WEST BATH — Scott Upham has been a part Trek Across Maine, a weekendlong cycling fundraiser for the American Lung Association, five times in the past, but in recent years, he was unsure if he would continue to ride.

All that changed when Scott Hamill, a friend and coworker who some describe as an athlete, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.

In early 2012, doctors thought Hamill simply suffered from chronic bronchitis until a chest x-ray revealed one lung had a massive cancerous nodule and the other, several smaller ones.

Hamill immediately began a new drug treatment. The size of the growths on Hamill’s lungs have since shrunken significantly, with doctors recently decreasing his dosage by more than half.

Upham’s team, previously riding in the trek as Russell Investments, came to be known as Team Scott Hamill.

“When I got the news about Scott, I felt powerless. I knew this was something that I could do,” Upham said.

Collectively, Team Scott Hamill raised more than $45,000, due in large part to the overwhelming support of Russell Investments, where Upham and Hamill worked together, according to a news release.

The team ranked fourth in fundraising among all corporate teams in 2012.

For more information about Trek Across Maine 2013, visit www.biketreknewengland.org.