Every year in the UK 12,000 people will be diagnosed with a throat cancer and of that figure 4,000 will sadly lose their lives to it.

It is not a cancer that is often spoken about; there are little to no national publicity campaigns and for that reason it does not attract funding like other cancers to help raise awareness and to allow major investment in vital and important medical research that would achieve better survival rates.

The treatment for throat cancer is brutal, and it is necessarily so, to defeat the disease.  That treatment can include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery or a combination of all these. It is a gruelling and draining process often over months and in some cases years.

For those that survive the treatment process, they’re often left with life changing side effects. such as hair loss, nausea, weakened immune system, diarrhoea and constipation, mouth ulcers, constant fatigue, tissue damage, saliva gland damage and mucositis (inflamed and ulcerated lining from the mouth to the throat, making it extremely difficult to eat or drink). These side effects can last for months, years or for some, sadly permanent.

To save their lives, some throat cancer patients will have their larynx or parts of their mouths, tongue and teeth removed, leaving them with the ability to no longer to eat, drink or speak.   The very thing that we all take for granted.   They face social isolation, embarrassment and depression as they don’t want to be seeing trying in to eat in public as it may food and drink may dribble or fall from their mouths.  Or they cannot communicate what they want or need.   Phone conversations become an impossibility.   Even family social gathering is full of dread for throat cancer patients.