A man who was diagnosed with a deadly lung cancer says he almost ignored one subtle sign of it.
Malcolm Ledgar initially brushed off his health concerns because he believed his respiratory system was in full working order as he had regular X-rays on it.
However, after noticing one strange and persistent symptom, the former builder decided to raise his concerns with his GP and discovered that he has mesothelioma, which is a type of cancer which develops in the lining that covers the outer surface of some of our organs, which in Malcom’s case, was his lungs.
According to the NHS, the incurable disease which more than 2,700 people are diagnosed with each year in the UK is usually linked to asbestos exposure.
Malcolm, who lives in Nottingham, revealed that he was regularly exposed to the toxic fibres – which can get stuck in the lungs and cause serious damage – during his days in the building game.
He said he first started working for a Cheshire-based firm as an apprentice joiner at the age of 15 and frequently worked with asbestos as at the time ‘nobody knew how bad’ it was.
The 64-year-old explained: “In the 70s and 80s, you always got the rough jobs in your first year as an apprentice. You were always knocking walls down or doing repairs. In those days, nobody knew about how bad asbestos was, there was no personal protection equipment or anything like that. I remember working with it, but I was definitely not aware of the damage.”
Malcolm left the company behind after around eight years, but he claims it’s the only point in time that he could ‘pinpoint’ being exposed to asbestos.
The father explained that one of his former colleagues later passed away from suspected asbestosis, and following the passing of his ex-work pal, Malcolm began to get regular X-rays on his lungs to confirm they were healthy.
“It always stuck in the back of my mind,” he said, However, the check-ups slipped his mind when he moved from Cheshire to Nottingham in 2009 and changed GPs.
After talking to his wife about the ‘old days’, he eventually underwent another X-ray in March 2023 which came back clear, however, the grandad then noticed a strange symptom in September last year.
“It started with a little ache under my right rib, just an annoying ache,” Malcolm said, explaining he checked in with his GP who fast-tracked him for an X-ray at Nottingham City Hospital.
The former builder was then informed he also needed a CT scan too due to some ‘concerns’ about his lungs.
It was later confirmed that Malcolm has malignant mesothelioma in the lining of his lung, seeing him begin immunotherapy treatment on 7 January.
“There’s no cure for it and it’s covering my right lung at the moment,” Malcolm said. “I’ve not dug into it too deeply, I’ve not gone into detail just yet and I’ve not really asked what stage it might be.”
He has urged any fellow tradies who worked in the industry in the 70s and 80s not to ignore anything their bodies might be trying to tell them.
“If you feel any aches or you’ve taken in dust particles, ask for a check-up and say you feel something is wrong. If you feel any inkling something is wrong, ask for an X-ray – only you know your own body.” he said. “I could place blame and be angry with the world, but it’s not going to achieve anything. Why not be happy with the world and just enjoy what time I’ve got?”
Malcolm describes himself as a ‘very positive person’ and explained he isn’t letting his diagnosis get in the way of anything, as he said: “It’s not going to affect me personally, I’m booking holidays and making plans.”
He is set to enjoy a mega-family cruise for May this year, with his wife, Nicola, their children and grandchildren, while throwing a party on 1 February to ‘celebrate’ his life with his loved ones.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Malcolm to raise money for two charities – East Midlands Asbestos Support Team (EMAST) and Mesothelioma UK – who have supported him.
To find out more about his fundraiser, click here.
