A BUSINESSMAN from Port Glasgow is battling back from cancer after being diagnosed with the disease at the same time as his wife AND nephew.

Pat McGinlay, 60, has endured a torrid year after being told he had squamous cell carcinoma in March 2017 then discovering two of his nearest and dearest also had tumours.

Wife Clare, 53, and 24-year-old nephew Chris Doherty were diagnosed at the same time.

Pat said: "At the time, it was a living hell.

"When I was told myself, it was a case of 'let's deal with it', but it was more of a shock with my wife and Chris being just 24.

"It was harder with those two but we all stuck together and helped each other out."

Pat lost over five stones because of the disease but is now on the mend and back at work running his hot food van, Pat's Snacks, in Ardgowan Street.

He had surgery to remove his parotid gland in his mouth, which was found to have cancerous cells, and was given courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy after it was discovered that the disease had spread to his lymph nodes.

Doctors still have no idea where the cancer originated.

His wife of 33 years, Clare, was diagnosed after visiting her GP with pains in her chest - which turned out to be lymphoma trapped between the chest wall and her heart.

She too has successfully undergone treatment and is now back on her feet.

Latest scans for the couple, who have a daughter, have come back clear while their nephew has just returned to work following his treatment.

Chris was diagnosed after what he thought was a persistent frozen shoulder turned out to be coming from lymphoma in his stomach.

His uncle Pat, who lives in Devol, said: "We all ended up at the Beatson at the same time.

"The people there were fantastic and helped us through it all.

"Our daughter was also a tower of strength.

"She moved back in and stayed with us until we were back on the mend."

Pat says he has shared their story to raise awareness of Inverclyde's Macmillan Cancer Support service, to mark its tenth anniversary this year.

He says the help provided by staff and volunteers pushed all three of the family on during what was a very tough year for them.

Pat said: "The Macmillan people couldn't do enough for us.

"We would've been lost without them."

Pat would also like to thank Jacqueline Coyle, from Macmillan, his consultant and Move More Inverclyde.

* For welfare help and advice dealing with cancer, contact Jacqueline on 715365, 07919218451 or email jacqueline.coyle@inverclyde.gov.uk.