Istanbul,Turkey – A Turkish teacherS valiant battle with triple-negative breast cancer and subsequent remission is offering a beacon of hope to those facing similar diagnoses. Hilal Kaya torun, 29, of Siirt, turkey, received a stage three diagnosis in February 2024, launching her into an intensive treatment plan that included chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, and radiation. Her story, recently shared widely on social media and marking World Cancer Day on February 4th, underscores the challenges of this aggressive cancer while highlighting the power of support and early detection.
A Turkish teacher of early childhood development received a diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer in February 2024 and has since shared her journey to remission, offering a message of hope and the importance of early detection. The case highlights the challenges of triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly aggressive form of the disease.
Hilal Kaya Torun, a resident of Siirt, Turkey, was diagnosed with stage three triple-negative breast cancer at Siirt Education and Research Hospital on February 8, 2024, after discovering a lump in her chest. Triple-negative breast cancer is known for its potential for rapid progression and limited treatment options, requiring a focused and often intensive approach to care.
Torun underwent an extensive treatment plan in Istanbul, supported by her husband, Yasin Torun, a civil servant. This included 18 rounds of chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy – the removal of both breasts – and 30 sessions of radiation therapy.
In a powerful display of support, Yasin Torun shaved his head when his wife began losing her hair due to chemotherapy. This gesture became a significant source of strength for Hilal Kaya Torun throughout her treatment. “He was my biggest source of morale during the treatment process,” she later shared.
On December 27, 2025, Torun received confirmation of a complete response to treatment, signifying she was cancer-free. She announced her remission on social media, sharing a video of her and her husband shaving their heads together, which garnered 1.9 million views.
“We should be afraid of cancer, but I think cancer was afraid of us,” Torun wrote in her post. Her story has resonated widely, offering encouragement to others facing similar diagnoses.
Speaking to DHA on February 4, 2026 – World Cancer Day – Torun recounted the initial shock of her diagnosis. She explained that doctors initially dismissed the lump as a benign cyst, but her husband, Yasin Torun, insisted on a biopsy. “I didn’t expect something like this to happen to me, so I wore my nicest clothes to the biopsy appointment,” she said. “I like to play ‘Pollyanna,’ you know, always looking on the bright side.”
The biopsy revealed stage three triple-negative cancer with a 95 percent spread rate. “At first, I thought, ‘How can this be? I’m only 29 years old, I’m so young. What will my husband do if I die?’” she recalled. Remarkably, the cancer had not spread beyond her breast. “The doctors were surprised that it hadn’t spread anywhere else. I was so overjoyed that I jumped up and started singing ‘Springs will come again’ to the doctor,” she said.
Prioritizing her future fertility, Torun immediately froze her eggs before beginning chemotherapy. She described the seven months of chemotherapy as “very difficult,” and moved to her grandmother’s home for support. Her husband took leave to care for her. “We spent time in the garden, I planted grass and flowers, painted tires, made decorations. I put my trust in God,” she said. Following chemotherapy, she underwent a double mastectomy.
“Even though my mother and husband were by my side, I felt the pain myself,” Torun said. “There were people who hurt me during this process, people who made fun of my illness and appearance, but I learned to rebuild myself. I think I stood tall in spite of them. I think I succeeded. In fact, I think I’m braver now than I was before all of this.”
‘I DIDN’T WANT TO CUT MY HAIR’
Torun explained that her doctor warned her hair would fall out during chemotherapy. “But I didn’t want to cut my hair,” she said. “The doctor said, ‘It will definitely fall out 15 days after the first chemotherapy.’ My hair was already quite long when I went to the doctor. I cut it short the first week. Then I had chemotherapy. My hair started falling out in handfuls on the fourth day. My husband said, ‘Look, you’ll suffer more as it falls out in your hands, so if you don’t want to do it outside, let’s do it at home together.’ I said, ‘No, I can’t do it, I can’t handle seeing that all at once.’ It was Ramadan at that time, and I said, ‘God, give me patience.’ We had our iftar meal, said our prayers, and then my husband started cutting it slowly. Then he cut his own hair too. I’ve always seen things like that happen. I don’t really like it, but I know he’s always there for me anyway. Whether or not he has hair isn’t important to me. But I think he did it because he couldn’t bear to see me like that.”
‘I SHARED THE VIDEO OF US CUTTING OUR HAIR TO GIVE HOPE’
Torun shared that her latest check-up results came back clear. “Then I had another surgery to remove my lymph nodes from my arm. The doctor called me 20 days later and came to me shouting, ‘You did it, baby!’ ‘What do you mean?’ I asked. ‘You beat it, it’s over now. Getting a complete response is very important, and you got a complete response,’ he said. I couldn’t believe it. Then the doctor said that the medications I had taken would continue to affect me for 1-2 years and that my husband would need to continue to support me during that time. He even thanked my husband. ‘I’ve seen many people come here with a cancer diagnosis and get divorced,’ he said. I’m very happy now. I’ve touched many good hearts on social media. They touched me too, thank you to them. ‘If my results come back clear, I’ll share the video of us cutting our hair to give hope,’ I said. I posted the video, and it hadn’t gotten that many views before. I woke up this morning to find that 1.9 million people had watched it. I was shocked even then. I received many prayers and messages. I am grateful to them all.”
‘THE GREATEST HEALING IS WITHIN YOURSELF’
Torun emphasized that the most important thing for people battling cancer is to believe in themselves. “I think the greatest healing is within yourself. You have to believe that. I believed it, and that’s how I went through it. Yes, the pain passes. The pain of surgery passes, the pain of chemotherapy passes, everything passes. You are never the same person after you get through it. Before my cancer diagnosis, we were planning to travel abroad. We had made preparations for that. That fell through. I guess we’ll continue from there now. During this process, I also lost my baby three times, but I really want to be a mother. All women, starting at age 20, should have check-ups every six months. A simple ultrasound isn’t enough; they should definitely have a mammogram or MRI, I think. Those who can afford it should consider getting a prophylactic mastectomy. I am eternally grateful to my mother, grandmother, aunt, and husband, who were with me the most. I got back on my feet thanks to them.”
