By DEREK REDD

Dr. Robert Herron had a dream of, after becoming a doctor, returning to his hometown of Wheeling to serve the people there.

Herron has achieved that dream as a thoracic surgeon at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital. And as the medical director of the hospital’s lung cancer screening program, he’s helping patients combat a deadly disease by identifying it at a much earlier stage.

Discovering and treating cancer makes up a significant part of Herron’s work. A large number of his surgical patients suffer from cancers of the lung, esophagus or central part of the chest. When not in surgery or seeing patients, he’ll attend meetings also throughout each week, including a thoracic tumor board, where patients with cancers of the chest are discussed amongst other specialties such as medical oncology and radiation oncology, to determine the best plan for these patients in regards to treatment and follow-up.

In that practice, Herron said he has seen new offerings and more on the horizon that bolster his enthusiasm for his field of practice.

“I have seen several advances since being back in Wheeling to include the rollout of the lung cancer screening program at Wheeling Hospital,” he said, “which I feel will save many lives as it will catch lung cancer in the early, curable stages.

“Also, I am beyond excited about the announcement of the new cancer center for downtown Wheeling,” Herron added, “as I feel this endeavor will immensely benefit the patients of the Ohio Valley in regards to having top-notch comprehensive cancer care available to them in, essentially, their own backyard.”

The opportunity to come to Wheeling Hospital was part of what drew the 36-year-old Herron back to Wheeling. He and his wife Sara both have family in the area, and they wanted to find the right place to raise their 8-year-old daughter Rosemary.

“We love Wheeling,” he said. “We love the people, we love the community and we love the opportunity to raise our daughter in this community. Also, growing up, I was familiar with Wheeling Hospital and a great reputation that Wheeling Hospital has in regards to taking care of the community.”

It’s a community that Herron feels is only getting stronger as he sees more younger professionals moving in. They’re cutting-edge people, he said, with excellent education and a desire to help the people around them. Some may just be starting their professional careers, and for those people, Herron said it’s important to work hard, stay passionate and try to learn something new every day.

He also advises to maintain a proper balance of work and life.

“Although passion in your trading occupation is extremely important, it is just as important to stay balanced and have other endeavors outside of work to keep your balance,” he said.

He also recommends maintaining a positive outlook, even when that might be tough to do, while understanding one’s limitations and not being afraid to ask for help and lean on others for support.

“There’s been several instances where things have not always gone my way or as expected,” he said. “It is easy to get down and discouraged. However, I have learned that if you continue to work hard and stay positive and do the right thing, things often will work out. For the rest of my career, I will continue to go by these lessons.”

Herron wants to see the people of the Ohio Valley live happy, healthy lives free of diseases such as lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer death in men and women. Early detection is key, he said, which is why he’s happy to see Wheeling Hospital’s lung cancer screening program take off the way it has.

The future of thoracic cancer treatment is very promising, Herron said, with breakthroughs allowing patients even better chances of survival.

“There are several new technologies in the treatment of thoracic cancers, namely lung cancers, to include minimally invasive surgical techniques as well as minimally invasive diagnostic techniques to help better diagnose, stage, and treat patients of our community with lung cancer,” he said. “These modalities are currently available at Wheeling Hospital and I expect us to improve as time goes on as well as we are committed to staying at the forefront and cutting edge to make these treatment modalities available to the people of our community.”