Cancerwise

When Daniel West was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2022, he was shocked. Not only had he quit smoking in 2006, but he was fit, active and deeply committed to living a healthy life. Lung cancer felt impossible to accept as part of his story.

Daniel had lost his mother to breast cancer and his grandfather to lung cancer, so he knew how important it was to get the best treatment. The Houston native chose UT MD Anderson because of its reputation for cutting-edge research and cancer care.

Daniel’s lung cancer diagnosis

Daniel had no symptoms leading up to his lung cancer diagnosis. A routine heart scan revealed two nodules on his middle and lower right lung in October 2022.

His primary care doctor referred him to a specialist who did more scans and scheduled a bronchoscopy to biopsy the nodules.

The biopsy revealed that Daniel had early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. He was 52.

Daniel was referred to a local surgeon who wanted to remove the cancerous nodule in his middle right lung lobe.

“But I still had another nodule in my lung,” says Daniel. “We didn’t feel completely comfortable with the treatment. So, my husband, John, and I decided to get a second opinion at UT MD Anderson.”

Daniel hadn’t realized how easy it was to make an appointment. He requested an appointment online and got a response the same day.

Undergoing lung cancer treatment at UT MD Anderson

On Jan. 17, 2023, Daniel had his first appointment with thoracic oncologist Carl Gay, M.D., Ph.D., thoracic surgeon Wayne Hofstetter, M.D., and other members of his care team.

“At the other hospital, we only spoke with the surgeon. We didn’t get to speak with an oncologist,” recalls Daniel. “We liked that at UT MD Anderson, we were able to talk to all my doctors in the beginning. Lung cancer is such a serious diagnosis, so I liked that they had a plan for my treatment.”

On Feb. 6, Hofstetter performed a robotic lobectomy to remove Daniel’s middle right lobe as well as 14 lymph nodes for biopsy. After three of the lymph nodes were found to be cancerous, doctors updated his diagnosis from early-stage to stage IIB.

Because the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes, Daniel’s care team recommended adjuvant chemotherapy. He completed four cycles of chemotherapy from March through June 2023. He rang the bell at UT MD Anderson to mark the end of his treatment.  

Doctors continue to monitor the nodule on Daniel’s lower right lung as well as several other nodules. None of them has grown. And for more than two years since the winter of 2023, Daniel’s scans have shown no evidence of active disease.  

Previous biomarker testing showed that the cancerous tumor was EGFR positive. This type of lung cancer is often associated with people who don’t smoke and is caused by a mutation in the EGFR gene. It can be treated with targeted therapy.

Daniel began taking the targeted therapy drug osimertinib in May 2023 to help prevent recurrence. It’s a pill he will take daily until June 2026.