Cycling for Life

Lung Cancer Survivor Steve Malcolm Makes the Most of His Second Chance

By Julie Cerney, Methodist Health Connections, Fall 2006

As Steve Malcolm likes to say, “Life is about choices.”

At 53, Steve is a strong, lean warehouse operations manager who is justifiably proud of a choice he made in recent years. He has chosen, finally, to make health a priority.

Sporting a new attitude and nickname, Steve “Lance” Malcolm has put 5,000 miles on his bicycle. He rides 10 to 25 miles a day, every day.

This is a remarkable choice for Steve. Though he had not ridden a bicycle since childhood, Steve took up cycling after losing half a lung to lung cancer just four years ago.

As a cancer survivor, Steve has seized his opportunity for a second chance. In every way, it is a chance that came in answer to his prayers.

Worries and Warning Signs
Steve and his wife, Nancy, agree that the difference between the old Steve and the new one is striking. The old Steve was unconcerned about health and fitness. If he played a little basketball or football with their sons, he tired easily. Like too many men, he avoided going to the doctor. And, like one in five Americans, the old Steve smoked.

Nancy, a non-smoker, couldn’t help worrying that tobacco might eventually take her husband’s life. Those worries intensified in 2000 when Nancy’s mother, a smoker, died of cancer and emphysema.

One morning in March 2002, Steve called Nancy at work, gasping in alarm, unable to catch his breath. He’d ignored a similar, shorter spell a few days before, thinking it must be the flu. Nancy advised medical care. This time Steve agreed. Steve’s family practice physician, Steven Osborn, MD, of Methodist Physicians Clinic, examined Steve and promptly took an X-ray. This wasn’t the flu. The mass on Steve’s lung was nearly 3 inches in diameter, about the size of Nancy’s fist. The CT scans and biopsy that quickly followed confirmed Steve and Nancy’s fears: lung cancer.

Good Reason to Quit
Steve calls the diagnosis an answer to his prayers for help in breaking his 30-year smoking habit. “So be careful what you ask for,” he adds with a grin.

At the time, Steve smoked a pack a day. That week he quit cold turkey.

Cancer quickly reminded the Malcolms not to take any moment of life for granted. Drawing upon the faith that is so central to their lives, Steve and Nancy prayed for strength in facing the journey ahead.

One-Stop, Multidisciplinary Cancer Care
Steve remembers that his testing, diagnosis and treatment planning unfolded very quickly at Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center. “I was impressed by the speed of the process and by the concern and helpfulness of the physicians and staff,” Steve explains. “They took the time to walk us through everything and fully explain our options. Everyone was just awesome.”

Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center, a leader in the prevention and treatment of cancers of the lung and chest, offers a one-stop, multidisciplinary approach through its Lung/Thoracic Oncology Clinic. Medical specialists unite to provide convenient same-day examinations and diagnostic procedures that culminate in individualized treatment plans.

A weekly treatment planning conference allows members of the team to jointly focus their knowledge, expertise and experience on each patient’s case for optimal outcomes.

Steve’s results were encouraging. The tumor, though large, was an early stage non-small cell lung cancer. Of the two types of lung cancer — small cell and non-small cell — Steve’s type is less likely to spread throughout the body. But because every lung cancer has a high risk of recurrence, Steve needed surgery and chemotherapy.

Steve was further encouraged when given the opportunity to participate in a National Cancer Institute trial testing whether outcomes improve when chemotherapy is given before, rather than after, surgery.

“At Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center, every patient is evaluated for eligibility in clinical trials that may be of benefit,” explains Tracy Dorheim, MD, medical director, Lung/Thoracic Oncology Clinic. “We are committed to doing everything possible for our patients, including providing access to cutting-edge clinical trials that advance cancer knowledge and treatment.”

Treatments and Blessings
Steve was pleased that the three months of chemotherapy did not cause him to miss even a day of work, although, he admits, “I did lose what hair I had.”

For Steve, the more troubling side effect was weight gain. To lose pounds, he began to walk, jog and cycle a little.

Meanwhile, chemotherapy shrank the tumor — dramatically. The new X-rays were stunning. To the untrained eye, the tumor had vanished, prompting Steve to ask if he might skip surgery altogether. When his doctors advised him this was not a medical option, Steve allowed his wish to become a prayer.

That afternoon, after running an errand, Steve was struck by a message stamped on his sales receipt: Don’t miss out on a blessing just because you don’t like the way it’s packaged. Steve realized he was ready for surgery.

Second Chance
In August 2002, Dr. Dorheim removed the upper lobe of Steve’s left lung and a lymph node. Steve and Nancy were thrilled to learn that the cancer had not metastasized.

Steve was eager to recover, reduce his weight and rebuild his strength. Walking a bit further each day, he pressed his doctors to allow him to exercise even more. When Steve finally climbed on the bike, his first post-surgical ride was no more than six blocks long. It felt like a victory lap.

Today, Steve and Nancy are avid cyclists who ride up to 40 miles at a time. Steve has lost nearly 60 pounds, and he revels in his improved health. Because he knows firsthand what tobacco can do, he cautions others about the very real dangers of smoking.

“It feels good to be able to breathe, get a good workout and really enjoy the outdoors,” says Steve. He has taken up golf, and he and Nancy have a new outlook on life.

“We don’t sweat the small stuff,” Nancy explains, “and we treasure all the days.”

“Being diagnosed with lung cancer has turned out to be a blessing,” Steve says. “I’ve been given a second chance, and we’re choosing to live life in a whole new way.”

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