After losing his mum, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather to lung cancer, it was Jeff Smith's worst nightmare come true when he was told he too had the disease. With no symptoms, he answered a letter through the post from the NHS for any Salford residents wanting to take part in a mass screening.
Jeff went along to it the same day the letter arrived in the post after a cancellation. But when doctors called him 24 hours later, he was shocked to find out that he had a 9mm growth, having previously had no idea that a deadly disease had taken root in his body.
He says getting the diagnosis was one of the most frightening moments in his life but after a few weeks of tests, Jeff was given miraculous news. The cancer had been caught early enough that he could get 'cure' surgery.
