Patient Stories

• After years spent caring for critically ill patients, Dennis never imagined he would one day hear the word “cancer” from his own doctor.
• Because his cancer was found through routine screening, Dennis had options, including minimally invasive robotic surgery and access to advanced treatments designed to reduce the chance of complications.
• Today, Dennis is sharing his story to encourage others to get screened, prioritize their health, and challenge the stigma surrounding lung cancer.

The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center is imagining a better future for the quarter million Americans diagnosed with lung cancer each year. Because no one deserves lung cancer—but everyone deserves the best possible chance against it.

Explore why we’re different by calling 513-585-UCCC (8222).

A Lifetime of Caring for Others

For nearly 40 years, Dennis built a career around helping people through some of the hardest moments of their lives.

After serving in the Air Force, he joined UC Health in 1984 as a nurse. He later spent decades in emergency medicine and Air Care.

Dennis witnessed medicine evolve firsthand from the early days of heart transplants to revolutionary advances in critical care transport.

But through all those years in healthcare, one thing stayed constant: the importance of treating patients like people.

“You care for everyone as if your mother or father or wife was lying there,” Dennis said.

It’s exactly the kind of care he would experience at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, this time as a patient.

Catching Cancer Early

Dennis retired in 2021. During a routine annual physical shortly afterward, his primary care physician recommended lung cancer screening because of his history of smoking.

“Lung cancer screening is essentially a CT scan to do a healthy lung check, and it allows us  in a matter of seconds with no prep, no invasion to take a look at the lungs,” said Robert M. Van Haren, MD, MSPH, thoracic surgeon for the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center.

“It allows us to find things like lung cancer in an early state where we can save lives.”

The scan was quick. The results were life-changing Dennis was diagnosed with lung cancer

He had seen lung cancer before, including in his own family. His brother and sister had both died from the disease years earlier.

Even with his medical background, the diagnosis felt surreal.

But his wife immediately reminded him she wouldn’t leave his side.

“We’ll tackle this together,” she told him.

Surgical Innovation Meant Better Recovery

When Dennis learned he needed thoracic surgery, his mind immediately went back to what lung surgery looked like decades ago.

He remembered large incisions, significant pain and long recoveries.

Then he met Dr. Van Haren.

Dr. Van Haren explained that Dennis would undergo robotic-assisted surgery: a minimally invasive approach that uses small incisions and advanced technology to remove lung tumors with better accuracy.

Dennis was fascinated.

“I knew it had to be revolutionary and game-changing,” he said.

“Our cancer center has a lot of innovative technology like robotic surgery,” Dr. Van Haren said, “And that’s something that we use pretty much on a daily basis.”

The surgery and recovery exceeded every expectation Dennis had. He was walking quickly after surgery, eating solid food the same day and recovering with minimal pain medication. Soon, he returned to strength training, traveling and spending time outdoors with his family.

“It was amazing to me,” he said.

Robotic surgery is just one of many ways the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center team is pushing for the kind of groundbreaking care that patients deserve.

Facing Lung Cancer Again, With Confidence

Four years later, a follow-up CT scan revealed another small tumor.

This time, Dennis knew exactly where he wanted to go for care.

“I felt like I was in the best hands anywhere,” he said.

His team moved quickly, coordinating imaging, bronchoscopy and another robotic surgery. Dennis also met medical oncologist Kerri McGovern, MD, who recommended targeted oral therapy to help reduce the risk of recurrence.

For Dennis, the experience reinforced what he already believed after decades in healthcare: excellence in medicine comes from both innovation and compassion.

“The whole thing has to come together,” he said. “Not just doctors. Not just nurses. The whole thing.”

And despite the stigma that often comes with a lung cancer diagnosis, his care team never saw him as his diagnosis.

Our Mission: A Better Future is What You Deserve

For too long, the nation’s leading cause of cancer death has carried stigma and silence. We believe it’s time to change that.

No one deserves lung cancer. Not the quarter-million Americans diagnosed each year. Not their families. Not Dennis.

But lung cancer patients deserve to be seen. They deserve early detection. They deserve research that improves the status quo. They deserve a team that won’t back down.

At the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, we believe you deserve better. We are advancing lung cancer care through research, innovation and compassion because no one should face this disease alone.

Why Choose the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center for Lung Cancer Care?

At the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, patients receive nationally recognized lung cancer care delivered with precision, urgency and compassion.

• Earlier detection: Advanced imaging and AI-assisted screening technology designed to identify lung cancer sooner.
• Faster answers: Through our Rapid Access Program, you’re seen quickly and receive clear next steps and a personalized plan.
• More options: Access to clinical trials, robotic surgery, advanced bronchoscopy, proton therapy and targeted therapies.
• National excellence: Specialized expertise in complex lung cancer care and minimally invasive treatment approaches.

Explore why we’re different: Call 513-585-UCCC (8222)