Harriett Gowell’s journey began when she read an article that recommended that all current—and former—heavy smokers have annual Spiral CT scans of the chest, even if they have no symptoms. Gowell, a resident of Marblehead, is active and healthy, but she did suffer from a mild but persistent cough that plagued her for years, even though she stopped smoking in the early 1990s after decades of being a self-described “heavy smoker.”

Gowell discussed her concerns with her primary care physician, Joseph E. August, M.D., who practices internal medicine in Peabody and is affiliated with North Shore Medical Center (NSMC). Dr. August recommend she have a Spiral CT, or computed tomography, scan, and explained that the scan enables physicians to detect cancer in its earlier stages. The scanners provide physicians a view the lungs and surrounding tissue at different angles and can spot growths that are as small as a grain of rice.

The initial results of the brief, painless test warranted an immediate review by a specialist and Gowell was entrusted to the care of Dean M. Donahue, M.D., a thoracic surgeon who practices at both Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and NSMC. Dr. Donahue’s diagnosis: adenocarcinoma of the right lobe, the most common form of lung cancer. Fortunately, Gowell’s case had been caught at the very beginning, before it had the chance to spread. Surgery, however, was necessary.

Gowell opted to have Dr. Donahue perform the surgery at NSMC Salem Hospital where both she and her husband, David, were born and had delivered their daughter. As part of a unique clinical collaboration between NSMC and MGH, Dr. Donahue and his thoracic surgery colleagues use the same clinical protocols in Salem as they would have in Boston. “The care was wonderful,” says Gowell of the three days she spent in intensive care and one day in the step-down unit. Now a year and a half after first raising the issue with her primary care physician, she remarks, “I’m feeling good and my cough is gone.”

“Women like Mrs. Gowell who started smoking as young adults are now at risk for lung cancer,” says Dr. Donahue. “In fact, lung cancer kills more women each year than uterine cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer combined.” While there are still more diagnoses of those three forms of cancer, they are more likely to be caught early. Lung cancer, however, often goes undetected for longer periods and becomes increasingly difficult to treat at the advanced stages. “Early screening for at-risk patients is so important,” says Dr. August. “It all starts with a candid conversation about your health history and smoking habits with your primary care physician.”