When Sherran scheduled a routine coronary calcium scan, she had no idea it would lead to a lifesaving lung cancer diagnosis.
This 71-year-old longtime Mendham Township resident says, “My primary care doctor recommended the scan for a baseline marker about my heart health. But this screening led me down a path to find that I had early-stage lung cancer.”
A surprising discovery
The calcium scan that assessed Sherran’s risk of heart disease revealed an unexpected finding. The radiologist found three questionable spots on her left lung—which had nothing to do with her heart and everything to do with her future.
Sherran first saw the scan results in her MyChart patient portal. She did some research about the findings, so she was prepared to discuss them with her doctor at her follow-up visit.
“The MyChart portal is an important tool,” she says. “I always check my results on the portal after scans, screenings, and bloodwork. When I saw that these results were flagged, I was immediately concerned—especially because I was not a smoker, and I couldn’t believe that I might have lung cancer.”
A need for further evaluation
Sherran’s doctor recommended additional testing, after which she was referred for a lung biopsy to interventional pulmonologist Bhavi Patel, MD, at Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center. What followed was a well-coordinated diagnostic process.
“Dr. Patel pulled up the calcium scan and pointed out three spots in my left lung with ‘spidering’ around them,” she said. “I’m a visual person. Seeing the nodules was disconcerting, but I knew that a quick and accurate diagnosis was essential. I wanted answers.”
A diagnosis using robotic precision
To biopsy Sherran’s lung nodules, Dr. Patel performed a robotic assisted bronchoscopy with the ION robot—a cutting edge technology available at Morristown and Overlook medical centers. Using minimally invasive robotic techniques, he confirmed the diagnosis he suspected.
Sherran had early-stage adenocarcinoma, one of the most common forms of lung cancer.
“The precision of the ION robot allows us to reach small nodules deep within the lungs,” says Dr. Patel. “These robotic platforms are powerful tools for detecting and diagnosing lung cancer. For Sherran, it allowed us to find adenocarcinoma at its earliest stage, long before it spread.”
A rapid response from the care team
Beyond the reliable technology, what stood out to Sherran was the speed and coordination of her care team. That same day, Dr. Patel gave her the names of a surgeon and an oncologist.
She says, “He told me I’d get a call from them that same day, and I did. That quick turnaround demonstrated that these doctors were making my health a top priority.”
Sherran was scheduled for surgery at Morristown Medical Center with Mark Widmann, MD, a thoracic surgeon. He performed a robotic-assisted lobectomy, removing one-third of her left lung with just three small incisions—and she was discharged within 48 hours. She wasn’t in pain. She wasn’t breathless. She was simply relieved.
“I was pleased with my recovery time and low degree of postoperative pain," she says, gushing about the support of her care team. “From my doctors to the anesthesiologist, to the nurses and staff, to a young man who brought me coffee one morning, remembering just the way I liked it—it was all a phenomenal level of care. They treated me with respect, warmth, and compassion every step of the way.”
Recovery and reflection
Sherran also credits her husband, Richard, and their two children for all their support. She is back to walking several miles a day and working at the family advertising agency.
Her follow-up MRI and PET scans confirmed the cancer had not spread, so chemotherapy was not necessary. As Sherran reflects on her good fortune, she emphasizes the value of preventive screenings.
“I beat breast cancer in 2001 after a routine mammogram led to early detection and a successful outcome,” she says. “Twenty-four years later, this routine scan caught my lung cancer in its early stage, which, thanks to the outstanding physicians and the entire Morristown Medical staff, averted a more serious problem.”
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