Patrick Murray, who played Mickey Pearce in the hit sitcom Only Fools and Horses, has announced that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
The actor, 65, said he discovered his cancer after experiencing unexplained pain.
He tweeted: “The other day I saw a gov advert advising anyone who has been suffering from bloating, pain or discomfort in the abdominal region and constipation to ask their GP to refer them for an ultrasound exam. It’s quick totally painless and it can save your life.
“I now speak from my own experience. Naturally I wanted to keep my own health problems private, but failing to fully endorse this ad would be selfish.
The actor wrote that he had been given a “fighting chance” after undergoing the ultrascan, which showed that his organs “needed further investigation” and led to tumours being spotted.
“This led to a pet scan which covers a much larger area. To my wonderful surprise these lesions were not cancerous but the scan did find an EARLY stage cancerous tumour in my lung.”
Murray, who also starred in the 2019 mental health drama Conditions, continued: “This has since been removed and I am tweeting now, which would not be the case if I hadn’t had the ultrasound all those months ago.
“A lot of people put these symptoms down to age and the discomfort, to simply to having a weak stomach. Please don’t ignore it if it persists. As for me and thanks to the NHS, I can now see the same beautiful horizon as you. X.”
Murray’s announcement comes four months after Only Fools star John Challis, who played Boycie, died from cancer aged 79.
