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Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer
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Arlene Rohrer - Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung CancerAlthough Arlene Rohrer was shocked to learn she had lung cancer, she wasn't totally caught off guard. She had quit smoking several years before, but knew that her history with cigarettes could come back to haunt her. After a diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer, Arlene felt that if she did not travel to Fox Chase for a second opinion, she might not be here today to share her dramatic story. |
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Donald Cully - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerIn 2003, at the age of 61, Don Cully made a life-changing decision. He decided to quit smoking, a habit he had since he was a kid. "I smoked a pack and a half a day," he admitted. "I should have had no lungs left." Because he had been coughing a lot, Don asked his doctor for a CAT Scan. He was curious to see what his lungs looked like. Fortunately, the scan revealed emphysema and dead lung cells - but no cancer. |
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Jean Minetta - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerIn March 2008, Jean Minetta was planning to undergo a routine procedure to remove her gallbladder. During pre-admission testing, Jean's world turned upside down when an X-ray detected a large mass on her right lung. |
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John Reeves - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerIn 2009, John Reeves took a bad fall. "That's when it all started," he recalled. At the age of 78, John didn't recover as quickly as he expected. A former high school football star and self-titled #1 concrete man in Philadelphia, John is a strong guy. He sought medical attention and during a routine x-ray, doctors saw something suspicious. "That's when I decided to see Dr. Walter Scott at Fox Chase." |
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Anthony Coraluzzo - Bilateral Lung CancerWhen Tony Coraluzzo heard he had less than a year to live he was more upset about leaving his wife than anything else. "Chyrle and I have been married for 30 years and have no kids. We mean everything to each other," he shared. "All I could think of was my wife - I didn't want her to be alone without me." |
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Beth Valenti - Pancoast TumorBeth Valenti always knew smoking was not a good idea, but like many people, she did it anyway. She was young and never really thought about lung cancer. But after losing her mom to cancer in 1996, Beth quit the habit cold turkey. Almost 12 years later, in March 2008, she went to the doctor complaining of pain in her arm. A series of shoulder x-rays revealed a mass on her lung. According to Beth, her doctors advised her to "go home, get your things in order and plan your funeral." She was 41 at the time. |
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Charlie Gallen - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLife has not been an easy ride for Charlie Gallen. In 1975, at the age of 29, Charlie, a boilermaker, lost his arm below the elbow during a work-related accident. He recovered from the injury and learned to wear a prosthesis (an artificial extension of his arm) to retain some function of his arm and hand. Charlie, who was married with one daughter at the time, enrolled in welding school and became a full-fledged welder. |
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Arlene Koller - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerArlene Koller is no stranger to adversity. She lost her first husband when he suffered a massive heart attack, leaving Arlene with 3 small boys to care for. She was the treasurer of a wholesale paper business. After she lost her husband, Arlene added the responsibility of presidency of her late husband's chemical business. Arlene later remarried, and in 2000, she and her husband began to travel the world. |
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Jule Erdie - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerIn January 2004, Jule Erdie was having trouble breathing. As a former smoker, this was nothing new. But something was different this time. He saw his local doctors in New Jersey, who suspected he might have lung cancer. |
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Albert Green - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerAfter learning he had prostate cancer, Al Green was just about ready to start treatment at his local hospital. His wife, Irma, remembered, "We were at home watching TV when a commercial for Fox Chase Cancer Center came on with Dr. Horwitz. It said they were the first hospital in the area to offer IMRT for prostate cancer. We were sold! I picked up the phone and called right away." |
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Judith Bernstein - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerA long time resident of Ambler, Judith Bernstein, was enjoying a blessed life. She has a devoted husband, Arnold, a son, a daughter and beautiful grandchildren who are the love of her life. She had been diagnosed with numerous squamous cell skin carcinomas that were successfully removed. But there is much more to Judy. |
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Marilyn Goldsmith - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerMarilyn Goldsmith lives in Philadelphia, but spends much of her time with family in Florida where the weather is enjoyable. Eleven years ago, while in Florida, Marilyn was not feeling quite right and noticed her memory was not as sharp as it should be. A neurologist performed some diagnostic tests and determined that Marilyn had lung cancer that had metastasized to her brain. Marilyn was given 3-6 months to live. |
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Joanne Hartnett - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerIt was Memorial Day weekend in 1998 and Joanne Hartnett, who was about 50 at the time, was mowing the lawn. A neighbor witnessed as she passed out in the yard. Because her speech was slurred, Joanne's neighbor drove her to the emergency room at their local hospital where doctors initially suspected she had a stroke. |
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Brian McGarvey - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerFinding out you will soon be the "father of the bride" should be an exciting time in a man's life. Unfortunately for Brian McGarvey, the timing was bittersweet. |
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Eleanor Sypher - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerIn 2004, during Eleanor Sypher's routine check up with her primary care physician, she had a chest x-ray taken. With no symptoms, she was surprised to learn she had a suspicious mass in her lung. Her doctor believed it was a cancerous tumor. He suggested she go to one of two hospitals located in downtown Philadelphia. Eleanor did not listen. |
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Ronald Sweinhart - Non-Small Cell Lung CancerShaving each morning was part of Ronald Sweinhart's routine, which was typically non-eventful. This changed in January 2002 when Ronald felt a tiny lump in his neck. Ronald showed the lump to his family doctor who immediately knew something was wrong. He ordered an x-ray right away. |
Metastatic Lung Masses
Lung Cancer | Metastatic Lung Masses
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Kelly Pearsall - Metastatic MelanomaFor many years, Kelly Pearsall tried to get pregnant but was unsuccessful. Then, at the age of 38, she lost her father to cancer. Not long after, Kelly learned she was pregnant. "The timing was crazy," she recalled. "It was miraculous - as if my dad were watching over me." A couple of years later, when Kelly turned 40, she had her second daughter. Kelly felt very fortunate and had found true happiness in motherhood. Then, in January 2009, her life was turned upside down when she was told she had months to live. |
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