A cancer that never was

He is about 70 and his movement from one place to another is rather restricted due to his obesity. Some months back, he had a persistent cough and an unresolved pneumonia, for more than a month. His treating physician had him have a CT scan, which showed consolidation of one of the basal segment of his right lung.
Erroneously reported as a malignant lesion, without any branchoscopic biopsy and cytology, he was referred to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It was a very debilitating and painful experience, causing anaemia, weight loss, depression, demoralisation, multiple transfusions, and a radiation burn on the lower lobe of the lung.
He was greatly disturbed to know that he was diagnosed to have a pulmonary cancerous growth. His interest in his day-to-day activities of life also drastically diminished, due to cancerophobia.
He became broody and introverted. To begin with, I realised and asked to get his cytological study and sputum culture, which luckily negated the suspicion of any malignancy.
The case turned out to be that of basal pneumonia by culture of infective organisms. I congratulated his family for this great news. I tried to dispel his obsession of having cancer.
His family members were advised to do all that they could bring him out of the depression, he had been driven into.
Happily, he responded well to the treatment by antibiotics, according to culture. He gradually gained weight and came out of his phobic condition. As an aftermath of the severe radiotherapy and chemotherapy, there was a loss of appetite, anaemia for which he was given four pints of blood and iron injections, which to his good luck he responded well.
Due to radiotherapy, two-thirds of his right lung had already been destroyed, which caused serious bronchopneumonia and mucopurulent exudation from the lungs, that necessitated long treatment and chest physiotherapy.
He was in the course of time mobilised and is having chest physio regularly to drain out the bronchial exudate, which is still required by him for couple of months, for full recovery.
Corollary, is that before labelling malignancy of any part of the body, a cytological study and biopsy are essential for confirmation. Cancer is a dreaded disease.
Not only is the patient devastated but his or her dependents are also greatly disturbed by his or her painful suffering, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thank God, the patient who requested anonymity, is now better shape.
He has regained his lost confidence, appetite and his interest in life has also returned. He is once more an extrovert.
He is relieved of the constant agony, depressing predicament and is on the path of recovery from the nightmarish experience he has lately had. I am glad to see that a patient suspected of cancer is rid of the dread of cancer.