{"id":1169872,"date":"2026-02-18T14:27:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T19:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nortonhealthcare.com\/news\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T14:27:58","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T19:27:58","slug":"simple-screening-to-detect-lung-cancer-saves-mans-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nortonhealthcare.com\/news\/simple-screening-to-detect-lung-cancer-saves-mans-life","title":{"rendered":"Simple screening to detect lung cancer saves man\u2019s life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lung cancer often has no symptoms, but can be detected early<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Marshall of Louisville stopped smoking around five years ago after smoking two packs a day for more than 40 years. He had been for a lung cancer<\/a> screening three times but skipped it in 2024. His primary care provider sent him right back in early 2025. The screening found a spot on his left lung.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I started screening, all the years I had smoked I figured it was going to be time to pay the piper. It wasn\u2019t a great surprise, but I had no symptoms other than COPD<\/a> [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a disorder that causes airflow blockage and breathing-related issues].\u201d David said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t overly apprehensive, because it was small and I didn\u2019t want to worry too much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many patients are not as fortunate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are different kinds of lung cancer,\u201d said Adam D. Lye, M.D.<\/a>, medical oncologist\/hematologist with Norton Cancer Institute<\/a>. \u201cSome can only be treated with surgery. If the cancer has grown too much, surgery is no longer an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe earlier you can catch a cancer, the more treatable it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bonus for David was that the spot on his lung could be removed through robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System, meaning the procedure would be less invasive and have a faster recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUsing robotic-assisted surgery, we were able to go in through several small incisions rather than completely opening the chest,\u201d said George J. Mikos, M.D.<\/a>, thoracic surgeon with Norton Cardiothoracic Surgery. \u201cThat means going home faster and with less pain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For David, this meant getting back to his family faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoing the screening is important,\u201d David said. \u201cI am a perfect example. If I had gone to Stage 3 or 4 [cancer], I would have been finished. This was a lifesaving screening for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lung cancer screening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Screening<\/a> uses a high-speed, low radiation CT scan that is painless and takes just a few minutes. The screening is available to patients who are at high risk and:<\/p>\n\n\n\n