Barman Dan Durant didn’t think an ulcer on the right side of his tongue was anything to worry about.
The 26-year-old from Stafford often got them, so didn’t think anything of the lump and treated it with Bonjella when he first spotted it in August last year.
‘It was a grey, whitish patch, the size of a one pence coin,’ recalls Mr Durant. ‘I didn’t think of it after that. Mostly it just felt like it wasn’t there.’
It was only when he sneezed and accidently bit down on it, the ulcer became inflamed and he went to see the doctor.
Mr Durant was eventually diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma — a type of cancer that can affect the skin and skin-like cells that cover the inside of the mouth.
26-year-old Dan Durant didn’t think an ulcer on the right side of his tongue was anything to worry about and just treated it with Bonjela
During an 11-hour operation doctors cut out two tumours, removing 50 per cent of his tongue and reconstructing it using skin from his left forearm
During an 11-hour operation doctors cut out two tumours, removing 50 per cent of his tongue and reconstructing it using skin from his left forearm.
They also dissected his neck to remove a cancerous lymph nodes and he is currently waiting for the results from the biopsy which will confirm if he needs to have any following treatment.
‘The nurse said “you were lucky you bit your tongue”,’ confessed Mr Durant.
He had also lost a lot of weight and often had a sore throat but didn’t realise it was anything to be worried about.
But after biting the ulcer, and noticing it didn’t heal, he went to see his doctor who was suspicious it was cancerous and redirected him to Royal Stoke University Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent.
His cancer diagnosis was confirmed a week later on August 21, 2024.
Mouth ulcers that don’t heal, a hoarse voice and unexplained lumps in the mouth are all warning signs of the disease
Mr Durant started to notice the ulcer again in April 2024 and it became months later inflamed in August when he accidentally bit down on it
Initially doctors had hoped to only remove part of his tongue, but after finding a second tumour they were forced to remove half of it
He said: ‘I didn’t quite believe it could be cancer. Being told it was upsetting. I did have a cry. It was so surreal’
Mouth cancer, sometimes called oral cancer, is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, data shows.
More than 8,000 people are told they have the disease every year in Britain, while the figure in the US stands close to 55,000.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of oral cancer, making up almost 90 per cent of cases.
Doctors took skin from his forearm for his tongue and then the skin from his stomach to replace skin on his arm
Following the reconstructive surgery Mr Durant then spend eight days in hospital to ensure there were no complications and so he could get used to eating and drinking again with his new tongue
Squamous cells are found in the tissue that forms the surface of the skin, such as inside the mouth and on the arms and legs.
Mouth ulcers — broken areas in the lining of the mouth — that do not heal within three weeks can be a sign of mouth cancer.
Swellings, lumps, red or white patches, as well as loose teeth, a sore throat or trouble swallowing are also tell-tale signs of the caner.
On September 12, 2024 Mr Durant had the 11-and-a-half hour operation to remove the tumour.
Initially doctors had hoped to only remove part of his tongue, but after finding a second tumour they were forced to remove half of it.
A cancerous lymph node was also removed from his neck for a biopsy to confirm the cancer had not spread.
‘They took skin from my forearm for my tongue and then the skin from my stomach to replace skin on my arm,’ he said.
‘They also used my the arteries from my forearm and put them into my tongue so there was a blood flow.’
As well as raising awareness, he has set up a fundraiser to help fund his living costs for the next few months and will donate any remaining money to cancer research
Following the reconstructive surgery Mr Durant then spend eight days in hospital to ensure there were no complications and so he could get used to eating and drinking again with his new tongue.
He is now on a soft food diet and is waiting for his results from the biopsy on his lymph nodes.
‘Learning to swallow properly was quite difficult. I’m just getting used to chewing,’ he admitted.
‘My jaw aches a lot. It’s a lot of relearning things,’ he added.
‘If there is little to no cancer cells left I will just be one round of radiotherapy.’
Mr Duran was about to start a new job when he got his diagnosis and is now unable to work.
As well as raising awareness, he has set up a fundraiser to help fund his living costs for the next few months and will donate any remaining money to cancer research.
He said his family and friends have been a ‘wonderful supportive network’.
‘Everything is normal and then all of a sudden it is not. It’s a life-changing thing,’ he said.
