Andrew Daniels was going to the gym five times a week before his diagnosis
14:31, 07 Feb 2026Updated 18:24, 07 Feb 2026
Andrew Daniels(Image: Angela Daniels)
A dad-of-six was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer just weeks after visiting his GP with what he thought was a chest infection. Andrew Daniels, 46, from Kensington, was diagnosed with stage four metastatic adenocarcinoma lung cancer in August last year after initially being treated with antibiotics for a dry cough.
The cancer has since been found to have spread to his lymph nodes, with doctors giving him a prognosis of six to 12 months. Andrew’s wife, Angela, said the family’s ‘world was turned upside down in seconds’.
A week before his diagnosis, Andrew visited his GP complaining of a cough and was prescribed antibiotics for a suspected chest infection. When his symptoms failed to improve, he returned to the doctor, who referred him for a chest X-ray followed by a contrast CT scan.
Angela, 35, told the ECHO: “The doctor wouldn’t tell me exactly what was going on, but I knew something was wrong. We went home and three hours later we were told to come back to the hospital, and that’s when we were given the news.
Andrew Daniels with his ten-year-old daughter(Image: Angela Daniels)
“I thought it would be something like COPD or fluid on his lungs. We never thought it was going to be this. Our lives were turned upside down in a matter of seconds. From there it was all systems go. It was just horrific.”
Despite being told the cancer was terminal and incurable, the diagnosis came as a huge shock, particularly given Andrew’s health before August.
Angela said: “When he was first diagnosed, he was going to the gym five times a week. He was very fit and healthy. He had a dry cough for a week, that’s it. There were no symptoms. In films you see people coughing up blood or collapsing. There was none of that.
“We were in complete denial. We thought there’s no way it’s terminal cancer. He wasn’t coughing anymore and seemed like he was getting better.”
However, a biopsy later confirmed the diagnosis. Doctors told the couple there were so many nodules on Andrew’s lungs they could not be counted. Angela said Andrew has a 4cm tumour on his right lung and more than 200 nodules across both lungs and the chest lymph nodes.
Andrew with his wife, Angela, and 10-year-old daughter(Image: Angela Daniels)
Andrew, who began smoking cannabis at around the age of 12, had also previously worked in pigeon lofts, where there may have been asbestos exposure. Angela believes this may have contributed towards his illness.
Since his diagnosis, his health has deteriorated rapidly. He now relies on oxygen 24 hours a day, uses a stairlift at home, and has “completely lost his independence”.
Angela said: “He’s not the same person he was before. He gets severe fatigue, headaches and pains in his legs every night. Some days he won’t get out of bed. It’s just a horrible disease.
“It’s the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep.”
The couple, who have been together for 17 years, have six children – the youngest aged 10 – as well as grandchildren.
Angela said: “He’s the best dad ever. He’s the most resilient person I’ve ever met. He’s got children and grandchildren who depend on him.
Andrew was described as ‘fit and healthy’ prior to his diagnosis(Image: Angela Daniels)
Andrew is currently undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, but Angela said his chemotherapy is expected to come to an end soon.
She said: “He has his next round on March 10 and then he’ll ring the bell in April. They can’t keep giving him chemo because it’s not doing anything.”
Angela said Andrew’s oncologist told them he had “never seen a more aggressive cancer” in someone of Andrew’s age.
Andrew has chosen not to go into a hospice, preferring to remain at home, where he is supported daily by Marie Curie palliative nurses who Angela said have been “incredible”.
Andrew has also explored complementary therapies and lifestyle changes alongside his medical treatment, including chef Danny McDonell’s revival ice cubes and oxygen therapy at the Detox Clinic on Green Lane.
Angela added: “I don’t know if it’s helped, but I do know that it hasn’t spread any further.”
Now, Angela hopes sharing Andrew’s story will encourage others to seek medical advice early: “It doesn’t matter how old you are. It can happen to anyone, and it can happen that fast.
“If you’ve got a cough and something doesn’t feel right, just go to the doctors and get checked. Our lives have been torn apart in the space of six months. It’s absolutely atrocious.”