TOGETHER WE ANSWER CANCER
A preventive scan detects small mass in an otherwise healthy patient
The Chicago Sun-Times and the University of Chicago Medicine have joined forces under the “Together We Answer Cancer” banner to support the American Cancer Society’s mission to free the world from cancer by raising funds for research and to support patients.
Antoinette Barnes-Murdock knows firsthand that lung cancer is highly treatable and even curable if caught early.
Antoinette Barnes-Murdock had no symptoms of lung cancer. But at age 68, with a long history of heavy smoking, she fit the criteria to be screened for the disease.
So, when she visited a kidney specialist for another condition, the doctor suggested Barnes-Murdock get a lung cancer screening.
Barnes-Murdock underwent a scan called low-dose computed tomography, or LDCT, which created detailed pictures of her lungs. The scan showed a small mass in her left lung.
The Dolton resident was referred to oncologist Danielle Sterrenberg, MD, at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey. After the mass was determined to be stage 1 lung cancer, cardiothoracic surgeon Daniel Ciaburri, MD, removed the tumor and several lymph nodes.
“I had no idea I had it, but I thank God I took the test,” Barnes-Murdock said. “If I had not gone for the CT scan, I never would have been diagnosed.”
With the help and support of her husband, she recovered quickly from surgery and did not need further treatment.
Sterrenberg called Barnes-Murdock a “poster child” for why lung cancer screenings are important. “Lung cancer screening has advanced in the last three years. Without these screenings, patients are often diagnosed at stage 3 or 4, and the outcomes are not as good,” she said.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in this country. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends an annual lung cancer screening for patients 55 to 80 years old with a history of smoking at least one pack per day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years, and who currently smoke or quit within the last 15 years.
Barnes-Murdock smoked for 30 years — a habit she picked up in college — until she decided to quit in early 2019.
“I had just gotten off diabetic medication and two other prescriptions, so I wanted to get healthy,” she said. “If I wanted a good quality of life I needed to give up smoking.”
While she had a history of cancer in her family, Barnes-Murdock hadn’t been experiencing any signs or symptoms of lung cancer. Symptoms typically include a persistent cough, shortness of breath, weight loss
and chest pain that worsens with breathing, laughing or coughing.
She noted that like her, other African American women over the age of 65 may neglect important health issues.
“It’s something where we need to do better,” she said. “I believe in preventive maintenance. Know your body and get it checked out when something isn’t functioning right.”