Prof. MD. Nuri Faruk Aykan

My 82-year-old mother with metastatic bladder cancer was turned away as 'too frail' elsewhere. Prof. Aykan saw not a statistic but a person who tended her rose garden daily. His gentle immunotherapy approach avoided harsh chemotherapy, managing her disease while preserving quality of life. Two years on, she still tends her roses every morning, a testament to his philosophy that even advanced age deserves thoughtful, personalized care.

During my third trimester, a routine ultrasound revealed aggressive thyroid cancer. As a 31-year-old expecting mother, I faced impossible choices. Prof. Aykan coordinated a multidisciplinary team to monitor the cancer's progression weekly, delaying treatment until 48 hours after my healthy delivery. He then performed a targeted therapy regimen that allowed me to breastfeed during recovery. Today, both my daughter and I are thriving, a dual miracle made possible by his exceptional timing and compassion.

Our 16-year-old son's Ewing sarcoma diagnosis felt like a death sentence. Prof. Aykan didn't just treat the cancer; he treated our teenager. Recognizing his passion for astrophysics, Prof. Aykan scheduled treatments around a meteor shower viewing and discussed cellular biology using star formation analogies. This human connection made our son an active participant in his healing. Now cancer-free, he's studying aerospace engineering, inspired by the doctor who showed him science could save lives.

As a 45-year-old chef, losing my sense of taste to oral cancer treatment seemed worse than the disease itself. Prof. Aykan developed a novel mucosal-sparing radiation technique that preserved my taste buds while eradicating the tumor. During recovery, he collaborated with a nutritionist to create flavor-intensive recipes that worked with my temporary limitations. Six months later, I reopened my restaurant with a 'Recovery Tasting Menu' dedicated to the doctor who understood that quality of life includes savoring life's flavors.

As a 24-year-old competitive freediver, my world collapsed when a routine scan revealed a rare mediastinal germ cell tumor. Other oncologists focused only on survival, but Prof. Aykan understood my need to preserve lung capacity. His targeted protocol spared critical tissue, and eighteen months later, I not only achieved remission but returned to competition, setting a new national depth record, proof that precision oncology can save both life and passion.