Second chance at life for man whose dog sniffed out aggressive cancerous tumour

A man who had half his face removed after his dog sniffed out an aggressive cancerous tumour has been given a second chance at life.

Mark Allen was given just weeks to live before undergoing a 10-hour operation to remove the cancer in his nose before surgeons embarked on a massive facial reconstruction.

The father-of-two said he ignored symptoms for nearly 12 months, which meant his tumour had spread across most of the right side of his face.

Now, the 65 year-old from Warwick, wants to ensure others don’t find themselves in the same life-threatening situation.

He has teamed up with UK charity, the Get A-Head Charitable Trust, to raise awareness of the risks of head and neck cancer.

He said: “I couldn’t breathe out of my right nostril for about a year or so because of a polyp. At the time, we had three dogs, and Jessie was acting oddly, clinging around my legs and behaving in a closeness she had not previously done.

“When I finally went to see the doctor and get the results of some tests I think I’d already worked out it was going to be cancer because of Jessie’s behaviour.

“Had I gone to the doctors earlier, I’m sure the treatment would not have been as severe, but I’d allowed the cancer to get to stage 4. I asked the consultant what would happen if I did not have surgery and he replied to say I would be dead within weeks.

“Our faces are like our most visible fingerprint. They are a massive part of our identity and the thought of disfigurement to your face is daunting, but I had no choice but to go ahead with the operation.”

Mark spent more than 10 hours on the operating table whilst surgeons removed the tumour and half of his face along with it.

His cheek bone was replaced with a chunk of his pelvis bone, surgeons swapped out his jaw for titanium plates and re-built the roof of his mouth and throat with tissue from his abdomen.

They also removed his eye socket and took away the lymph nodes and saliva glands from the right side of his neck to stop the cancer spreading any further.

Following the operation and several weeks of recovery, Mark then also had to undergo intensive radiotherapy.

“I lost three and half stone, the hair on the one side of my head and I also lost all taste so eating was about survival,” explained Mark.

“You just never know when something might strike that is going to change your life significantly. But I am very lucky and would be in a very different place if it wasn’t for charities like Get A-Head who helped fund some of the vital equipment used in the re-construction of my face.

“I’ll never be quite the same as I was but when I was diagnosed, I promised myself two things – that I wouldn’t feel sorry for myself and that some good would come out of my situation.

“The good thing is that seven years on, I’m still here to tell the tale and help raise awareness along with Get A-Head. My advice to others is not to ignore symptoms. If something is not right, go and seek some consultation.”

Danni Heath, Director of the Midlands-founded Get A-Head Trust, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, said: “Mark’s story is inspirational. It’s one of hope and survival but also one of reality for many people.

“In the UK, the number of head and neck cancer cases are increasing by 3 per cent a year and unfortunately most cases are diagnosed at either stage three or four making treatment lengthier and more invasive.

"At Get A-Head, we’ve made it our mission to improve the lives of these people by funding research, education and the provision of equipment but we very much hope people will take note of Mark’s valuable advice and seek medical help should they have any symptoms they might be concerned about.”

The key symptoms of head and neck cancer include:

• Persistent sore throat
• Neck lumps
• Painful or difficulty swallowing
• Earache
• Persistent blocked nose
• Nose bleeds
• Speech problems or change in the sound of your voice including hoarseness

For more information about the Get A-Head Charity and its work visit https://getahead.org.uk/.

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Editors notes

An independent charity supporting those with head and neck diseases and cancers through education, treatment and research