After more than four decades serving patients at a tertiary care regional referral hospital, a senior executive never imagined becoming a patient himself. But that’s exactly what happened when a routine CT scan — ordered for an unrelated sinus condition — uncovered an incidental finding that would change everything.

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What followed was a rapid series of events that not only saved his life but reinforced, in the most personal way possible, the critical role that identifying and managing incidental findings plays in patient care.

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A Routine Scan That Changed Everything

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For years, he’d dealt with chronic sinus infections. A persistent flare‑up led his physician to order a CT scan of his sinuses. The goal was to check for structural issues — but the scan revealed something entirely unexpected: a 5cm mass on his thyroid.

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When the results went to his primary care physician, no abnormalities were detectable during a standard physical exam. An endocrinologist confirmed the same. The mass was not something that could be identified by touch alone. Without imaging, the mass might have gone unnoticed for months, even years.

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Swift Action, Life‑Changing Results

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Because of the size and concern, the surgical process moved quickly — less than a month from the initial scan to the first surgery. Surgeons removed half of his thyroid, and pathology confirmed it was cancer. The tumor had reached the edge of the capsule, meaning waiting any longer could have allowed it to spread.

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Follow‑up evaluation revealed suspicious nodules in the remaining half of the thyroid. This led to a second surgery to remove the rest.

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After a recovery period, he underwent radioactive iodine treatment to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue. Today, he takes daily medication to replace thyroid function, and ongoing monitoring continues to show no signs of cancer.

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Reflecting on the experience, he shared:

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“It would be silly not to do it. You have these findings out there every day. It would be a crime if you missed them — and you can save somebody’s life with that.”

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A Second Reminder of the Power of Detection

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The story didn’t end there. Months later, while undergoing a lung CT for an unrelated condition, imaging revealed a lung nodule. Normally, this would trigger follow‑up testing. But the radiology team compared it to older scans and found it had been there, unchanged, since 1995 — requiring no further action.

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Having access to prior imaging history helped avoid unnecessary interventions and gave everyone involved peace of mind.

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A Call for Broader Adoption

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For this health system executive, advanced incidental findings management isn’t just a clinical tool — it’s personal. It’s a reminder that technology‑enabled detection and tracking can mean the difference between early intervention and a missed opportunity.

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His advice to other healthcare leaders?

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“You never know when it’s going to be you — or someone you love — who benefits.”

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Stories like this are a powerful reminder that health systems need a consistent, reliable process for identifying and managing incidental findings. If your organization doesn’t yet have one in place, now is the time to explore it — and to learn how leading systems are making incidental findings management a standard of care.