Les LeBleu, 67, came down with a case of bronchitis he couldn’t shake. The self-described “stubborn male” mostly ignored it. After three months, his wife insisted he see a doctor. A chest x-ray and additional films revealed a mass in his lungs.

It had an unusual presentation that changed in size and shape as doctors evaluated it. A biopsy confirmed it was primary lung cancer, adenocarcinoma.

The diagnosis felt like “a cold splash of water in the face,” Les recalled. He never smoked and the retired IT consultant had no history of hazardous chemical exposure. However, his mother smoked every day in the house where he grew up. He is convinced his lung cancer stems from secondhand smoke.

Les was referred to Mark Mettauer, MD, FACS, a cardiothoracic surgeon at St. Luke’s Health-The Woodlands Hospital. Dr. Mettauer talked with Les about treatment options, but given its size, surgery was the recommended option. “It was a large tumor, about the size of a lemon.” Dr. Mettauer recalled. After weighing his options, it didn’t take much to convince Les, who immediately told the surgeon, “Let’s just go get it.”

Dr. Mettauer was able to remove all of the tumor. “He was lucky his cancer was detected in its early stages,” Dr. Mettauer said.  “Typically, tumors of that size have already spread. It had clear margins, and there was no lymph node involvement.”  Dr. Mettauer did find some emphysema changes consistent with secondhand smoke exposure.

After six days in the hospital, Les returned home, already walking laps around his house. Three weeks later, he was “at 90 percent” and very grateful for the care he received from Dr. Mettauer and Medical Oncologist Angela Coscio, who is also at St. Luke’s Health-The Woodlands Hospital. It’s been well over a year since his surgery and Les remains cancer-free, though he will need long-term follow-up to monitor for recurrence.

Les and his wife Cathy were so moved by the care and compassion shown by Drs. Mettauer and Coscio that they made gifts to St. Luke’s Health-The Woodlands Hospital in their honor.

Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death in the US, accounting for about 1 in 5 of all cancer deaths. According to the American Cancer Society, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. Les wanted to do something to help the medical team that pulled him through.

“I'm a Medicare patient, and the reimbursement for Medicare isn't what it should be,” Les explained.  “We wanted to do anything to help St. Luke’s Health-The Woodlands Hospital. The more resources the hospital has, be it instrumentation or personnel or good old cash, the better.”

Les credits his medical team at St. Luke’s-The Woodlands for his health today and found spiritual meaning in the early diagnosis that likely saved his life and enabled him to help care for his wife’s elderly family members.

“My wife told me, you are here for a reason and the way you take care of everybody means that’s what God wants you to do. You're not done yet.”