Former smoker, stage 4 cancer survivor urges people to quit lighting up
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - It was 2018, and after 30 years of smoking when Carla Prothro decided enough was enough. It was time to quit.
"It wasn't that I didn't want to," she said to CBS 11 News. "It was just hard."
She enlisted the help of a doctor, and knowing her history he asked her to do some baseline scans.
Neither of them thought there was going to be a problem.
"We were both wrong," Prothro said. "About 15 minutes after the scan he called to tell me they found cancer in both lungs."
According the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in people in the United States and it's largely preventable. About 80% of lung cancers, as well as 80% of lung cancer deaths, are due to smoking.
"I would beat myself up for not being able to quit," Prothro said. "Hiding it from my granddaughter, then you have to tell her you have cancer and why. That was hard."
Carla was initially diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Thankfully it wasn't metastatic. After two surgeries, multiple rounds of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy, Carla is now stage zero.
"I feel fantastic," she said.
Carla walked a full marathon last November and recently a half marathon. She said those baseline scans likely saved her life. She has a message for anyone trying to quit:
"Just keep trying. Don't stop."
If you're trying to quit and you're looking for resources, check out the American Cancer Society's website.
