In a harrowing turn of events, David Katz’s routine drive home from Las Vegas took a terrifying twist when he suddenly felt dizzy, unable to see clearly, and struggled to maintain control of his vehicle. Fearing he might be having a stroke, his wife swiftly instructed him to pull over and get medical help.

Rushed to UC San Diego Health’s Jacobs Medical Center, Katz underwent emergency tests, including an MRI and head CT scan. Thankfully, he was spared a stroke diagnosis; instead, doctors attributed his condition to dehydration. However, the CT scan revealed an unexpected and alarming finding: a suspicious nodule on his lung.

“It's unbelievable! I was feeling thankful for my health one moment, and the next, I was on the brink of despair," Katz lamented, recalling the call he received from his emergency physician. “They confirmed no stroke but did find a concerning spot on my right lung.

That benign-seeming health issue quickly escalated when Katz was referred to Dr. George Cheng, an interventional pulmonologist. A subsequent biopsy uncovered the worst: early-stage lung cancer, specifically adenocarcinoma. “It felt surreal,” recalled Katz, who had adamantly avoided smoking for over four decades, maintained a healthy diet, and exercised regularly. “It’s shocking to think of lung cancer lurking inside me without any symptoms.”

However, Katz wasn’t alone in his good fortune; he was part of a rare statistic. According to the American Lung Association, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with lung cancer every two minutes. Alarmingly, around 10% of these individuals are nonsmokers. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in America, with more fatalities than the combined numbers from breast, colorectal, ovarian, and prostate cancers.

Katz’s case highlighted the sobering truth that lung cancer rarely presents symptoms until it has reached an advanced stage. Typical signs may include a persistent cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, wheezing, or unexplained shortness of breath. In more severe cases, the cancer may spread, causing additional symptoms such as bone pain or lymph node swelling. Yet, when detected early, treatment outcomes significantly improve.

“In many cases, early diagnosis is a game-changer. It allows us to start treatment sooner and potentially improve the prognosis,” Dr. Cheng emphasized. “This is why comprehensive lung cancer detection programs are crucial.”

The Lung Cancer Screening Program at UC San Diego Health is expressly designed for high-risk individuals. Those exhibiting any concerning symptoms should consult their primary care provider for potential testing options. Notably, advanced CT scans employed in these screenings minimize radiation exposure while capturing detailed lung images, facilitating early identification of potential malignancies.

Recent advancements in lung cancer care at UC San Diego Health also include innovative detection programs designed to identify incidental nodules in patients who don’t meet traditional screening criteria, effectively acting as a safety net.

“The radiologist who examined my initial CT scan was truly remarkable,” Katz shared. “He looked beyond the immediate concern of a stroke and flagged that spot on my lung. I owe my early cancer detection to his diligence.”

The center's reputation for excellence in pulmonology, recognized in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-2025 rankings, is underscored by their commitment to cutting-edge treatments. Katz underwent robotic-assisted bronchoscopy—an innovative technique for accessing otherwise hard-to-reach lung nodules. This minimally invasive procedure enhances both safety and diagnostic accuracy.

Dr. Cheng elaborated on the importance of this technology. “We use a robotic system to precisely navigate to problematic areas in the lung, offering greater accuracy in sampling for diagnoses.”

Following his diagnosis, Katz was guided by Dr. Mark Onaitis, a thoracic surgeon, through a surgical intervention to remove the cancerous tumor from his lung. “Early-stage lung cancer can often be cured through surgery, particularly when it remains localized,” Dr. Onaitis explained.

Incredibly, Katz's journey from diagnosis to treatment was expedited through a unique approach allowing biopsy and tumor resection to occur in a single surgical event—a pioneering method available only at UC San Diego Health.

Today, two years after successfully beating cancer, Katz's focus has shifted back to enjoying retirement and perfecting his golf swing. “Being diagnosed with cancer is a crushing experience,” he reflected. “But I learned I couldn’t change the past or prevent it, so I concentrated on what I could control—my treatment and recovery. I couldn’t have accomplished this without my wonderful wife and the incredible team at UC San Diego Health.”

Katz's story serves as a powerful reminder of the critical importance of early detection in lung cancer, a potentially lethal disease that can strike without warning. Don’t let complacency cloud your health decisions; take charge and talk to your doctor about your lung health today!