Margaret Crate had smoked cigarettes for most of her adult life. During the fall of 2023 she began to feel a rattle in her throat. 

Thinking it may have been a lingering side effect of COVID-19, she decided to seek a professional opinion.   After addressing her throat, her primary care doctor also recommended she undergo a low-dose CT scan to check for signs of cancer using a lower dose of radiation. 

Clinicians found early stages of cancer in Crate’s lungs. Stage 1 lung cancer rarely causes noticeable symptoms — though at times patients can experience shortness of breath, a persistent cough or hoarseness. A low-dose CT allows patients who have been smoking regularly for a number of years to undergo a screening if they are asymptomatic.

Her primary care physician referred her to Dr. Christophe Nguyen for surgery. 

“I have nine siblings and four grandbabies including one who I adopted in 2018, Chloe,” Crate said. “My mind immediately went to my family.” 

Crate quit smoking entirely three days before her surgery. The thought of her not being around for her grandchildren was in the forefront of her mind, motivating her to fight through the diagnosis and come out on the other side. 

Since surgery, the 74-year-old Gaffney woman has been cancer-free and hasn’t picked up another cigarette.  

“I don’t even crave one,” she said. “It’s all by the grace of God.” 

She credits her recovery to her faith in God and the doctor following through with clinical guidelines to steer Crate toward a CT scan. She said her explanations around the harmful effects of smoking changed her mentality around continuing to smoke or quitting.  

Lung cancer alone accounts for 25% of all cancer deaths in the U.S. About 85% of lung cancer cases are due to cigarette smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

“Smoking is a mental thing. When the doctor told me I had cancer, that was enough to motivate me to quit. I couldn’t stand the thought of not being there for my grandbabies.” 

People who meet the following criteria should be screened for lung cancer: 

• 50-77 years old 
• Have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history (Pack-years is a way to measure smoking exposure, taking into account how long you have smoked, and how much you have smoked. Click here to calculate your pack-years.) 
• Currently smoke cigarettes or have quit within the past 15 years.  
• No signs or symptoms of lung cancer (If you experience any symptoms for an extended period of time, you should discuss this with your medical provider). 

Spartanburg Regional offers a lung cancer screening program for those who meet certain criteria to undergo a low-dose CT scan. For more information on the program, go to SpartanburgRegional.com/cancer/lung-cancer-screening-program.