22.02.2026 12:00
30-year-old Mahir Alagöz, living in Iğdır, went to the hospital due to a persistent cough that caused shortness of breath and learned that he had been diagnosed with "Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2 (MEN2)," a condition that occurs in 1 in 35,000 people worldwide. After undergoing four surgeries, Alagöz regained his health, but he will be monitored for the disease for the rest of his life.
"Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2)" is described as a hereditary disorder that increases the likelihood of tumor formation, particularly in the thyroid and parathyroid glands, within the endocrine system. The disease, which sometimes manifests with symptoms such as high blood pressure, weight loss, weakness or fatigue, and bone fragility, was also detected in 30-year-old Mahir Alagöz, who lives in Iğdır.
Alagöz, who stated that he went to doctors due to a persistent cough that did not go away, underwent detailed examinations after experiencing occasional blood pressure problems. While the tests revealed high calcium levels, scans showed a nodule in the parathyroid gland, thickening in the adrenal gland, and large air cysts in the right lung, in addition to a tumor that had been blocking the lower lobe of the right lung for a long time, confirming the diagnosis of MEN2 disease.
HE UNDERWENT FOUR SURGERIES
Alagöz's treatment was planned at Istanbul Göztepe Prof. Dr. Süleyman Yalçın City Hospital with a multidisciplinary approach. After the councils held, the parathyroid gland and the thickened adrenal gland were removed by the general surgery team. Then, the thoracic surgery team cleaned the air cysts in the right lung and removed the identified tumor. After a while, the patient was also operated on due to a kidney stone. While the patient's treatments were successfully carried out, Alagöz, who is under ongoing control, shared the challenging process he experienced. Thoracic Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Cansel Atinkaya Baytemir and General Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. İbrahim Ali Özemir provided statements regarding the patient's condition and the disease.
"I WAS COUGHING EXCESSIVELY, I COULDN'T BREATHE"
Speaking about his illness, 30-year-old Mahir Alagöz said, "I had a cough problem for about 2-3 years, it never stopped, it recurred in the evenings. I underwent a total of 4 surgeries for both the thyroid and adrenal glands, and my lungs. Thank God I am fine now, I have no problems. I came because I was complaining about cough and shortness of breath. I was very scared before the first lung surgery. I was coughing a lot, and when the weather was cold, I was coughing excessively. I could hardly breathe, I couldn't talk. I was drinking water, but it didn't go away; the cold weather was like a nightmare for me, I didn't want it to get cold. Normally, we are people who work outside. Due to my cough complaint, I would try to go to Bodrum, Muğla, or wherever it was warm. If I had the opportunity, I would like to announce the efforts of our healthcare workers to the whole world; I thank each of them individually," he said.
"FIRST COMPLAINT: COUGH ATTACKS"
Speaking about his patient, Prof. Dr. Cansel Atinkaya Baytemir stated, "The first complaint was persistent, recurring cough attacks along with upper respiratory tract infections that did not go away, and he visited the doctor several times. The cough attacks are related to the tumor in the airway. Subsequently, hypertension develops due to the syndrome. Persistent complaints are important and require more detailed examinations. Coughing is a condition caused by irritation from the tumor that develops in the airway, which we call endobronchial. If a complaint lasts longer than 2 weeks and does not respond to treatment, further analysis must be conducted. For this, they need to come back for a follow-up," he expressed.
"A DISEASE SEEN IN 1 IN 35,000 IN THE WORLD"
Providing information about the treatment process, Prof. Dr. Atinkaya Baytemir stated, "We had a multidisciplinary process of about 3.5 months with endocrinology and other departments. We went through a very meticulous, careful, step-by-step treatment and examination process for the patient. The main problem in the patient is that it is a genetic, familial syndrome known as MEN. In the patient's lung, there were not only the tumor in the lower part but also very large cysts in the upper part, which we call giant air cysts. A 30-year-old male patient had almost 1/4 of the right lung occupied. In the airway where this lesion in the right lung was located, we only removed the tumor area, and after removing it, the lung responded very well and opened up. The patient did not suffer significant lung loss. He smokes, and we advised him to quit. MEN2 Syndrome is a disease seen in 1 in 35,000 in the world; it is a very rare disease. A multidisciplinary approach is very important. It is an extremely rare syndrome. It will be followed for life, and no malignant tumor has emerged. All the lesions that appeared are benign. We expect our patient to lead a healthy life. Symptoms generally begin to appear between the ages of 15 and 30. If the patient does not take it seriously, complaints of high blood pressure, coughing up blood, and continuing to smoke may be overlooked if they do not come for a check-up," he said.
"WE PERFORMED 2 SURGERIES IN THE SAME SESSION"
Starting his words by saying, "He came to our thoracic surgery clinic after a mass was detected in his lung," Prof. Dr. İbrahim Ali Özemir stated, "While preparing for surgery, it was necessary to investigate the hypertension and high calcium levels first. During the investigation, a growth was detected in one of the calcium glands, and a mass was also found in the adrenal gland on the right side. First, we tried to normalize the blood pressure, and then the calcium levels. These are very complex, rarely seen diseases that occur together. Tumors can form that can affect almost all organs of the endocrine system. We performed the surgery on the mass in the parathyroid gland using a minimally invasive approach through a small incision, which we call focused surgery. We performed these 2 surgeries in the same session," he said.
"THE DISEASE DISRUPTS METABOLISM AS IT PROGRESSES"
Providing information about the patient's syndrome, Prof. Dr. Özemir stated, "All calcium glands or both adrenal glands can be affected simultaneously. We need to monitor their follow-ups closely. This syndrome is a collection of tumors that progress with multiple endocrine organ involvement, which we call multiple endocrine neoplasia. Syndromes generally affect young patients, and this is one of them. As the disease progresses, it disrupts the entire metabolism. It can lead to problems such as high blood pressure, heart rhythm disorders, and sudden cardiac arrest, as well as excessive bone resorption and spontaneous bone fractures, and can also cause kidney stones. We had to perform additional procedures due to kidney stone problems between these surgeries. In young patients, hypertension that occurs must be investigated, especially in resistant hypertension cases, and the adrenal glands need to be evaluated. It is beneficial to listen to our complaints," he concluded.