The Pharmacist's Journey: From Misunderstanding to Advocacy

Neil was dismissed because he was a never smoker, despite developing a persistent cough

I'm Neil and I have spent my entire working life as a Community Pharmacist. I have always enjoyed travelling, being outdoors at every opportunity, especially taking long walks in the Lake District or Northumberland, or doing the garden.

When I received my diagnosis on 3 April 2024, aged 59, it was Stage IV ALK+ lung cancer. I had been experiencing a persistent cough and coughing up blood. During October 2023, I developed a cough which I put down to stress from a protracted planning application. By early December, the cough was still there but as a pharmacist I knew that sometimes coughs do take a while to clear. I was given antibiotics and a chest x-ray, which came back all clear, giving me false reassurance as my primary lung tumour was behind my heart so wouldn't be visible on an x-ray.

By March the cough was still there so I returned to the GPs twice. On the second appointment I was put on an urgent referral pathway for CT and MRI scans, by now I had developed a persistent headache. The scans revealed stage 4 lung cancer which had already spread to my brain. After further tests including a liquid biopsy, we got the result we were waiting for - the cancer was ALK+ and I was prescribed targeted treatment.

Since my diagnosis my wife has had to become my chauffeur, a whole new experience as rallying cars had been my hobby. We have moved house to somewhere more manageable, which has given us more time to do what's most important - spending time together doing the things we love.

"I wish I'd known sooner that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer, it does not discriminate by smoking history, age, or background, I am proof of that.”