‘UK at the Half’: Markey offers same-day lung cancer diagnosis and treatment

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 16, 2025) — The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center is transforming lung cancer care with advanced robotic technology that allows the diagnosis and removal of early-stage lung cancers in a single day.
In this “UK at the Half,” Shari Meyerson, M.D., Markey Cancer Center surgical oncologist and chief of the UK College of Medicine’s thoracic surgery section, discusses how the ION endoluminal system and da Vinci surgical robot eliminate the typical three-to-eight week wait between diagnosis and treatment.
Meyerson emphasizes the importance of lung cancer screening for adults aged 50 to 80 with significant smoking histories. When caught early, lung cancer has a survival rate of up to 90%.
“UK at the Half” airs during halftime of each UK football and basketball game broadcast on radio and is hosted by UK Public Relations and Strategic Communications and Marketing and Brand Strategy. To hear the “UK at the Half” interview, click on the play button above.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns and the region’s only Level 1 trauma center.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.