“In the beginning of this journey, we didn’t think we would be sitting around my table together. Yet there I was, hosting dinner like I always have,” says Sharon Matthews (far right), who was overjoyed to celebrate Thanksgiving with her family, including husband Rob (back) and granddaughters Nova, 20 months, and Brooklynn, 14 (front left and center), thanks to the lifesaving care she received at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center.

Sharon Matthews was enjoying a cruise from Boston to Bermuda with her husband, Rob, in June when she started coughing up blood. She consulted her nurse friends, who encouraged her to get checked out as soon as she was back in Boston. So, when the ship docked a few days later, Matthews visited a local hospital. Doctors there said that although her cough was caused by dry air, her scans revealed something far more concerning: She almost certainly had lung cancer.

“I panicked,” remembered Matthews, who had quit smoking in 2008 and was otherwise in good health. “Practically all my family, including my mother and brother, died young of lung cancer, so I’ve had this fear of it my entire life. I thought, ‘Oh my God, here’s my death sentence.’”

Based on the advice of her nurse friends, Matthews solicited a second opinion from the Thoracic (Lung) Cancer Treatment Center at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center. After new scans and a biopsy, oncologist Jacob Sands, MD, and thoracic surgeon Ealaf Shemmeri, MD, PharmD, confirmed that she had squamous cell carcinoma in the right upper lobe of her lung. They recommended surgery to remove the tumor as well as surrounding tissue and lymph nodes.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Matthews said she found comfort and reassurance in her team’s confidence and compassion.

“When I first met with Drs. Shemmeri and Sands, they explained how things have changed so much in the 25 years since my mom died,” she said. “They were so positive and assured me that everything was going to be OK.”

Still, Matthews was scared. She was 63, the same age her mother had been when she was diagnosed. In the weeks leading up to surgery, she settled matters at home and met with all her friends and family. “I spent my time preparing for what I thought would be the end of my life,” she said.

On Oct. 16, Matthews was relieved to wake up from surgery to good news: The specialized, multidisciplinary surgical team — which also included thoracic anesthesiologists Philip Hartigan, MD, and Stephanie Yacoubian, MD — successfully removed all of the cancer with minimally invasive robotic surgery.

Recovery and the Will to Overcome

While she had overcome her biggest hurdle, Matthews would face a difficult road to recovery. The day after surgery, she was diagnosed with chylothorax, a condition in which fluid from the lymphatic system leaks into the chest cavity.

“Sharon had a prior COVID infection that left her with scarring on the lung tissue and surrounding lymph nodes,” explained Shemmeri. “Chylothorax is a rare complication that occurs in about 2 percent of lung cancer surgeries when there is scarring in the lung tissue.”

After a more conservative approach did not seal the leak, interventional radiologist Matthew P. Schenker, MD repaired it with a percutaneous thoracic duct embolization — an advanced, minimally invasive procedure that uses imaging guidance to locate and close the leak.

Matthews was cared for on Braunwald Tower 11 for a total of 13 days. She credits the support of her family and care team for helping her through this time.

“Dr. Shemmeri was so dedicated and encouraging, and I probably had 20 or more nurses and personal care assistants caring for me,” she said. “There was something special about every single one of them. They held my hand, kept me busy, braided my hair, made sure I had a warm blanket and urged me to walk. I never really had to ask for anything.”

Those reflections resonated with Shemmeri, who visited Matthews at least once a day during her hospitalization.

On her discharge day, Matthews holds a handwritten message of thanks to staff that reads “Thank you Brigham and Women’s Hospital Thoracic Pod B.”

“We often highlight the science and innovation of this institution, but unwavering compassion is what drives each of us to aid patients like Sharon to excel in their battle with cancer,” she said.

‘Strong Like a Warrior’

After much hard work and countless laps around the unit to strengthen her lungs, Matthews was ready to go home with supplemental oxygen therapy.

“The whole time I was in the hospital, I knew I had to just keep moving,” she said. “I was walking 48 laps by the time I left. I was strong like a warrior, with this big tribe of family, friends and medical staff behind me, cheering me on.”

She will go back for a scan every four to six months for the next five years to ensure the cancer does not return.

“Dr. Shemmeri gave me a clean bill of health with no restrictions, so I’m going to move on with my life,” she said.

And this past Thanksgiving, that’s just what she did, celebrating with her husband, their three children, Michala, Mike and Molly, their grandchildren and extended family.

“In the beginning of this journey, we didn’t think we would be sitting around my table together. Yet there I was, hosting dinner like I always have, walking up and down stairs with no oxygen,” Matthews said. “My home was filled with family, love, laughter and a whole lot of gratitude. I’m a living example of hope.”