Man who spotted unusual warning sign on his fingernail ended up being diagnosed with lung cancer

A man from Scotland is raising awareness of one unique nail condition, after it pointed to the fact he was secretly battling cancer.

Fitness instructor Brian Gemmell was dealt a lung cancer diagnosis some years ago, despite not suffering any respiratory related issues, or any other indicators of severely ailing health.

It wasn't until he looked down at his hands prior to his scare that he noticed an unexpected swelling on one of his fingers.

When the 53-year-old realised the phenomenon wasn't limited to just one of his digits, and that there was actually marginal swelling in every finger, he got in touch with his GP.

His local surgeon informed him that the condition was known as 'finger clubbing', and performed a number of tests.

According to Cancer Research UK, 'finger clubbing' describes particular changes to the shape of your fingers and fingernails as a result of an underlying disease.

The condition usually emerges in stage, beginning with a general softening of the nail bed and a reddening of the skin around the nail. The angle between the nail bed and fold also increases, causing the nail to curve over more so than usual.

'Finger clubbing' also sees the nails and the surrounding areas appearing particularly shiny, with the ends of the fingers themselves looking larger and puffed up. The condition is not particularly painful, and in rare occasions, it can occur without a cause.

In East Kilbride-based Brian's case, however, the phenomenon had been caused by underlying lung cancer.

"I didn’t have what are considered your 'common' lung cancer symptoms," he recently recalled. "My initial symptom was clubbing of the fingers; the tips of my fingers were swelling up all the time.

The only symptom Brian Gemmell had was 'finger clubbing' (Getty Stock Images)

"I googled it – as you do – and a respiratory problem flagged up."

Brian recalled of his initial testing period: "I had an absolutely phenomenal GP. The first thing he did was send me for a chest X ray. There was no going anywhere else, no delay, and at the same time he referred me to a respiratory consultant."

In the months that followed, a number of different treatments were presented to the Scot, but after a surgeon recommending removing his right lung completely, he deemed it to be the safest option.

Now, not only does Brian serve as an advocate for Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, but he's encouraging others not to be hesitant when it comes to their health.

"Go and see your doctor if you've got anything that you're concerned about – that's what a [doctor] is for," he recommends. "Go as soon as you can."

Brian emphasises that an early diagnosis is key (Scottish Government)

Brian continued: "We need early diagnosis. We don’t want it 3, 4, 5, 6 months down the line because it’s bigger then, it’ll have grown a lot more than it was when the patient first presented to their GP and, chances are sadly, it’s then incurable."

Adding of his new perspective, he went on to say: "People think lung cancer is a death sentence. That’s not surprising with the current survival statistics. But it doesn’t have to be. I’m proof that it doesn’t have to be.

"But it’s not going to just happen. The right people have to make it happen. They have to make it a priority.

"They have to understand these people are worth saving."

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.