Larry King has revealed he is recovering after secretly undergoing life-saving surgery for lung cancer.

The 83-year-old legendary interviewer has admitted diagnosed with the potentially life-threatening disease in July this year, and has revealed he was “lucky” doctors saw the illness during one of his regular annual chest X-rays, as the early diagnoses has greatly improved his chances of survival.

He said: “I didn’t have any pain, but when they took a chest x-ray the doctor said, ‘There’s a little cloud here…’ They said I was lucky and smart to get annual chest x-rays because lung cancer doesn’t give you any signs until it’s in late stages. And by then it’s too late.”

The ‘Larry King Now’ host underwent surgery to remove the malignant mass from his lungs a few weeks after his diagnoses earlier this year, and admits he was back to work within a week of his operation.

He added: “They went in through my ribs with a tiny camera and snipped it out. I only had a little pain and some shortness of breath but once my speech was back full – and that took about a week – I went right back to work.”

Since his life-saving surgery, Larry hopes to inspire others to get regular health check ups, so they too can catch the illness in the early stages.

Speaking to People magazine, he said: “When I had my heart attack and was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes [in 1987] and prostate cancer [in 1999,] I talked about it and felt that I helped a lot of people. I want people to make sure to get annual x-rays.

“I never thought it would happen to me. I saw all the warnings but I never paid attention. I loved smoking but when I had the heart attack that February of 1987 I stopped that day and never reached for one again. It was easy for me because I got scared to death.

“My father died so young, so I feel blessed to have had the life I had. I’ve been a long time in this business, and I love everything I do. I love living.”