Man sold possessions after incorrect terminal cancer diagnosis

A Birmingham man who claims he was told he had just six months to live sold many of his precious possessions before discovering he wasn’t going to die. Malcolm McMahon sold most heirlooms left by his parents, gave away his dog, cashed in premium bonds, made a will and put his house up for sale – only to find out his life was not at risk after all. Mr McMahon, 55, from Erdington, claimed the terminal cancer diagnosis caused emotional turmoil for his girlfriend and relatives, who had already suffered the death of his mother and brother to lung cancer in recent years. Mr McMahon claimed his GP, Dr Andy Thompson of Handworth’s Enki Medical Centre, interpreted ultrasound scans of his liver as being cancerous, breaking the news that he had severe liver cancer and only months to live in February last year.

But he said that three months later, following further examinations at City Hospital he returned to the surgery and Dr Thompson revealed blemishes on the scan were actually harmless lesions on the liver. By this time he had sold most of his precious belongings to give a legacy to his family. “The scan showed a possibility of cancer that needed further investigation,” claimed Mr McMahon, former owner of Armsco pawnbrokers and jewellers in Yardley. My mother and brother died from cancer so I just thought it was my time to face the music. What they went through was terrible and for a moment, I thought about ending it all. I found a new home for my Staffordshire Bull Terrier and was driving back from giving him away when I was caught drink-driving. I didn’t even realise, I wasn’t thinking straight and had never even been done for a speeding ticket before.



“I was going to put my other two dogs down as they would have no home, but luckily I didn’t.” Mr McMahon added: “I sat there listening to the doctor detail about dying at home and how Macmillan nurses could help, but the whole time, I was fine. All that time spent worrying over nothing. My girlfriend was devastated. I wanted to make sure the people I loved would be financially secure without me, so I sold antique rings, china ornaments and plates left by my parents for silly money as I thought I didn’t have much time. Luckily, I didn’t get an offer for my mid-terrace four-bedroomed house before I found out I wasn’t going to die. The last year has really taken its toll on me,” added Mr McMahon.

A spokeswoman for Dr Thompson, who works for Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust, said he was unavailable for comment. But a report on the case by specialist advisor Dr Nicholas Plant, from Kingswinford, said the first ultrasound showed liver lesions and suggested “liver metastases” – which are cancerous tumours that have spread to the liver from somewhere else in the body. Dr Plant wrote: “It was a difficult case where the original findings were highly suggestive of cancer. In my opinion, the GP informed Mr McMahon of the situation as he saw it, that there was a strong possibility of cancer at the time when he was first seen.” He added: “It does appear that fortunately Mr McMahon does not have cancer.”