Leslie Stoll developed a blood clot that led to a pulmonary embolism after she broke her leg in 2014. Although the embolism was treated, another occurred years later when Stoll had surgery on her foot. Following the treatment, she was referred to a hematologist who could prescribe blood thinners and monitor her condition.

At an appointment in 2024, the hematologist recommended a CT scan, which revealed a small anomaly in her lungs. Stoll wasn’t worried—she was an athlete and former boxer who had never smoked, and her lung function felt normal.

“I tried to reassure him that it was nothing, and it was probably something that was damaged from my pulmonary embolism, and he didn’t think I was very good at diagnosing myself,” Stoll told CBS News. “He was like, ‘Well, it probably is nothing, but let’s schedule a PET scan, just to check.’”

Stoll scheduled the PET scan but still doubted there was anything wrong. She even told the exam technician that she believed she was just going through the motions. Shortly after the scan, results stating that “malignancy could not be ruled out” were uploaded to an online patient portal. Soon after, Stoll’s doctor called and asked her to come in the next day.

### Diagnosis and Shock

Stoll’s doctor recommended a lung biopsy, which revealed that she had Stage One lung cancer — making her one of the small but growing number of people diagnosed with the disease despite never smoking.

“I was just shocked at the fact that it could happen to me, disappointed that it could happen to me,” Stoll said. “I would love to have gone through life thinking I was immune to cancer, that it couldn’t get me. This was a big awakening that I might check ‘very healthy’ on my doctor’s forms every year, but all of a sudden I was not very healthy.”

### Lung Cancer in Never-Smokers

Dr. Jonathan Villena-Vargas, a thoracic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, told CBS News that non-smokers with lung cancer are more common than people might expect. “Never-smokers” account for about 20% of the 250,000 new lung cancer diagnoses each year, he said.

Dr. Lucas Delasos, an oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, added that women—particularly those of Asian descent—are more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer despite never smoking. Younger non-smoking patients are also more likely to have gene mutations that drive the disease’s growth, which allows for more personalized treatment.

Some of the increase in diagnoses may be due to improved awareness and advances in technology. “A spot that might have been ignored or missed by earlier technology is now more likely to be tested and diagnosed,” Delasos explained. Researchers are also investigating environmental factors such as radon gas and other hazardous materials.

### “Too Young to Not Be Aggressive”

Stoll was referred to Dr. Andrew Arndt, a thoracic surgeon at Northwestern Medicine, who recommended a robotic surgery to remove a section of her right lung’s lower lobe.

Stoll worried the operation would impact her ability to exercise and live her daily life. To reassure her, Dr. Arndt sketched her lung and explained the minimally invasive procedure.

“He said I was too young to ignore this. I was too young to not be aggressive with it,” Stoll shared. She agreed to undergo the surgery.

During the operation, Dr. Arndt also biopsied Stoll’s lymph nodes to confirm the cancer had not spread. The tests were negative, meaning Stoll did not need chemotherapy or radiation. Further testing showed no evidence of cancer after surgery.

### Recovery and New Beginnings

Recovery felt harder than the surgery itself, Stoll said. Before the operation, she had been able to run for miles easily. The day after surgery, she “could barely walk down the hall.” Being unable to exercise felt like the cancer had “taken away some of my personality,” she reflected.

But as the days passed, Stoll gradually improved. She went from walking slowly down the hall to taking long walks around her neighborhood, conquering hills that had once been challenging. When cleared for full activity, she celebrated with a “very slow” run.

Nine months after surgery, Stoll climbed Phoenix’s Camelback Mountain—a difficult trek that can take up to three hours. “I was just determined to take some action to get back to my old self as soon as possible,” she said.

Now, about six months post-surgery, Stoll has returned to her regular life. She works out regularly and walks her dog twice a day. The drawing of her lung that Dr. Arndt made sits on her mantle as a reminder of her journey.

She continues to have regular scans to ensure the cancer has not returned and says she is diligent about attending all follow-up appointments. “I was able to stop my cancer from taking control of my life, and I was able to get my life back,” Stoll said. “If I had never gone to that follow-up appointment, then I might still have cancer growing inside me.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lung-cancer-diagnosis-in-non-smoker/