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A person suffering from anxiety dies of lung cancer; Know the symptoms that doctors missed
A young, fit and non-smoking British man was wrongly diagnosed with anxiety and given medication when he actually had terminal lung cancer â the symptoms of which doctors ignored. However, Liam Handley, 36, passed away after the cancer spread to other organs and despite treatments such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, the deadly disease remained unstoppable. Read on to know some important signs and symptoms.
Despite increasing symptoms and multiple visits to doctors, Liam was never referred for a chest X-ray
The 36-year-old non-smoker was no ordinary person lung cancer Patient. Liam Handley, a fit and young resident of Derbyshire, was diagnosed with anxiety and given medication to reduce chest pain, anxiety and stress.
âI donât think lung cancer was ever considered,â Liamâs mother Lynn told The Sun. âHe didnât fit the stereotype. He was young, healthy and did not smoke. And therein lies the problem,â she added.
However, despite his increasing symptoms and multiple visits to doctors, he was never sent for a chest X-ray. But gradually his pain became severe and one day his family realized that he was having a heart attack and took him to the emergency services.
Then a detailed examination found blood clots in his lungs, but cancer was still not suspected. Meanwhile, Liamâs symptoms still persisted and worsened over time. He also began experiencing pain in his shoulders and lower back, for which he was given stronger painkillers.
Liamâs cancer detected in a private CT scan
It wasnât until he paid for a private CT scan that Liam received the devastating true news, which confirmed he had lung cancer, which had already spread to his liver, spine and lymph nodes.
His family was devastated and angry. âWe were very angry, too,â Lynn said. âIt took so long to get the diagnosis â almost nine months. These were all precious months that could have made a difference to Liamâs prognosis and given us more time with our beautiful boy,â she said.
liam hurt genetically mutated lung cancer
Further tests revealed that Liam has a genetically mutated form of lung cancer called adenocarcinoma EGFR exon 19 positive â a type that affects people who have little or no history of smoking. He was restricted to lying flat, unable to sit up more than 30 degrees, and was not allowed to leave his bed.
Despite proper treatment, which included chemotherapy, immunotherapy radiation and surgery, Liam passed away in 2021 as his cancer became incurable.
Lung cancer in non-smokers
According to experts, seven out of 10 cases of lung cancer occur in people who have never smoked in their life. However, it is still possible to develop lung cancer even if you are quitting tobacco.
Figures from Cancer Research UK say 14 per cent of people with lung cancer in the country have never smoked.
Lung cancer symptoms and signs
Most non-smokers have no early symptoms of lung cancer, which means they are often not diagnosed until it has spread. Some signs that cannot be ignored are:
- a cough that doesnât go away
- breathlessness
- chest pain or discomfort
- wheezing
- coughing up blood
- hoarseness
- loss of appetite
- unexplained weight loss
- shoulder pain
- swelling of the face, neck, arms, or upper chest
- A small pupil and droopy eyelid in one eye and little or no sweating on that side of your face
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