Man recommends taking immediate action after being diagnosed as a ‘silent killer’

A man was shocked to discover he had a condition known as the ‘silent killer’ on his birthday.

Owen McGrath, from Childwall, was told he had cancer growing in his left lung on his birthday following a scan. It happened after the 71-year-old was invited to an appointment for a lung health check as part of a program being rolled out across Merseyside and Cheshire.

More than a million people in England, aged 55 to 74, who smoke or used to smoke have already been invited to a free, targeted lung health check. The checks have helped save lives across Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, St Helens and South Sefton by detecting lung problems, including cancer, in their early stages, before symptoms even appear.

NHS checks are now expected to be rolled out to Wirral and Warrington, followed by north Sefton. Owen said he’s grateful he didn’t skip his appointment for a lung checkup — and after treatment, he’s cancer-free.

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He urges anyone invited to these appointments to “act immediately” as it could save their lives. Owen, 71, said: “I’m so glad I asked for the check. I didn’t expect the analysis to reveal anything, but I got a call later to say they had found something.

“It was a shock but it meant I then had further scans and tests before confirming it was cancer. They told me on my birthday but , to be honest I was just happy they caught it.