Darlene's Story

72-year-old Darlene Kern lives an active life as a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. So, when she was diagnosed with lung cancer in March of 2024, she was determined to stay strong and have no fear.

Darlene had smoked cigarettes since she was 18 years old. Because of this, she had yearly lung cancer screenings since 2020. She regularly had nodules on her lungs that her care team kept an eye on.

“I had no fear in me at all.”

When it came time for her lung cancer screening in December 2023, her care team noticed a nodule had grown. She was called back in for a PET scan in January of 2024, and then a biopsy in February. “From the moment that my scan came back abnormal, the Henry Ford team made me feel so at ease. I had no fear in me at all,” said Darlene.

The biopsy confirmed that the nodule on her lung was lung cancer and Darlene recalled “Even though they had just told me I had lung cancer, they still had me feeling on top of the world.”

Caught at an early stage

Since Darlene had lung cancer screenings regularly, her care team was able to spot her lung cancer at an early stage, while it was still curable. Darlene’s lung cancer surgeon, Dr. Andrew Popoff chose to treat Darlene through a robotic lung resection.

During a robotic lung resection, several small incisions are made in the patient’s side between their ribs. Then, the surgeon uses a robot to remove cancerous tissue using a 3D video camera and a few small instruments. This minimally invasive surgery allows the cancer to be removed with accuracy while preserving healthy tissue, allowing for a lessened recovery time, shorter hospital stay, minimal risk for infections, and an earlier return to normal activity.

Prior to surgery, Darlene asked, “Can I meet the robot?” Her surgical team introduced her to the robot that would be used during her surgery. She remarked, “That’s just another example of how great the Henry Ford team is. They are so personable and helped me feel comfortable.”

“Darlene’s case is a perfect example of the benefit of getting lung cancer screenings regularly. We were able to catch her cancer in an early stage and by doing a minimally-invasive surgery like this, she was able to get back to living her life faster,” said Dr. Popoff.

Prior to surgery, Dr. Popoff instructed her, “You have to meet me halfway. In order to get the most out of this surgery, you’ll need to quit smoking and walk for at least 30 minutes a day.” Darlene said to Dr. Popoff, “I’ll do what you ask and will meet you 100% off the way.” And she has remained diligent to those instructions to this day.

Dr. Popoff performed a robotic lung resection on Darlene in March of 2024.

Back to an active life

“I had the surgery on Tuesday and was able to go home that Friday. When I woke up, I was told I was cancer-free, and I felt amazing. I’ll tell you, the whole Henry Ford team is fantastic. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about them. They make miracles happen every day,” recalled Darlene.

Darlene lives an active life as a mom, grandmother, great grandmother and caretaker for her 93-year-old mother. Additionally, she’s an active member of St. Justin’s Catholic Church in Hazel Park and TOPS weight loss group. Thanks to lung cancer screenings and minimally invasive surgery, Darlene is back to spending time with those she loves.