In 1980, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and was told he had three months to live. Granger later said "I was 67 and had smoked 60 cigarettes a day for 40 years, but the doctor said if I had an operation there might be a chance of two to four more years of life. So I said "Who the hell needs that? But you better give me three months to put my house in order.'" Granger underwent the operation, had a lung and a rib removed, only to be informed he didn't have cancer after all – he had tuberculosis.