By Semaan “Sam” Kosseifi, MD
Lung cancer can be a silent killer because the cancer can develop before symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, phlegm and a persistent cough present themselves. It’s rather common to discover the presence of lung cancer when a patient seeks medical treatment for another condition.
Such was the case for my patient Barbara Lee Lynn. Over Christmas, she fell ill with the flu and pneumonia, and that led to a CT scan. Upon review by a radiologist, the image revealed a suspicious nodule in the upper right lobe of her lung. The findings were brought to the Tumor Board Conference to confirm it was in fact a tumor and to discuss next steps.
Weeks later, Lynn made an appointment at Holy Cross Health’s pulmonology office, and we delivered the news that there was a tumor. My colleagues and I began treating her.
“I smoked and stopped at least 15 years ago,” the 73-year-old Pompano Beach resident said. “I never did any kind of lung cancer screening, although now it is very popular and very important. I had no symptoms while the cancer was growing. Had I not been sick, I would not have discovered the nodule.”
Lynn underwent a robotic-assisted bronchoscopy with Ion. During the procedure, a physician guides an ultra-thin catheter through the patient’s airway to the area of the lung that requires a biopsy. The small, flexible catheter can reach all segments of the lung, even far into the outer lung. Once at the location of the nodule to be biopsied, the catheter locks in place and the physician inserts biopsy tools through the catheter to take a lung tissue sample. Lynn then had a robotic-assisted surgery to remove the nodule.
“By the grace of God, other tissue was negative,” Lynn said of her biopsy results.
Lynn is thankful her tumor was caught at stage 1A. Although no treatment is required at this time, my colleagues and I continue to monitor her case closely. She regularly follows up with us every three months. We take liquid DNA samples to track her lung cancer to see if it’s spread.
“What they are doing now in the field of lung cancer is wonderful,” Lynn said in praise of the innovation.
From diagnosis to treatment to ongoing care, Holy Cross Health’s specialty medical practices and our Michael and Dianne Bienes Comprehensive Cancer Center offer a wide range of services and providers who take a multidisciplinary approach to treat our patients’ unique cases. We work together as a team to provide our patients and families with options and guide them on their journeys to making an educated decision on their individualized course of action. They not only rely on our medical expertise, but our compassionate care every step of the way. Our nurse lung navigator steers the process, so the patient and physicians are always on the same page and kept well informed.
Because of the advances in the field, early detection and swift response to her lung cancer diagnosis, Lynn can now enjoy this Christmas with her family and reflect on the challenging year she endured. During the holidays, we focus so much on the gifts under the tree, but there really is no greater gift than life and good health.
Dr. Kosseifi is a pulmonologist at Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale.
