Prof. MD. Ozan Balakan

My 78-year-old grandmother, a retired Byzantine art restorer, was diagnosed with metastatic gallbladder cancer. Prof. Balakan created a personalized treatment plan combining immunotherapy with palliative care that respected her wish to continue museum volunteering. She celebrated her 80th birthday pain-free, attributing her quality time to his holistic approach.

During my third trimester of pregnancy, I was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. Prof. Balakan collaborated with maternal-fetal medicine specialists to time chemotherapy between gestational weeks, delivering my healthy daughter at 36 weeks before starting targeted treatment. His dual-care protocol saved both our lives.

As a 45-year-old competitive freediver with stage IV lung cancer, I feared treatment would end my athletic career. Prof. Balakan designed a precision medicine approach using liquid biopsy monitoring that minimized pulmonary toxicity. Eighteen months later, I set a national depth record while maintaining stable disease.

My 9-year-old son developed a rare pediatric sarcoma misdiagnosed elsewhere. Prof. Balakan identified it as radiation-induced from previous treatment and pioneered a novel CAR-T cell therapy protocol. His willingness to challenge the initial diagnosis gave our son a second chance at childhood.

As a 22-year-old archaeology student, I discovered a rare desmoid tumor during a field expedition. Prof. Balakan coordinated a multidisciplinary team across three countries to preserve my fertility while implementing targeted therapy. His innovative approach using off-label medications shrank the tumor 80% without surgery, allowing me to return to my studies in Anatolia.