McIntyre hopes others can learn from his experience. He is sharing his story in November, which is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, to hopefully make a difference in someone else’s life.
Like many young men in the 1960s, Aaron McIntyre started smoking cigarettes in high school. It was much more socially acceptable back then and not as much was known about the negative health consequences of tobacco and nicotine. He would continue smoking into his late thirties until he and his mom decided to quit together. “The irony of that decision was that my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer six months after we quit,” McIntyre reveals. “I lost her six months after that. She was 71 years old when she passed, so I know firsthand what this horrible disease can do.”
Fast forward to October 2023, when McIntyre’s primary care physician, Erin Glasgow, M.D., with INTEGRIS Health Medical Group Central recommended that he receive a lung scan. Even though he had not smoked in years and didn’t have any symptoms, she knew his history and told him it was better to be safe than sorry.
The lung scan identified a faint spot on the lower right lobe of his lung. He was referred to Obaid Ashraf, M.D., a board-certified pulmonologist and critical care medicine physician at INTEGRIS Health Medical Group Baptist Pulmonary Medicine. “Aaron had a lung scan that revealed a 19 mm nodule in the lower part of his right lung. To give you an idea of the size, it’s about the width of a standard pencil eraser or a bit less than the width of your thumb,” Ashraf explains. “The nodule had a ground glass appearance, meaning it was hazy and cloud-like, similar to how things look when you’re peering through a frosted window. Given Aaron’s risk factors and the nodule’s characteristics, our goal was to identify any signs of lung cancer early, when treatment is most effective. Early-stage lung cancer is much more treatable than when detected later, so acting promptly was crucial.”
McIntyre underwent further testing including blood gnomonic and PET scan. Thankfully, there was no evidence of disease spreading outside of the original spot. Ashraf engaged in a shared decision-making process to determine the best path forward. A multidisciplinary team, consisting of a pulmonologist with nodule expertise and a thoracic surgeon with expertise in thoracic oncology surgery, decided on a proactive approach that combined diagnosis and treatment efficiently. “Thanks to Aaron’s excellent physical health, we used a minimally invasive robotic solution for a precise and timely intervention,” says Ashraf. “This involved robotic navigation bronchoscopy using the ION platform, a cutting-edge system that allows us to reach deep into the lungs with pinpoint accuracy.”
Unlike traditional bronchoscopy, which struggles to reach peripheral lung areas where cancer often develops, the ION system uses a highly flexible, steerable catheter. This advanced technology allows navigation through the complex airways and the ability to reach hard-to-access spots with exceptional precision. The ION platform's fiber optic shape sensor provides real-time feedback, ensuring physicians know the exact location and shape of the catheter throughout the procedure. Ashraf uses this analogy, “Imagine using ION as having an expert guide lead you through a difficult hike, directing you confidently through twisting, narrow trails to your destination.” He continues, “Once we reached the nodule, we injected a dye to mark the spot clearly for surgery.”
Daniel Freno, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon at INTEGRIS Health Cardiovascular Physicians Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinic, performed a robotic-assisted surgery, making just a few small incisions. “The cool thing about his surgery is that Dr. Ashraf was able to bronchoscopically mark the location of the nodule so that I knew exactly what part of the lung to remove for the biopsy. The pathologist gave us an answer within 15 minutes that the nodule was cancer. We then proceeded to take out his lower lobe. Sometimes patients can wait weeks and undergo several biopsies before getting pathology results. We were able to get him an answer and definitive treatment all in the span of a couple hours.”
This minimally invasive approach offered Aaron several benefits: less pain, a shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery and smaller scars compared to traditional open surgery. McIntyre was discharged from the hospital the next day and is now back to living a normal and active life. “I play golf, work in the yard, go on walks, work out at the gym. I am back to being me, and the best part is - I am cancer free,” he declares.
Freno adds, “Aaron’s prognosis is good. We will continue to monitor his lungs every six months to make sure he stays in the clear, but other than that he is enjoying life with his wife Marsha of 45 years, his two grown sons and his five grand kids.”
McIntyre hopes others can learn from his experience. He is sharing his story in November, which is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, to hopefully make a difference in someone else’s life. “My first piece of advice is don’t smoke, just don’t even start,” he proclaims. “But if you are a smoker or were a smoker, or work in an environment where you breathe in unclean air, please take advantage of the preventive screenings that are available today. Because if they can catch the cancer early, there’s a good chance they will be able to cure it.”
Contact your primary care physician to discuss lung cancer screening and assess your individual risk factors. Additionally, reach out to the INTEGRIS Health Pulmonary Lung Nodule Navigator at 405-951-8531. This service provides comprehensive evaluation of lung cancer risk including consultation with a pulmonologist, support with smoking cessation strategies and diagnostic expertise for lung cancer.
Whether you are looking to find a physician to support you with a chronic illness, or you simply need to make a change in your primary care doctor, you want a physician you can trust and who is close to home. At INTEGRIS Health you get both.
