Patrick Murray: what did Only Fools And Horses actor say about lung cancer - what are signs and symptoms?

Only Fools and Horses star Patrick Murray has announced on Twitter that his lung cancer has been “cured” and that the tumour found in his liver is “shrinking” following treatment.

The actor issued his health update on Twitter, where he thanked the “brilliant doctors and nurses of our NHS”.

The news comes after Murray’s co-star John Challis, who played Boycie on the sitcom, passed away from cancer at the end of last year.

What did Patrick Murray say about his lung cancer?

In a thread of tweets posted on Twitter, Murray wrote: “Thanks again for all your lovely messages. As you may know, I was diagnosed with lung cancer last July. After an op in Oct to remove the tumour I had chemo to help prevent the cancer from returning.

“Last Friday I saw my oncologist She told me the lung cancer was cured and that the tumour in my liver was shrinking. It’s not over yet, but as you can imagine I’m over the moon with this latest news.

“Thanks to the brilliant doctors and nurses of our NHS, I will hopefully be there at next years convention.”

When was he diagnosed?

Murray, 65, who played Mickey Pearce in the classic BBC sitcom, was diagnosed in August 2021 after he had grown concerned about his bloated stomach.

After receiving an ultrasound, Murray was told the news.

Speaking to the Sun, he said: “The very next morning, I got the phone call nobody wants to hear when the doctor says, “Are you sitting down?”

“The first primary diagnosis was actually a lot worse than what it was. It showed up a lot of red flags that I had a tumour on my liver and three metastasis - which is cancer of the blood.

“I was told it looks like I wouldn’t make Christmas.”

After MRI and PET scans, Murray said: “I got fantastic news that they were metastasis - they were hemolytics, which are usually harmless.

“But the PET scan did show there was a tumour in my lung so I had that removed in October. They caught it early and right now I’m on chemo to make sure it doesn’t come back.

“If I left it a couple of months later, I could have been in real trouble. I probably wouldn’t be here now.”

Murray also revealed that he chose not to share his diagnosis with his late Only Fools and Horses co-star John Challis, who passed away last September at 79 following his own battle with cancer.

Murray said: “I was speaking to [Challis] a lot on the phone, but I didn’t want to tell him. I knew he had serious problems and didn’t want to lay it on him that I had it too.

“We were exchanging recipes as we both tried different diets to improve our health.

“The last thing he said to me was, “I’m eating watermelon” because they help thin the blood naturally, which he needed to do.

“Bless him, he was a great man.”

What are the symptoms of lung cancer?

According to the NHS, there are usually “no signs or symptoms in the early stages” and that symptoms of lung cancer develop as the condition progresses.

The main symptoms of lung cancer include:

• A cough that doesn’t go away after two or three weeks
• A long standing cough that gets worse
• Chest infections that keep coming back
• Coughing up blood
• An ache or pain when breathing or coughing
• Persistent breathlessness
• Persistent tiredness or lack of energy
• Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss

Loss common symptoms also include:

• Changes in appearance of the fingers, such as becoming more curved or the ends becoming larger
• Difficulty swallowing or pain when swallowing
• Wheezing
• A hoarse voice
• Swelling of the face or neck
• Persistent chest or shoulder pain