As lung cancer awareness month draws to an end, pensioner George Van Dyke speaks about how he dealt with the disease to raise awareness of the condition.
The 70-year-old from South Norwood started coughing up blood earlier this year and went straight to Mayday Hospital where doctors discovered he had tumours in his lower left lung.
He said his family was devastated. His wife Eve had a heart attack last year and it was a lot of bad news to handle in a short amount of time.
He said: “All you can do is the best you can. It was a big blow, but my family stood behind me and supported me trough the process”.
Mr Van Dyke said without the support of his wife, sons and grandchildren the disease would have been harder to deal with.
He went into surgery at Mayday Hospital a month after the cancer was discovered and soon had the welcome news that the cancer was gone and he was in the clear.
He said: “If I didn't have surgery, I would've had to have chemo and been at a much bigger risk.”
Lung cancer is known as the “invisible” disease and is one of the most common cancer types, with estimated 31, 000 new cases each year.
In 2007, there were 29,660 deaths as a result of lung cancer in England and Wales.
Lung cancer usually affects older people and for smokers there is an increased risk, accounting for 85-90 per cent of cases.
Mayday Hospital has been raising awareness about the disease throughout the month, including hosting a tea party on November 26 at the chest clinic where patients and families were able to share their stories.
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