Three types of lung cancer, one remarkable patient

When Theola Campbell went for her routine physical in January 2025, she had no reason to think there was anything to be especially concerned about. However, on that day, Theola’s unusual cancer journey — one unlike anything her doctors had ever seen before — began.

“I’m glad, looking back, that I was always on top of getting my annual wellness exam,” Theola says.

A surprising discovery

At 71, Theola is very active. She loves her daily walks and playing with her grandchildren.

She knew previous lab tests had shown high calcium levels but didn’t think much of it. This time, however, her primary care doctor ordered additional tests, including a chest X-ray.

“I’d quit smoking nearly 40 years before, so it never crossed my mind that I had cancer,” Theola says.

The X-ray, though, revealed a spot on her right lung. That led to additional imaging, which showed a second spot in a different lobe of the same lung.

“At that point, everything started moving fast,” Theola remembers. “They scheduled tests and got me appointments with specialists. It was scary, but I was glad they weren’t waiting.”

Benefitting from advanced technology

Theola saw Dr. Anuja Vyas, a pulmonary disease specialist with Sharp Rees-Stealy and affiliated with Sharp Memorial Hospital, who explained they would need to biopsy the nodules (spots) to determine what they were. For that, they would use advanced technology called robotic bronchoscopy.

“Years ago, a lung biopsy was more invasive and could only do one nodule at a time,” Dr. Vyas explains. “But with robotic bronchoscopy, we could biopsy both nodules and check the lymph nodes to find out if there was spread. This allows us to tell what stage the cancer is right then and there, which helps determine treatment.”

According to Dr. Vyas, prior to this latest technology, Theola would have needed to see four doctors and have multiple procedures over several months to do what doctors can now do in just a few hours.

“The robotic bronchoscopy was easy,” Theola says. “When I woke up in recovery, there was no pain or discomfort. The hardest part was when I got the results.”

Unfortunately, it was cancer. And in an unusual finding, each nodule was actually a different form of lung cancer, something Dr. Vyas had only seen a couple of times in her career.

From diagnosis to treatment

“My family and I were concerned when they told me I had two lung cancers,” Theola remembers. “But I’m a praying woman, so I had total peace. I had one good cry in the car with my husband, and after that, I was good.”

While it sounded scary, each cancer was caught early at stage 1. Dr. Vyas felt they could be aggressive with treatment, using surgery to remove the cancerous nodules without the need for chemotherapy or radiation. She recommended Dr. Craig Larson, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Sharp Community Medical Group and affiliated with Sharp Memorial Hospital.

“Theola’s case highlights the value of the technology we offer at Sharp Memorial,” says Dr. Larson. “Before robotic bronchoscopy, we may have only biopsied one of the nodules and assumed the other was the same cancer that had spread. Theola may not have even been a candidate for surgery.”

Just seven weeks after Theola’s initial appointment, Dr. Larson performed surgery to remove two of the three lobes of her right lung. He utilized advanced technology — the da Vinci 5 robotic assistance system — which enables a quicker recovery for patients.

“Ten years ago, lung cancer surgery would have meant a night in the ICU and seven to ten days in the hospital,” says Dr. Larson. “Theola was home on day four, and many patients go home the day after surgery.”

Once the lobes were removed, doctors were amazed to discover a third distinct form of stage 1 cancer in one of the specimens. “I actually feel honored to have overcome three forms of lung cancer so I can tell about the goodness of the Lord and the goodness of the Sharp HealthCare team,” Theola laughs.

Walk on

In the beginning, Theola says she was worried that removing part of her lung would mean that she couldn’t take the regular walks she enjoyed. However, Dr. Larson told her she’d soon be close to “full capacity.”

“They even had me up and moving around less than 24 hours after my surgery,” Theola says.

She took a short walk on her first day home and, seven months later, was back to the 15-minute miles she was doing before being diagnosed with lung cancer.

“I’m glad I trusted the doctors and trusted the process,” Theola reflects. “When Dr. Vyas told me I had lung cancer, I told her I wanted the A-team on my case. She told me I was getting the A-plus team, and she was right.”

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