Patient Experience
My 82-year-old father was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer, and other hospitals had given us little hope. We came to Prof. Nayir as a last resort. What struck me first was how he spoke directly to my father, not just to us, his children. He explained a targeted therapy protocol in simple terms, acknowledging the challenges but focusing on quality of life. He didn't promise miracles, but he promised careful management. For 18 months, my father had good days, he attended my daughter's wedding. Prof. Nayir's team managed side effects so meticulously. When the time came, the transition to palliative care was handled with such profound respect. He treated my father like a person, not a chart. We are forever grateful for that dignity.
Our 7-year-old daughter, Elif, was diagnosed with a rare abdominal sarcoma. The world collapsed. Prof. Nayir met us in his office with a detailed, hand-drawn diagram. 'This is what we're fighting,' he said, showing it to Elif. He involved her in decisions ('purple medicine or yellow today?'). His protocol was aggressive but tailored. During the worst neutropenic fevers, he visited her room at 10 PM, not on rounds, just to check. He remembered her stuffed rabbit's name. The surgery was complex, but he coordinated with pediatric surgeons in Ankara seamlessly. Two years in remission now, and Elif draws pictures for 'her doctor.' He fought for her childhood as fiercely as he fought the cancer.
I'm a 45-year-old teacher with BRCA2. My routine checkup MRI showed a suspicious shadow. The system moved at lightning speed. Within 72 hours, Prof. Nayir had me in for a biopsy, a PET-CT, and a multidisciplinary meeting. No waiting, no anxiety-filled weeks. He presented me with three clear options: surveillance, prophylactic surgery, or a pre-emptive targeted approach. He spent an hour with me and my husband, answering every 'what if.' I chose the prophylactic route. His surgical planning was impeccable, minimally invasive, preserving what could be preserved. The follow-up isn't just scans; it's a conversation about lifestyle, stress, and genetics for my sisters. He turned a terrifying genetic sentence into a manageable plan I control.
My husband, a previously healthy 58-year-old, collapsed with neurological symptoms. It was a brain metastasis from an unknown primary. The ER called Prof. Nayir at home. He was there within 30 minutes, reviewing the scans himself. In that crisis, his calm was our anchor. He said, 'First, we control the brain, then we find the source.' He arranged emergency radiosurgery that night. The next week, through a complex diagnostic cascade, he identified a small lung primary. The oncology was complex, managing the brain and systemic disease. He used an innovative combination of immunotherapy and focused radiation. That was three years ago. My husband is back to work, hiking. Prof. Nayir navigated that emergency into a long-term remission we never dreamed possible in those first terrifying hours.