Frank’s Story
Meet Frank Flahive
Smoking was all the rage when Frank Flahive was a teenager, so he smoked too. Throughout his adult years, he tried countless times to quit. What finally did it was when his young daughter said she would stop biting her fingernails if he stopped smoking. Seeing that she was keeping her side of the bargain did the trick, and Frank quit for good.
“If you manage your health and if you live a healthy life, it affords you the opportunity to live life to the fullest.”
Golf and a Poster
Fast forward to retirement. Wanting to improve his golf game, Frank decided to play in a league. When signing up, he saw a poster advertising Lahey Health’s lung cancer screening program for those who are or who had been long-time smokers. “This was a way for me to find out once and for all whether I had cancer that at some point would rear its ugly head,” he said. “And sure enough, I was told that I did have cancer, and it was removed.”
“This was a way for me to find out once and for all whether I had cancer that at some point would rear its ugly head.”
Unique Screening Process
Lahey Health is a pioneer in the use of low-dose CT (computed tomography) scans of the lung, an extraordinary way to find lung cancer at the earliest stage possible using CT scanning, and has the largest clinical lung cancer screening program in the country. Lung cancer is the number-one cause of cancer death among men and women in the U.S., but the good news is that early detection and treatment can dramatically increase the survival rate.
“Lahey Health has the largest clinical lung cancer screening program in the country.”
Early Detection is Key
Some people worry about “what comes next” if they have the screening and cancer is found. But early detection of lung cancer often means that treatment can be easier on the patient – and more effective as well. Frank’s cancer was removed with surgery, and today he is cancer-free.
“Lahey Health uses a multidisciplinary, or a team, approach as its foundation for delivering cancer services.”
A Happy Ending
Today Frank treasures the time he has with his wife, children, and grandchildren, and he appreciates each special milestone that he is here to see. “I owe a debt of gratitude to Lahey,” he said. “As I look forward to being retired and now with my wife retired, everything is about family. I want to be the best husband, dad, and grandfather that I can be.”
“I owe a debt of gratitude to Lahey”
Advice for Others
Frank’s advice to anyone with a similar smoking history is to take advantage of the screening technology available today. “If you manage your health and if you live a healthy life, it affords you the opportunity to live life to the fullest,” Frank said. “And to this day, I am proud to say that I am still cancer free.”
“Lahey Health also offers a highly regarded tobacco cessation program that is free to all of our patients.”
