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Daniel Schuder
Helping others deal with their fears has long been part of Daniel Schuder's life. This Akron, New York sky diving instructor has worked for years with novice parachute jumpers as they learn the skills needed to make that first jump.
Dan always knew that smoking a pack of cigarettes every day was probably more dangerous than jumping out of an airplane. So when he told his family doctor about his health concerns, his physician recommended he go to Roswell Park.
During his medical evaluation, Dan was offered the opportunity to participate in a study designed to detect lung cancer early. He underwent a CT scan. Doctors found a suspicious lesion on his right lung that follow-up tests identified as a possible lung tumor.
Dan, always a man ready to jump into action, decided with his doctors to have the lesion removed using a new surgical procedure called Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS). This minimally-invasive surgical technique allows the surgeon to remove tumors through tiny opening between the ribs.
"Waiting for the scheduled surgery was scarier than any jump I ever made. The uncertainty and lack of control over your own life made the days just before the operation seem like years," he remembers.
Dan's lesions turned out to be precancerous and doctors removed a section of his severely damaged lung. "I was lucky it was not yet cancer. If it had been cancer, I probably wouldn't be here to talk with you today," he remarks. With VATs, Dan was home from the hospital in a few days and back to work in less than two weeks. "The wonderful thing about Roswell Park is you go in for an appointment and everything - all the tests, blood work, doctor's visit - are done at the same time. The staff is organized and efficient," says Dan.
The professional skydiver compared the technology at Roswell Park to a science fiction movie by saying, "The technology at Roswell Park is well ahead of anything you can imagine. The surgical procedures are better. The diagnostic tests are the latest. The doctors work with computers and robots that make the treatment of cancer, or in my case pre-cancer, as innovative as Dr. McCoy operating in Star Trek. This is really advanced stuff."
Dan's message of hope for the holidays: "Cancer can be a frightening experience but you can beat this disease. Early screening tests can and do make a difference. Don't be afraid to get mammograms and colonoscopies or whatever your doctor recommends. It could save your life."
Dan always knew that smoking a pack of cigarettes every day was probably more dangerous than jumping out of an airplane. So when he told his family doctor about his health concerns, his physician recommended he go to Roswell Park.
During his medical evaluation, Dan was offered the opportunity to participate in a study designed to detect lung cancer early. He underwent a CT scan. Doctors found a suspicious lesion on his right lung that follow-up tests identified as a possible lung tumor.
Dan, always a man ready to jump into action, decided with his doctors to have the lesion removed using a new surgical procedure called Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS). This minimally-invasive surgical technique allows the surgeon to remove tumors through tiny opening between the ribs.
"Waiting for the scheduled surgery was scarier than any jump I ever made. The uncertainty and lack of control over your own life made the days just before the operation seem like years," he remembers.
Dan's lesions turned out to be precancerous and doctors removed a section of his severely damaged lung. "I was lucky it was not yet cancer. If it had been cancer, I probably wouldn't be here to talk with you today," he remarks. With VATs, Dan was home from the hospital in a few days and back to work in less than two weeks. "The wonderful thing about Roswell Park is you go in for an appointment and everything - all the tests, blood work, doctor's visit - are done at the same time. The staff is organized and efficient," says Dan.
The professional skydiver compared the technology at Roswell Park to a science fiction movie by saying, "The technology at Roswell Park is well ahead of anything you can imagine. The surgical procedures are better. The diagnostic tests are the latest. The doctors work with computers and robots that make the treatment of cancer, or in my case pre-cancer, as innovative as Dr. McCoy operating in Star Trek. This is really advanced stuff."
Dan's message of hope for the holidays: "Cancer can be a frightening experience but you can beat this disease. Early screening tests can and do make a difference. Don't be afraid to get mammograms and colonoscopies or whatever your doctor recommends. It could save your life."
