Lidia’s story

Hope restored

When Lidia Gordon’s lung cancer reappeared even after chemotherapy treatment, she grew weary about her long-term prognosis. Then—with a trip to Memorial Sloan Kettering, a consultation with a medical oncologist and finally a referral to the New York Proton Center—Lidia’s world changed dramatically.

“I started feeling better two weeks after starting my proton therapy treatment, just as Dr. Simone predicted,” said Lidia. “It was like I was a completely different person. I was me again.”

Diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017, Lidia initially responded well to her chemotherapy treatment. But the tumor soon returned and grew aggressively, eventually taking up a large portion of her right lung volume and causing significant pain.

Lidia became increasingly convinced she was not receiving state-of-the art care. On the advice of family and friends, she travelled from her home in North Carolina to meet with Dr. Kathryn Arbour, a medical oncologist specializing in lung cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She also began medication, but the side effects—sleeplessness, substantial pain and vision loss—were almost too much to bear.

Though Lidia relied heavily on her faith, she grew increasingly fearful and began losing hope. Recognizing the lack of improvement, Dr. Arbour stopped Lidia’s medication and referred her to Dr. Charles Simone, Chief Medical Officer at the newly opened New York Proton Center in Manhattan.

A remarkable turnaround

Lidia loved how Dr. Simone explained her treatment so clearly and made her feel totally comfortable. In fact, everyone at the New York Proton Center impressed her, as did the facility itself. It was, she later reflected, an extraordinarily positive experience.

Thanks to her proton therapy, Lidia’s pain completely resolved and her vision returned. So substantial was her relief that she spent the last two weeks of her month-long treatment enjoying the city. With the holidays approaching, she would occasionally head to 34^th Street right after therapy to shop for Christmas gifts. She even attended the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Through it all, her huge support network of friends and family kept her thinking positive and feeling great.

Thirty days after finishing her treatment at the New York Proton Center, Lidia was back home in North Carolina, painting her daughter’s bedroom. With her first post-treatment scan showing no evidence of cancer remaining in the right lung, she looks back on her experience at the New York Proton Center with profound and lasting gratitude.

How can we help?

Want to find out if proton therapy might be a good fit for you or your patient? Call us at 833-NYPROTON (833-697-7686) or fill out the appropriate form below.