Mom of four Shira Boehler, 44, who is based in Nashville, Tennessee, told Newsweek: “The scan saved my life.“
Growing up in a family of doctors, Shira Boehler has always made a conscious effort to look after her health—and this went further than healthy eating and exercising. She regularly took medical tests despite never having symptoms.
In July last year, Boehler, then 43, ran 6 miles and then underwent a full‑body MRI as suggested by her husband Adam, 47. “I wasn’t going to go,“ she told Newsweek, adding that it wasn’t a medical requirement but something they paid $2,000 out of their own pocket. “It was planned to be a “baseline“ preventative measure.“ But the results showed a 1.5-inch spot on her lungs, and, three months later, she was diagnosed with lung cancer, which is the second most-common cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society . Shira Boehler poses on a hike; and stands at the National Mall in Washington D.C. during Lung Cancer Awareness Month, November 2025. “The MRI results mostly showed things I already knew about such as thyroid disease, and a scar from my C-section,“ Boehler said. “It also picked up a small spot on my lung, but the report did not describe it as concerning.“ Because she had no symptoms and was extremely active, the mom of four, based in Nashville, Tennessee, ignored the finding. But, as the daughter of two doctors—with her dad being a lung specialist—her family wasn’t letting the spot slide. Diagnosis and Treatment From left: Boehler sits in a chamber for a pulmonary function test . In September, Boehler went to a‑follow-up appointment followed by a diagnostic chest CT scan, which led to a Stage 1B lung cancer diagnosis on October 1. The tumor showed up as 1.65 inches, meaning it was on the larger side but still contained, and it had not spread to her lymph nodes. Five days later, Boehler underwent surgery to remove a piece of the affected lobe. “I was diagnosed and beat cancer in one week,“ she told Newsweek. But her story could have ended differently if she didn’t go for the initial scan. “The scan saved my life,“ she said. “If I had waited another year or two, the cancer could have spread, and my children might have lost their mother.“ The ACS states lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., accounting for about 1 in 5 of all cancer deaths. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. ‘Cancer Doesn’t Care’ From left: Boehler walks in hospital attached to a machine; and wears a breathing mask. The ACS states smoking causes most lung cancers because its chemicals damage DNA and trigger mutations that turn normal lung cells cancerous. But non‑smokers can still get lung cancer from radon, secondhand smoke, pollution, or workplace chemicals. For some non‑smokers like Boehler, the disease arises without known causes. Other causes include mutations that activate growth‑promoting genes or disable protective ones, and inherited mutations can raise lung cancer risk and sometimes help determine effective treatments. Boehler told Newsweek: “I have never smoked a cigeratte in my life. “If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer,“ she added. “People are taught that smoking causes lung cancer—and, while smoking increases risk, it is not the only cause.“ Advocacy and Awareness Boehler, now 44, has since wrote a book titled One Scan Saved My Life, which will be published on April 28. Writing it helped her heal and understand more about how lung cancer affects women. She believes it is a health crisis that is not talked about enough. “I have recognized my privilege as not everyone has the financial means to get tested without symptoms, but I want to use my story to help others,“ Boehler said. The proceeds from book sales will support her newly launched foundation cancerdoesntcare, supporting lung screening access and research. “I feel extremely grateful to be alive and driven to change the narrative around lung cancer,“ Boehler said. “I want others to get screened and survive. “When detected at the same early stage she had, survival rates exceed 90 percent.“
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