
Blocked ears could be 'red flag' symptom of deadly cancer, doctor warns
According to the Marie Keating Foundation, over 700 cases of mouth, head and neck cancer are diagnosed in Ireland each year. Mouth, Head and Neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide with an estimated 550,000 cases diagnosed annually.
It mainly affects men and older people, however, the number of women and younger people being diagnosed is rising and early detection greatly improves your chances of successful treatment
Experts attribute this surge to the growing prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV), an infection that can cause cancer without displaying symptoms, reports the Mirror.
HPV is very common – most people will be infected with a form of HPV in their lifetime. HPV infection is most common in people in their late teens and early 20s.
You can catch HPV by being sexually active with another person who already has the virus. Most HPV infections do not need treatment because your body can clear the virus itself. But in some people, the HPV infection can develop into cancer or genital warts.
In an effort to boost awareness around head and neck cancer, Dr Jiri Kubes, a leading oncologist, has outlined common indicators of head and neck cancer.
Dr Kubes, who practices at the Proton Therapy Center in Prague, stressed: "Earlier diagnosis is absolutely crucial. The sooner we can identify head and neck cancer, the better the outcome.
"It is considered one of the fastest growing types of cancer in the world but there is still a worrying lack of awareness around head and neck tumours."

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Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Brit dad dies after eating 'half-cooked chicken' at luxury 4-star resort
A much loved father tragically passed away at a luxury hotel after consuming "half-cooked" chicken and contracting a severe illness, an inquest has revealed. Leslie Green, 70, fell victim to salmonella during his stay at the Occidental Jandia Playa resort in Fuerteventura while celebrating his milestone birthday with his family. The grandfather-of-one became unwell during the second week of the €2,700 holiday, and was admitted to a Spanish hospital where he developed complications, including sepsis and kidney failure. Leslie, from Little Lever, Bolton, Greater Manchester, sadly died in hospital around four weeks later due to multi-organ failure. An inquest has now determined that Leslie's death was caused by food poisoning he contracted from eating undercooked chicken on holiday. His wife of 38 years, Julie, also fell seriously ill after she contracted salmonella on her 60th birthday and spent a week in hospital. Julie stated that she and Leslie had only eaten from the buffet in the hotel during their holiday. The inquest at Rochdale Coroner's Court concluded that Leslie died of multi-organ failure as a result of sepsis, caused by salmonella, reports the Mirror. Following the hearing, Julie said: "It's almost impossible to find the words to describe the last few months and trying to come to terms with Leslie's death. "Leslie was such a loving and caring husband and dad. He was my best friend and life without him will never be the same. I still struggle to comprehend how we went on holiday, but Leslie didn't come home. Leslie was the head of our family and someone everyone looked to for help and guidance. "There's now a gaping hole in our family that can never be filled. I'd do anything not to be in this position and for Leslie to be in our lives, but I know that's not possible. "Listening to the evidence has been difficult but it was something I was determined to do to honour Leslie's memory. I just hope that by speaking out I can prevent anyone else suffering like Leslie did. I wouldn't wish that on anyone." Julie and Leslie Green. (Image: SWNS) Leslie Green. Leslie, a former newspaper delivery driver for the Manchester Evening News, became unwell on October 9 last year with symptoms including diarrhoea, which resulted in dehydration. Julie revealed the pair had worries about a carbonara sauce they consumed one day being tepid, whilst she discovered her chicken was raw during another meal. She also alleged she witnessed no staff members washing their hands and freshly prepared food would be combined with food that had been left standing. Leslie, who had celebrated his 70th birthday in July 2024 and was put into an induced coma after becoming poorly, passed away hours after his life-support machine was turned off on November 4. His remains were brought home a week later. The Occidental Jandia Playa was contacted for comment. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here


Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
One dead and nine in hospital after eating contaminated sandwich
A man has tragically lost his life with nine others rushed to hospital in Italy after consuming a sandwich containing 'contaminated' broccoli, sparking a widespread product recall. Artist and musician Luigi Di Sarno, 52, collapsed and could not be revived after purchasing a broccoli and sausage sandwich from a food truck along the Diamante seafront in Cosenza province. The casualties, believed to include two teenagers, were all admitted to the intensive care unit at Annunziata Hospital in the town. Among those requiring urgent medical attention are understood to be members of Mr Di Sarno's devastated family, with two patients reportedly remaining in an extremely critical condition. The incident occurs against the backdrop of an escalating botulism outbreak triggered by toxins from Clostridium botulinum bacteria, reports the Mirror. Entire family of five killed in horror rental car crash in Portugal This follows a doctor's stark warning to individuals who consume even a 'single cup of tea'. Unverified reports suggest a 38 year old woman has also perished after eating a taco with guacamole at a festival kiosk in Cagliari. The nation remains on heightened alert following the Paola Public Prosecutor's Office's demand for the 'immediate seizure of a commercial product'. The Calabria Region's Department of Health and Welfare stated: "The emergency procedure established in these cases has been activated, which requires immediate notification to the Poison Control Center in Pavia, the only national centre designated for the management of botulism. Giant sandwich with salsicce e friarielli - sausages and broccoli - neapolitan food (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) An urgent broccoli recall has been launched following the man's death (Image: Facebook) "No region or hospital in the country is authorised to store the antivenom in their own facilities. This serum, however, is exclusively available to the Ministry of Health, which holds it in designated secure locations and distributes it only through the Lombardy Poison Control Centre. "The first two vials, used for the first patients, were sent directly from the Military Pharmacy in Taranto. However, as the number of cases increased, additional supplies became necessary. "Yesterday, the Calabria Region, through Azienda Zero, provided a 118 aircraft that flew to the San Camillo Hospital in Rome, where the ministry had centralised additional vials of the antivenom to facilitate distribution." A friend of Mr Di Sarno paid tribute to him on social media, writing: "The world loses once again a beautiful person, leaving a void in all those who truly cared for him. "We had rare encounters in recent times but mutual respect never waned, we had a beer pending and many stories to share. It will be for another world, rest in peace!". The contaminated broccoli incident comes just days after eight people reportedly fell ill with botulism after consuming tainted guacamole at a festival in Sardinia late last month. An 11 year old boy remains in intensive care at the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome after being airlifted from Cagliari. The mayor of Diamante, Achille Ordine, has urged people not to 'create panic' in the wake of the outbreak, while the Public Prosecutor's Office of Paola is conducting an investigation. The ASP of Cosenza has imposed a health block on the activity 'as a precautionary measure'. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.


Irish Examiner
04-08-2025
- Irish Examiner
CervicalCheck diagnosed and treated 162 women for cervical cancer in a year
Over the course of one year alone 162 women were diagnosed and treated for cervical cancer through CervicalCheck, a new report shows. The report, covering April 2022-March 2023, also shows that among 269,550 women screened some 11% had HPV - the virus responsible for almost all cervical cancer. These women are monitored so if cancer develops it can be treated early. The report found that 75% of eligible women were tested, while the target is 80% and CervicalCheck clinical director Dr Noirin Russell is keen to see this 80% figure reached. She has raised concerns about 'women who are on the fence' about testing, saying they may not be aware of the benefits of regular testing. "If a woman is diagnosed with cancer after attending for screening, there's an 80% chance she will be diagnosed with stage 1," she said. This early stage can be more treatable. 'In Ireland today your chance of being diagnosed with a late stage cancer, so Stage 2 or above, if you get screened is one in 10,000. If you don't get screened, it's 10 times higher,' she said. This is because screening can help identify early signs of cancer. 'The incidence (of cervical cancer) has gone from 15 per 100,000 down to 10 per 100,000, that's the proof the programme works,' she said. She acknowledged 'this terrible outcome that we see in the newspapers and we really all want to avoid - it's one in 10,000 so that means it is someone'. Dr Russell said she could not comment on individual cases. Concerns around cervical cancer testing were back in the spotlight in June when Cork woman Leona Macken received an apology for failings in her care at the High Court. Ms Macken, who has cervical cancer, sued over two tests, conducted in 2016 and 2020, which it was claimed were incorrectly reported as negative. Sample checking is currently shared between Quest Diagnostics in America and the national laboratory in Dublin. Dr Russell said she is aware of calls to conduct checks only in Ireland. Leona Macken (centre) and her husband Alan (right) settled their legal action against the HSE arising from what they said were failures in the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2016 and 2020. File photo: Collins Courts '(the Irish laboratory) never did more than 10% until this year, and they are on target to get up to approximately 20% of the programme work,' she said. However, she said that interval cancers – cervical cancer found between screening tests – and false negative results can happen in all systems. 'That is not limited to a particular laboratory, that is going to be what we find in cancer cases,' she said. She has worked with advocacy group 221 plus on reforms, saying: 'They felt the programme didn't really explain false negatives and that this is a possible outcome.' She urged: 'It's really important that anyone with symptoms, even if they've had a normal screening test, have those symptoms investigated.' Dr Russell has visited Quest Diagnostics, saying: 'It's done in a particular quarter of the laboratory, so it's a completely different pathway of care. And they follow the Irish standards.' The scientists also do regular skills-tests where they check already-analysed samples and must match the results in 95% of cases. This is assessed by Quest and in Limerick by the National Cervical Screening Programme. Dr Russell said: 'There is an understanding in the cyto-screening community that you can't ask your screeners to get 100% in the proficiency test. If they are getting 95% they are working at the most achievable human level there is but then there will be abnormalities that are missed.'