When Vic Thompson saw an advertisement for a lung cancer screening, something prompted him, after about 60 years of on-and-off smoking, to look into it.
Once the lung cancer screening clinic determined Thompson was a candidate for the life-saving screening, he set an appointment to do it in March, but COVID-19 hit and elective procedures were postponed.
He reinvestigated in July and was immediately scheduled for the low-dose CT scan at Henry Ford West Bloomfield, which was close to his home in Commerce Township.
Results from that screening led to a PET scan, which suggested there was a small nodule in Thompson’s lung.
After meeting with the pulmonology team, it was decided that Thompson would have a minimally invasive lung cancer surgery, in which thoracic surgeon Dr. Andrew Popoff would remove the nodule via a wedge section.
Thompson was scheduled at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, where Popoff removed his lower left lobe.
“I was discharged days later with honestly no pain at all,” he said. “I am currently using the breathing machine and walking daily to build up my lung capacity, as I am sometimes a little winded.”
Thompson said it was quite a journey, but he’s please he went through with the lung screening program.
“I believe that’s why the nodule was found early,” he said. “Dr. Popoff informed me that it was non-small cell lung cancer, stage one.”
Thompson’s nodule was removed completely with no need for chemotherapy or radiation.
“I want to encourage anyone who meets the criteria, to consider scheduling a lung cancer screening,” he said. “Don’t wait. Do not be afraid of catching the coronavirus. I felt safe, and the hospital was clean with protocols in place.”
Thompson is back to living his life, enjoying the lake life and cooking in the kitchen. And in other good news, he’s also quit smoking for good.
Twice a year, Thompson will go in for a CT scan to monitor the lungs and check for recurrence. Currently, Thompson is cancer free.