07.11.2026 11:32
Neşe Ciğerim, 73, who smoked three packs of cigarettes a day for 50 years in Samsun, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer about 5 years ago during the COVID-19 period. A cake was cut in the hospital for Ciğerim, who beat the disease with smart drug treatment and completed the 5th year of her fight. Explaining that she started to enjoy life again after quitting smoking, Ciğerim called out to smokers, saying 'Please quit.'
Neşe Ciğerim, 73, who smoked three packs a day for 50 years in Samsun and overcame stage 4 lung cancer, talked about her regret. Ciğerim said that after quitting smoking her outlook on life changed, she woke up more energetic in the mornings and began to enjoy many things again, and she called out to smokers, ‘Please quit.’ A cake was cut in the hospital for Ciğerim, who has passed the fifth year of her fight against cancer.
DIAGNOSED DURING THE COVID PERIOD
About 5 years ago, during the COVID-19 period, Neşe Ciğerim applied to the hospital, and after tests, she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Ciğerim, who was treated with smart drug therapy during the treatment process followed by Chest Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Şevket Özkaya, reached the fifth year of her fight against the disease.
SHE USED TO WAKE UP AT 2:00 A.M. AND SMOKE
Stating that she smoked for 50 years and smoked three packs a day, Ciğerim said she had previously applied to many doctors to quit smoking but could not succeed. Neşe Ciğerim, who explained that she came to the hospital after seeing the Mora therapy on social media, stated that she quit smoking in the first session.
Expressing that there were significant changes in her life after quitting smoking, Neşe Ciğerim said, “While I used to enjoy almost nothing before, after quitting smoking I began to enjoy life again. I wake up more energetic in the mornings. Previously I could not sleep without smoking at night. I used to wake up at 2:00 a.m. and smoke. Now I go to bed at 11:00 p.m. and wake up refreshed in the morning. I regret it very much. When I see women who smoke, I go up to them and beg, ‘Please quit.’ If it were not for Şevket Hoca, perhaps I could not have beaten this disease.”
SMOKING IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF LUNG CANCER
Chest Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Şevket Özkaya, on the other hand, stated that smoking in Türkiye is an important public health problem and said that smoking-related lung cancer is one of the deadliest cancer types both in Türkiye and in the world. Drawing attention to the fact that lung cancer is detected at an advanced stage in most patients, Özkaya said, “Now, thanks to personalized treatments and treatments applied at world standards with the permission of our Ministry, our patients are luckier. We are happy that Neşe abla, despite having advanced-stage lung cancer, has completed her fifth year and has been living a cancer-free life for five years.”
Reminding that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Özkaya emphasized that quitting smoking is one of the most important steps in the fight against cancer. Özkaya used the following statements: “If you are over 40 years old and have smoked for at least 20 years, you must definitely consult a doctor and have your cancer screenings done. We explain that lung cancer is one of the frequently seen cancers in our country and that its leading cause is smoking. Please do not smoke.”