CHRISTUS lung cancer patient shares story of hope amid second cancer diagnosis

At 78, Seguin resident Sherelene Frazier was determined to choose courage over treatment when faced with a possible return of lung cancer, opting to accept the outcome rather than endure another strenuous CT-guided biopsy.

“I had a previous cancer in my lower left lung and went through a biopsy that was the most horrific thing I’ve ever experienced,” Frazier said. “I told myself I would never go through that long needle again.”

This time, though, her pulmonologist at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – New Braunfels, Dr. Rajesh Shetty, offered her something different: a new, minimally invasive diagnostic option called the Ion Robotic Navigational Bronchoscopy.

“Dr. Shetty came up with a way for me to be asleep and have the procedure done through my mouth instead of through my back,” she said. “I’d never heard of anything like it, and it changed my life.”

During the procedure, a thin robotic catheter is guided through the patient’s airway to reach and biopsy small spots deep within the lung, eliminating the need for larger incisions or painful needle insertions. Frazier said she woke up afterward with no pain, no complications and a renewed sense of hope.

“I was amazed,” she said. “My lung didn’t collapse. I wasn’t sick afterward. It was just such a relief over my whole being. I even felt better. I said, ‘Maybe I’m supposed to be here after all, maybe I still have a purpose.’”

Shetty, who helped bring this advanced technology to New Braunfels earlier this year, said the innovation is transforming how physicians care for patients close to home.

“This technology allows us to reach areas of the lung that were once nearly impossible to access safely,” he said. “By diagnosing cancer earlier and with far less risk or discomfort, we’re helping our patients maintain both their health and their dignity. Seeing stories like Ms. Frazier’s reminds us exactly why this work matters.”

Frazier credits Shetty not only for her successful procedure but for the compassion he showed every step of the way.

“Dr. Shetty was just so patient with me,” she said. “When I told him, ‘Nope, I’m not doing that needle again,’ he still took the time to explain this new procedure, and it changed my whole life. I owe my life to that doctor, and I thank the Lord he put this procedure in my path.”

Now preparing to complete a short series of radiation treatments, Frazier says her experience has given her a message she hopes others will hear: Get screened and ask about new options.

“I would go out there and shout it from the rooftops to anyone facing lung cancer to get their biopsy through this method,” Frazier said. “It’ll save lives; It’ll give hope.”