“A year after cancer I celebrated my 50th birthday with 200 of my family and friends. It was a celebration of life.”‐Shamika Williams
I’ve never smoked, and I didn’t have any other risk factors. Still, in 2022, I was diagnosed with lung cancer.
I was home sick with COVID when I coughed up blood. When it happened two more times I called my doctor. She said, “That’s not COVID — I want you to go to the hospital today for a chest X-ray and scan.”
I went to my local hospital, and unfortunately, they didn’t take me seriously. First, they kept asking if I was sure I was coughing up blood. Uh, yeah — I’m sure! Then when they finally did the scan and found a mass the size of a peanut, the specialist told me it was probably just an infection and sent me home with antibiotics. I tried for two weeks to schedule a follow-up and couldn’t even get an appointment.
A Referral to Fox Chase
When I told my primary care physician what was going on she asked if I wanted to go to Fox Chase Cancer Center. I said yes, absolutely. In less than a week I was at Fox Chase meeting with Dr. Rohit Kumar, a pulmonologist. He ordered a bronchoscopy, and by the following week I was diagnosed with cancer in my left lung.
Part of my story is that my mother passed away from lung cancer in 2007. So, I was thinking about that and wondering how I was going to prepare my family to go through this again. Coming face to face with your own mortality — it’s real. I still get choked up thinking about it.
Treating Lung Cancer With Surgery
I was then treated by Dr. Stacy Su, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Fox Chase. She was very meticulous, very focused, which I appreciated. Because we caught the cancer early, she hoped we could treat it with surgery.
Dr. Su performed robotic-assisted surgery and removed the tumor, surrounding tissue, and lymph nodes. The surgery was a success, but when I woke up I had some stiffness and trouble walking. I did several weeks of physical therapy and eventually returned to normal.
At my follow-up visit, they found about 800 milliliters of fluid in my lungs, as much as a bottle of soda. Dr. Su performed thoracentesis, a procedure to drain the fluid. This outpatient procedure was repeated at my next two visits, which took care of the problem.
Cancer-Free Without Chemo or Radiation
The good news was they got everything out. The even better news was when the pathology report came back and we found out the cancer hadn’t spread. This meant I didn’t have to go through chemotherapy and radiation. I was cancer free!
I was so happy. I had seen what chemotherapy and radiation did to my mother, so for my cancer to be resolved with surgery alone was a huge blessing.
Another blessing was my support system. Faith is a big part of my life, and before my surgery I gathered with my family and friends to pray. They gathered around, put their hands on me and prayed with me. Then after my surgery, my friends organized a meal train. We received food or gift cards for meals every day. I didn’t have to cook for the three months I was on medical leave. Their support helped me get through this journey.
A Focus on Health Equity
As an HR leader in the pharmaceutical industry, I’ve been an advocate for health equity for many years. But my experience going through cancer — and having my symptoms initially dismissed — made this issue really personal for me. It’s common for women, especially Black women, not to be listened to by healthcare providers. But we all deserve the right to healthcare. If someone says something is wrong, doctors need to listen to and help them, which is what happened at Fox Chase. It could mean the difference between life and death.
Black women also need to be represented in research studies, which is why I agreed to donate my tissue to the Fox Chase tissue bank. Maybe it can help them learn why lung cancer develops in nonsmokers like me.
Traveling the World
Today I am healthy and thriving. A year after cancer I celebrated my 50th birthday with 200 of my family and friends. It was a celebration of life.
I always enjoyed traveling, but after cancer, I thought, “God has allowed me another chance to see the world, and I want to see as much of it as I possibly can.” I’ve been to Bali, Singapore, Aruba, and I even went ziplining in the Philippines. I just booked my next trip, which is to the Maldives and Singapore! That phrase, “you only live once,” has a much deeper meaning now.
Learn more about treatment for lung cancer at Fox Chase Cancer Center.