Man suffers 'infection' that affects us all - it was actually killer cancer that cost him his NOSE

Daily Mail​

5 hours ago

A man whose GP said his breathing issues were due to a routine infection has now lost his entire nose to the real cause, a deadly form of cancer.
William Brogan, 47, from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire now faces major surgery to restore his face after medics were forced to amputate his nose.
The only initial symptom the former chef had was a sore nose—an ailment common to a variety of routine winter illnesses.
But after almost a year of doctors trying to relieve Mr Brogan's illness with antibiotics, the real devastating cause was revealed to be the blood cancer lymphoma.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system—a network of blood vessels and glands helps fight off infections— and which kills about 5,000 Britons per year.
In Mr Brogan's case, the disease originated in part of the lymphatic system in his nose, but by the time it was diagnosed in January this year, it had also spread into his mouth.
He claims doctors dismissed his worries about the ongoing nose pain and believes his cancer could have been caught earlier.
'I had been telling them for months and months that it was something more. You know your own body,' he said.
'The antibiotics were helping at first but when I asked for more help I had to wait for an appointment. It got worse in that time waiting.
'It took them over a year to get a biopsy and find it was cancer.
'They could have caught this nine months earlier before it travelled into my mouth.
'Now I've got a hole in my face and a triangle where they removed part of my nose.'
After finally being diagnosed Mr Brogan had to undergo a marathon 20-hour operation to remove the cancer earlier this year.
This sadly meant he had to have his nose as well as the upper gums of his mouth removed.
While medics attempted to rebuild the gum with healthy tissue taken from under his arm, this unfortunately proved unsuccessful.
This meant he needed another five-hour operation to remove the failed transplant, before another 12-hour surgery for another transplant to rebuild his upper mouth which did prove successful.
He has since been undergoing radiotherapy—where powerful radiation is used in an attempt to kill cancer cells— before medics attempt to rebuild his nose.
Mr Brogan said losing his nose, and the extreme change to his appearance this had brought, had taken a huge mental toll on him and he was now on medication to help.
'Diazepane, used to relieve symptoms of anxiety, is the thing that gives me the courage to go out,' he said.
'People say "there's that man with the hole in his face".'
But he added he's hopeful for the future.
He said specialist surgeons having looked at photos of him prior to the amputation to ensure they can make him a nose that matches his previous appearance.
'I'm hoping to have a skin graft to try and rebuild my face within the year,' he said.
'They've already taken a picture of my face, so they know what colour to make my nose.
'I can't thank the surgeons enough. They saved my life.'
Family doctors most commonly prescribe antibiotics for nose pain in cases of sinusitis, an infection of the sinuses.
While most sinusitis cases are triggered by viruses—for which antibiotics don't work—if infections persists for a long period, it can be a sign it's caused by a bacteria.
In these circumstances a medic can prescribe antibiotics to help clear the infection.
Studies suggest between one in 20 to one in six Britons get sinusitis each year, though many cases are mild and can be treated at home.
As lymphoma can develop in any part of lymphatic system the symptoms patients experience can vary immensely.
For example, some may develop swollen tonsils in the mouth, a lump in the tummy, or skin rashes depending exactly where the cancer is.
However, the most common sign of the disease is a painless swelling in areas like the neck, armpit or groin.
Other symptoms—reported by some patients—include night sweats, unexplained weight-loss, a high temperature, breathlessness and persistent itching all over the body.
Approximately 13,500 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma—the more common version of the disease—are diagnosed in the UK each year, about 37 cases per day.
About half (55 per cent) of patients will survive at least a decade after being diagnosed.
One in 52 men and one in 71 women will develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma over the course of their life, according to charity Cancer Research UK.
People in their 80s are the most likely to be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma of any age group.
While the rates of this cancer have increased by almost a third across all age groups since the 90s there has been a small decrease in recent years.
What is lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes, which is the body's disease-fighting network.
That network consists of the spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes and thymus gland.
There are various types of lymphoma, but two main ones: non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin.
Both have much better prognoses than many types of cancer.
WHAT IS HODGKIN LYMPHOMA?
Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in the white blood cells. It is named after Thomas Hodgkin, an English doctor who first identified the disease in 1832.
It affects around 2,000 people each year in the UK, and 8,500 a year in the US.
Hodgkin lymphoma is most common between the ages of 20 and 24, and 75 and 79.
Five-year survival rates:
The survival rates are much more favourable than most other cancers.
Stage 1: 90%
Stage 2: 90%
Stage 3: 80%
Stage 4: 65%
Symptoms include:
A painless swelling in the armpits, neck and groin
Heavy night sweating
Extreme weight loss
Itching
Shortness of breath
Coughing
Risk factors:
Lowered immunity
A family history of the condition
Smokers
Those who are overweight
Treatment:
Chemotherapy
Radiotherapy
Steroids
Stem cell or bone marrow transplants
WHAT IS NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA?
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can occur anywhere in the body but is usually first noticed in the lymph nodes around sufferers' necks.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma affects around 14,000 new people every year in the UK. In the US, more than 80,000 people are diagnosed annually.
It is more common in males than females, and it is commonly diagnosed either in a patient's early 20s or after the age of 55.
Five-year survival rates:
Survival can vary widely with NHL.
The general survival rate for five years is 70 percent, and the chance of living 10 years is approximately 60 percent.
Symptoms include:
Painless swellings in the neck, armpit or groin
Heavy night sweating
Unexplained weight loss of more than one-tenth of a person's body
Itching
Risk factors:
Over 75
Have a weak immune system
Suffer from coeliac disease
Have a family history of the condition
Have had other types of cancer
Treatment:
It depends on the number and locations of the body affected by Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Therapy typically includes chemotherapy.