Center, specializing in gastrointestinal oncology.
Dr. Arnon Nagler is an internationally recognized hematologist and bone marrow transplant expert. He is a Professor of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. He is Director Emeritus of Hematology & Bone Marrow Transplantation and the Cord Blood Bank at Sheba Medical Center. He earned his M.D. from the Hebrew University–Hadassah and an M.Sc. in hematopoiesis from Tel Aviv University. He completed postdoctoral training at Stanford. He is board certified in internal medicine and hematology.
He has more than 35 years of experience. He pioneered reduced‑intensity allogeneic transplant protocols for malignant and non‑malignant diseases. He founded Israel’s first public cord blood bank. He performed the country’s first cord blood transplants.
He has held international leadership roles. He served as Chair and Co‑Chair of the ALWP of the EBMT. He was a vice‑chair and long‑term member of EBMT committees. He served on the board of NetCord/EuroCord and as treasurer. He is a frequent invited speaker. He has published widely in journals such as Blood and Leukemia. He has led major clinical trials as a principal investigator and held editorial roles. He has received multiple awards for innovation and clinical excellence.
Stage 3 liver cancer is treatable with surgery in Israel if the tumor is resectable and liver function remains stable. Specialists use advanced procedures like partial hepatectomy or ex-vivo resection. Eligibility depends on vascular involvement and the absence of distant metastasis.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Data shows that choosing high-volume centers like Sheba or Sourasky is vital for complex stages. These facilities perform over 34,000 to 45,000 operations annually. This high frequency allows surgeons to maintain expertise in rare procedures like ex-vivo resection. Patients benefit from multidisciplinary teams that often re-evaluate cases initially labeled as inoperable elsewhere.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that a second opinion is essential because assessments of operability vary between surgeons. They emphasize asking exactly why surgery is not recommended to explore downstaging options.
Israeli hospitals provide advanced non-surgical local therapies including transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), and microwave ablation. These minimally invasive procedures target stage 3 tumors when surgery is not possible. Specialized JCI-accredited centers use these techniques to halt progression.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Data shows Israeli specialists like Dr. Pelles Sharon at Sourasky Medical Center often combine SIRT with immunotherapy. This dual approach is common in high-volume clinics like Sheba, which treats over 1,900,000 patients annually. While ablation is standard for small nodules, Israeli oncologists frequently use microwave ablation for larger stage 3 masses. This is possible due to the high density of robotic and digital imaging technologies at these academic centers.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that TACE is a common bridge therapy to slow tumor growth. Many emphasize that doctors prioritize liver function scores over tumor stage when choosing between radiation and embolization.
Advanced and experimental therapies are widely available in Israel for inoperable cancer. Patients access cutting-edge protocols through international clinical trials and compassionate use programs. Leading academic centers specialize in cellular immunotherapies, precise radioactive micro-technologies, and molecularly targeted biological regimens for unresectable tumors.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli oncology centers like Sheba Medical Center and Sourasky (Ichilov) often successfully downstage tumors once labeled inoperable. Prof. Dr. Almog Ben Yaacov at Sheba, for instance, uses microwave liver ablation and robot-assisted technology to treat complex cases. A high volume of clinical trials and 90% oncology success rates at Ichilov indicate that multidisciplinary reviews frequently find new surgical or systemic pathways.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize the value of a multidisciplinary tumor board review. Inoperable status can change after evaluation by a hepatobiliary surgeon and an interventional radiologist together.
Israeli medical centers like Sheba and Sourasky lead in treating Stage 3 liver cancer through multidisciplinary tumor boards. These JCI-accredited facilities provide advanced therapies including SIRT radioembolization and complex hepatectomy. High survival rates are achieved using integrated surgical oncology and personalized immunotherapy protocols.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli oncology centers demonstrate high expertise through specialized leadership roles. Dr. Yuri Goldes at Sheba pioneered the first robotic oncologic resections in Israel. This technical depth allows for minimally invasive approaches even in complex Stage 3 cases. Patients benefit from surgeons who perform over 200 specialized procedures like HIPEC annually.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize that top-tier results come from hospitals using full liver tumor boards. They recommend getting second opinions from major academic centers to confirm the best treatment combination.
International patients can begin liver cancer treatment in Israel within 3 to 5 days of arrival. Evaluation starts immediately after online medical file review. If diagnostic scans are current, specialists can confirm a treatment plan within 48 to 72 hours of the first consultation.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli oncology centers like Sheba Medical Center and Sourasky prioritize multidisciplinary tumor board reviews for stage 3 cases. This ensures that surgeons, hepatologists, and interventional radiologists evaluate resectability together. Choosing a center with specialized hepatobiliary units typically shortens the path from initial scan to the first procedure by at least 48 hours.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that arriving with complete pathology reports and recent PET-CT scans avoids redundant testing delays. They emphasize that while consultations happen quickly, the real key to speed is having a dedicated coordinator handle medical translations before landing.