HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — An Arkansas native is opening up about his unexpected journey after discovering he was facing two simultaneous cancer diagnoses.

Jimmie Carpenter was aware of his enlarged prostate, which prompted him to diligently attend his yearly screenings. During one such routine check-up, he was confronted with the unsettling news of an aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis, which led to further tests.

To his surprise, these additional tests uncovered a more alarming issue — a spot on his lung — despite Carpenter experiencing no related symptoms.

“The most shocking revelation was that many assume lung cancer is linked to smoking,” he explained. “I’ve never touched a cigarette in my life, so it was just one of those unpredictable occurrences, possibly genetic or environmental. It’s hard to say.”

In Hot Springs, Jimmie’s oncologist directed him to Dr. Nicholas Tenquist, a Thoracic Surgeon at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute in Little Rock. Together, they formulated a strategy to tackle the early-stage lung cancer, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the challenges.

Dr. Tenquist said lung cancer treatments have come a long way in recent years, with some patients able to go on and live full lives.  

“We’re able to operate on things that we would never have thought possible before and totally cure some of these conditions. Fortunately, for him, it was an early stage, and we felt very confident we could treat it,” he explained.

Jimmie chose to have Dr. Tenquist remove the cancer by removing an entire lobe of Jimmie’s left lung. While it’s a major surgery, after only five days in the hospital, Jimmie, with his wife Linda, walked out and began his recovery with daily exercise.  

“Just walked out, no pain, no sickness. The only thing he wanted me to do was walk every day to build up my capacity,” he said. 

Today, both his prostate and lung cancers have been treated. Carpenter credits early detection, his UAMS care team, and above all, his wife of nearly 61 years for standing by his side.

“She’s been supportive the whole time. I couldn’t have asked for anymore,” he said. “Whatever she thought I needed, whether I needed it or not, she took care of it”. 

Jimmie has a message to share with anyone facing a new cancer diagnosis, just like he did.

“I’d just like people to know that if you’re diagnosed with cancer, it’s not the end of the world. With medicine and technology, it’s phenomenal,” he added. 

Dr. Tenquist also said that lung cancer screenings are much more effective than in years past. He believes that anyone between 50 to 80 years old, who smoked for 20 years or has quit within the last 15, is eligible for an insurance-covered low-dose CT scan.