GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A West Michigan man is in remission following a battle with Lung Cancer, due in part to a new device and procedure beginning to make a name for itself at Corewell Health.
The four weeks of Lung Cancer Awareness Month this November now represent life for 84-year-old David Kidder.
What Kidder thought was just a cold turned out to be an illness that nearly took his life. “March 6, 2020, God gave me a new life,” Kidder said.
Kidder thought he was scheduling a doctor appointment to get a Z Pack, but instead, he was told he needed a Chest X Ray. “They came back and said, Mr. Kidder, you have a spot on your lung,” Kidder said.
Dr. Gustavo Cumbo-Nacheli, Interventional Pulmonologist at Corewell Health, knew of a device that would easily spot Kidder's cancer. It's called the Monarch.
“We invested resources in acquiring the first robot to help patients be diagnosed with early Lung Cancers,” Dr. Cumbo-Nacheli said.
Dr. Cumbo-Nacheli describes the Monarch as a dishwasher with arms, able to navigate airways to the lungs. “Once we tried this robot that was nowhere to be found in the country, we decided that we wanted to be a part of this Lung Cancer early diagnosis revolution,” Dr. Cumbo-Nacheli said.
With this new technology, Dr. Cumbo-Nacheli was able to diagnose Kidder accurately, without having to crack open his chest. “With the optimized diagnosis, by leveraging robotics and CAT scanners, gave us a very early diagnosis," Dr. Cumbo-Nacheli said.
When Kidder heard about the Monarch, he was immediately on board. “I was shocked," Kidder said. "I said, Why don't people know about this? And he [Dr. Cumbo-Nacheli] said it's very new, and we're pioneering this whole procedure.”
The Monarch was successful in pinpointing the exact location of Kidder's grape sized tumor, which led to a less invasive surgery. “He got the whole cancer taken out within a month of shaking hands with us,” Dr. Cumbo-Nacheli said.
Kidder received more than just getting his cancer removed. He found a friend in Dr. Cumbo-Nacheli. “Dr. Cumbo’s hands and skill and expertise were used to give a miracle to my body,” Kidder said.
Kidder says he's had zero repercussions from lung surgery. "Your body's going to tell you no, and your mind is going to say, I can't do that. You say no. You rule it with your mind, and you overcome,” Kidder said.
Dr. Cumbo-Nacheli says beginning in the early months of 2025, Corewell Health will have the newest version of the Monarch, alongside the newest version of the CAT scanner in stock. He also says that Corewell Health is working towards diagnosing the stage of cancer and treating the cancer in one setting, so that patients, within 24 hours of coming to Corewell Health, will walk out cancer free.
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