Early screening helps 73-year-old man beat lung cancer

Good news and second chances have one thing in common — they're rare to come by, but when they do, it's a miraculous thing.

A local man — who at first was hesitant to receive a lung cancer screening — may have very well accomplished his own miracle.

Juan Camacho, 73, was advised by his primary care physician, Dr. Carolina Gomez de Ziegler, to undergo a low-dose CT (LDCT) screening during a regular checkup visit. Camacho, though, said he didn't feel sick at all.

For many of us locally — or even on a grander scale — we sometimes think, "well, bad things happen to other people and not to us." However, cancer is a lot more unforgiving and frankly, doesn't care what we think.

“I felt fine. I wasn’t coughing, and I didn’t feel sick,” Camacho said in a release. “But the doctor insisted and thank God she did."

The 73-year-old would smoke a cigarette every day for six decades, a release by DHR Health said. But like many of those who smoke, quitting can seem like a daunting task to accomplish.

On the bright side, the early screening helped save Camacho's life.

The LDCT scan was only a few minutes and revealed a "suspicious nodule" that was deep in Camacho's lung — small, but dangerous.

Camacho was then referred to Dr. Federico Vallejo, a DHR Health pulmonologist and Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopist who performs crucial diagnostic procedure with the Ion. The Ion is the only robotic-assisted bronchoscopy tool south of San Antonio, available to DHR Health.

With the technology, the doctor is able to reach and biopsy hard-to-access lung nodules in a minimally invasive manner.

“When I was studying Mr. Camacho’s scan, I saw a pulmonary nodule which was concerning because of his family history of lung cancer,” Vallejo said in a release. “And the results of the biopsy showed that he, in fact, had lung cancer. I knew it was in the early stages and knew we had to act fast so it wouldn’t spread.”

Time was of the essence.

Vallejo contacted Dr. Victor Reis, a cardiothoracic surgeon to set up a day for surgery. Within two weeks, Camacho was diagnosed and underwent the procedure. Camacho was able to make a full recovery and is reported to be cancer-free.

Like many of us might think, "who would've thought that a routine visit could potentially save our lives?"

“I would of never thought that a routine visit with my primary care doctor and a simple scan would save my life,” Camacho said.

If you're interested in receiving a checkup, DHR Health has extended their $99 LDCT lung cancer screening special though Dec. 31.

For more information, call (956) 362-5864.

“I’ve been given a second chance at life and now I tell everyone to get screened," Camacho, the cancer survivor, said.