Prof. M.D. Işık Aslay

My 82-year-old mother was diagnosed with an inoperable spinal metastasis. We were terrified and exhausted from hospital hopping. Dr. Işık Aslay was our last stop. He didn't just see a tumor; he saw my mother—her fear, her fatigue. He designed a highly targeted, five-session stereotactic body radiotherapy plan specifically to minimize her time in the hospital. His explanation, using simple analogies about 'precision gardening,' calmed her. The nursing team was incredibly gentle. Six months later, her pain is controlled, and she's back in her garden. Dr. Aslay gave us quality time we didn't think we'd have.

Our 7-year-old son required proton therapy for a recurrent brain tumor after initial surgery. The word 'radiation' for a child is every parent's nightmare. Dr. Aslay and his team at Acibadem Altunizade were phenomenal. They had a child-life specialist prepare him with a toy model of the machine. Dr. Aslay called it his 'space helmet treatment' and showed him pictures of the beam like a superhero laser. Each session, he took 30 seconds to ask about his favorite cartoon. The technical precision was matched only by his profound kindness. Our son is now in remission and calls Dr. Aslay his 'space doctor.' The holistic, child-centered approach made an unbearable process bearable.

I was a 45-year-old emergency referral with severe superior vena cava syndrome from an aggressive lymphoma—I couldn't breathe and was swelling rapidly. This wasn't a planned treatment; it was a crisis. Dr. Aslay was consulted late on a Friday. He reviewed my scans immediately and had me scheduled for emergency palliative radiotherapy that same evening to relieve the obstruction. He met me in the treatment room, explained the urgent goal clearly without sugarcoating, but with a calm assurance that cut through my panic. The relief began within 48 hours. He turned a life-threatening complication into a manageable bridge so my systemic therapy could work. His decisive action in an emergency saved my life.

As a 38-year-old with early-stage breast cancer, I opted for a lumpectomy followed by accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) using a multi-catheter brachytherapy. My case was not an emergency, but it was complex and required meticulous planning. Dr. Aslay's approach was a perfect blend of cutting-edge science and artisan-like care. He spent an hour with me and my husband, drawing the radiation dose distribution like a heat map over my ultrasound images, explaining why this targeted approach spared my heart and lung. The catheter insertion was precise, and the twice-daily treatments were short. On the final day, he personally removed the catheters and said, 'Our job here is done. Go live your life.' It was routine for him, but profoundly personal for me. The entire experience was empowering, not frightening.