{"id":2525,"date":"2022-11-10T20:15:42","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T20:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saintjohnscancer.org\/blog\/?p=2525"},"modified":"2024-08-20T15:34:13","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T15:34:13","slug":"lifetime-smoker-is-cancer-free-after-his-primary-physician-recommends-a-lung-screening-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saintjohnscancer.org\/blog\/thoracic\/lifetime-smoker-is-cancer-free-after-his-primary-physician-recommends-a-lung-screening-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Lifetime Smoker is Cancer Free after his Primary Care Physician Recommends New Lung Screening Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

James J. Toth, Sr. Lung Screening Program at Providence, Saint John’s Health Center Prevents Stage 1 Lung Cancer from Advancing.<\/h2>\n

15 days after a CT scan showed an anomaly in his lung, Gary Bethel woke up in the hospital to discover not only was his biopsy positive for stage 1 cancer, but it was completely removed, and he would not need further treatments, such as radiation or chemotherapy.<\/p>\n

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I have never heard of having lung cancer and it not requiring chemotherapy or radiation.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

– Laura Bethel<\/i><\/p>\n

The James J. Toth, Sr. Lung Screening Program<\/a> at Providence, Saint John’s Health Center is still in its infancy–less than a year old– and is already proving to be an invaluable resource for early cancer detection and improved outcomes. The program director is none other than Dr. Robert McKenna, Director of Minimally Invasive Chest Surgery and Thoracic Surgical Oncology, and Professor of Surgical Oncology at Saint John’s Cancer Institute.<\/p>\n

The lung screening program’s aim is to prevent advanced lung cancers in smokers since their risk of developing lung cancer is extremely high, about 80 to 90 percent.1<\/sup> Symptoms of lung cancer usually don’t appear until it is in an advanced stage, making screening programs like this one at Saint John’s highly advantageous for longtime smokers.<\/p>\n

Gary’s primary physician, based on certain prerequisites, such as age and smoking duration, recommended Gary have a lung screening CT scan, which led to a surgical biopsy.<\/p>\n

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Gary’s CT scan showed a finding that was concerning…and with Dr. McKenna’s 30-40 years of expertise, said the best course of action was surgery.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

– Sara Belton, Ph. D, RN<\/i><\/p>\n

What is “Shattered Glass” on a Lung CT scan<\/h3>\n

A cluster of cells that have changed into a unique spattered pattern on a CT scan is called shattered glass. The name is based on how lung cancer cells appear on a CT scan. They can grow over time and should be watched closely. After comparing Gary’s last year’s scan with this year’s CT scan, it was determined the cells had grown slightly and should be biopsied to determine malignancy.<\/p>\n

Another term for shattered glass is “ground glass opacity.” According to Sara Belton, Ph. D, RN, “these tumors are more ‘fuzzy’ or nebulous; they look like cotton candy. The less clearly defined a nodule or tumor is, the more tissue surrounding it you want to remove.”<\/p>\n

Gary, while on the operating table, had no idea he had lung cancer, and that Dr. Robert McKenna was curing him of it.<\/p>\n

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He went in at 7:30, I expected a call at 9:30, I got the call at one o’clock; so I was very concerned.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

– Laura Bethel<\/i><\/p>\n

Listen to Laura and Gary Bethel Comment on their Unexpected Cancer Journey<\/h3>\n