Woman Describes Husband's Response to Her Lung Cancer Diagnosis

A woman who identified herself as Helene Rosenthal wrote that she received a lung cancer diagnosis during a phone call with her doctor. She said the doctor confirmed the finding after a series of tests that began with an annual checkup. " She wrote that the remark was intended to comfort her by noting that lung cancer affects many people.

Rosenthal said the process began four weeks earlier during a checkup that included a chest X-ray because she was over 50. A spot appeared on the X-ray, leading to a CT scan, a PET scan, and a biopsy. She reported that the cancer was found early, before it had spread, and that surgery removed one-fifth of her upper right lung. No further treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation was required.

Rosenthal cited American Cancer Society data that lung cancer is the second most common cancer type, with over 200,000 diagnoses each year in the United States. She also referenced research indicating that nearly 20 percent of women diagnosed with lung cancer are nonsmokers.

She wrote that the number of women diagnosed with lung cancer has increased 6 percent since 2019. Eight months after surgery, she said she continues to attend follow-up scans every six months. Rosenthal lives in Miami and writes about families and relationships.

Her account appeared in Newsweek.