Human biology and immunology graduate and father of four Robert Powell tells his story as part of November’s Mouth Cancer Action Month.
Rob’s symptoms started as a persistent sore throat and happened soon after him ad his wife Susie moved to France to open a bed and breakfast. As he suffered with tonsilitis as a young child, he didn’t think too much of it at the time, saying “In those days, they used to whip your tonsils out at the drop of a hat but despite having several bouts of tonsillitis, they left mine in. I just thought, I’ve got a sore throat and it’ll go away. I did the blokey thing and ignored it.”
It took Robert several months to accept that he needed help. He did eventually go to the GP for some antibiotics, but when the medication failed to ease the pain in the back of Robert’s mouth he decided to seek the advice of a dentist.
“One day, I was doing training at a dental practice and said, ‘would you mind taking a look at this?’. The dentist put me in the chair, took one look before bringing in a colleague. They immediately told me I needed to see somebody urgently at the hospital.
“I went back later that week. Like the UK, the French health care system is very good. They were rapid. I made a call and went in for a consultation. The next day I was in a specialist unit for a biopsy and two days later I received the diagnosis that I had mouth cancer on my tonsils. This was on my 62nd birthday. Quite the present.”
Because of his work alongside dental practices, Robert was aware of mouth cancer, but it wasn’t high on his agenda. He did not smoke or drink an excessive amount of alcohol. Robert considered himself a fit and healthy person.
“When I was told that I had mouth cancer, I was in disbelief,” Robert continued. “A feeling of denial that it can’t possibly happen to me. I lived healthily and didn’t think I was in a risk factor group. For a time, I detached myself from it all and convinced myself that it’s fine and nothing to worry about.”
Luckily, Robert’s cancer was caught early. He underwent a 12-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and has since been able to make a good recovery. However, the lasting impact of mouth cancer continues to be with him.
“I still suffer with a dry mouth, as the radiotherapy damaged my salvia glands. I also struggle a lot with taste… which for somebody who enjoys their food, living in France on wine and cheese for four years, that’s a big problem. If I eat a bar of Cadbury’s I can tell what it is for the first 30 seconds, but after that, it may as well be margarine. I also used to enjoy a vindaloo but now a korma seems hot.”
Spotting mouth cancer early is crucial for beating the disease and Robert urges everyone to be more aware of the symptoms: “The lesson I took away is that even if you are a non-smoker, you are still at risk. You can’t sit there and be complacent and think this can’t happen to me. So many people like myself, will make the mistake of dismissing the symptoms and think they will go away.
“Mouth cancer can happen to anybody, however fit or normal you think you are. That’s why regular dental check-ups are so important. Having a specialist like a dentist look in your mouth routinely is as vital as cervical screening or a breast cancer check. Even if there’s nothing there, it’s the reassurance you need. Regular dental check-ups can be a matter of life or death.”