Neil’s lung tumour was behind his heart so wasn’t seen on his X-ray

I wish I’d known sooner that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. It doesn’t matter if you’ve smoked or not, how old you are, or what your background is - I’m proof of that.

I’m Neil, and I’ve spent my whole working life as a community pharmacist. I’ve always loved being outdoors, walking in the Lake District or Northumberland, gardening, or travelling whenever I can.

In October 2023, I developed a cough which I put down to stress from a drawn-out planning application. By December, it was still there. As a pharmacist, I knew coughs can linger, but this one didn’t go away. I was prescribed antibiotics and sent for a chest X-ray, which came back clear. That gave me false reassurance because my lung tumour was behind my heart and couldn’t be seen on the scan.

By March, the cough was still persistent, and I’d also developed headaches. I went back to the GP twice, and after the second visit I was referred urgently for CT and MRI scans. The results showed stage 4 lung cancer that had already spread to my brain. A liquid biopsy later confirmed it was ALK+, and I was prescribed targeted treatment.

Since my diagnosis, life has changed in many ways. My wife has become my chauffeur, a new role after years of me rallying cars as a hobby.

I wish I’d known sooner that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. It doesn’t matter if you’ve smoked, how old you are, or what your background is. I’m proof of that.

“We’ve moved to somewhere more manageable, which has given us more time to do what's most important - spending time together doing the things we love.” - Neil