Latest news with #WilliamBrogan
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Man suffers 'infection' that affects us all - it was actually killer cancer that cost him his NOSE
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.
Daily Record
15 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Scots man who complained of 'sore nose' left with hole in face after cancer diagnosis
WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT: William Brogan, 47, was diagnosed with lymphoma in January after over a year of nose pain A Scottish man who experienced "breathing pain" has been left disfigured with no nose and a gaping facial wound after being struck with cancer. At 47 years old, William Brogan received the troubling lymphoma diagnosis in January, having endured nose pain for more than a year. Lymphoma begins in the lymphatic system's network of vessels and glands dispersed throughout the body. Despite several visits to doctors, William claims he was only handed antibiotics, which failed to produce any relief. His first biopsy was taken in September 2024 but resulted in an inconclusive outcome. Following additional futile courses of antibiotics and persisting nasal breathing pain, another biopsy in January revealed facial lymphoma. Cancer had infiltrated from William's nose into his mouth, leading to the verdict that surgery was essential. He then braved a gruelling 20-hour procedure to remove the cancer, involving the excision of his nose and upper gum, while ensuring the absence of cancer in his neck. During this complex operation, attempts were made to reconstruct the gum using tissue from beneath his arm, yet they were not successful due to poor integration with his mouth muscles. Another second surgery, lasting five hours, was conducted to eliminate portions of the unsuccessful graft and to rectify his gum issues; followed by a third, 12-hour intensive operation where surgeons crafted a new upper mouth utilising skin from his arm and muscle from his waist. William, a former chef from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, is undergoing radiotherapy before he begins the process of reconstructing his nose after a rare condition forced its removal. He shared: "I have never seen anybody else like this in my life. "Diazepam - used to relieve symptoms of anxiety - is the thing that gives me the courage to go out. People say 'there's that man with the hole in his face'. They've already taken a picture of my face, so they know what colour to make my nose." William expressed frustration at the delayed diagnosis, insisting he had informed doctors for months that there was a serious issue with his nose. He said: "I had been telling them for months and months that it was something more. "You know your own body. Now I've got a hole in my face and a triangle where they removed part of my nose." He suspects that the cancer could have been detected earlier, preventing it from spreading around his neck and face. William recounted: "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. The doctors didn't know what it was - they gave me antibiotics to keep on top of it, but it wasn't getting better. "I just had a sore nose. I kept asking for antibiotics and another appointment took weeks to get. "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." William, who has undergone radiotherapy in hopes of keeping the cancer at bay, shared his future plans centred on reconstructive surgery. He said: "I'm hoping to have a skin graft to try and rebuild my face within the year." Reflecting on his recent treatment, he added, "I finished with radiotherapy, which I've been having for six weeks, on Wednesday (18/06). I can't thank the surgeons enough; they saved my life."
The Sun
15 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
I've been left without a nose and gaping hole in my face – for months I'd complained to doctors of breathing pain
A MAN who complained of "breathing pain" has been left without his nose and a hole in his face after being diagnosed with cancer. William Brogan, 47, was diagnosed with lymphoma in January after experiencing nose pain for more than a year. 6 6 6 Lymphoma is a type of cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body. Despite multiple doctors' appointments, William says he was simply given antibiotics which didn't improve things. He then had an initial biopsy in September 2024 which came back inconclusive. Eventually after another round of unsuccessful antibiotics and pain breathing through his nose, William was given another biopsy in January which revealed a type of facial lymphoma. The cancer had spread from William's nose into his mouth, and he was told he'd need surgery. He then underwent a 20-hour surgery to remove the cancer - which involved having his nose and upper gum removed - as well as making sure there was no cancer in his neck. In the same operation, surgeons attempted to rebuild the gum using healthy tissue from under his arm - but it didn't work, as the muscles in his mouth didn't take to it. William then had a second five-hour operation to remove parts of the graft and address his gum, before a third 12-hour operation which saw his surgeons rebuild his upper mouth by taking a skin graft from his arm and muscle from his waist. He has since been undergoing radiotherapy, which is set to finish shortly, before work begins on reconstructing his nose. William, a former chef from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, said: "I have never seen anybody else like this in my life. The major symptoms of 'common cancer' as HSE say 'know the signs' "Diazepane [used to relieve symptoms of anxiety ] is the thing that gives me the courage to go out. "People say 'there's that man with the hole in his face' "They've already taken a picture of my face, so they know what colour to make my nose." William claims he had told doctors for months that something was wrong with his nose. He added: "I had been telling them for months and months that it was something more - you know your own body. "Now I've got a hole in my face and a triangle where they removed part of my nose." He believes the cancer could have been caught earlier before it spread further around his neck and face. I had been telling them for months and months that it was something more - you know your own body William Brogan William said: "It took them over a year to get a biopsy and find it was cancer. "They could have caught this nine month earlier before it travelled into my mouth. "The doctors didn't know what it was - they gave me antibiotics to keep on top of it, but it wasn't getting better. "I just had a sore nose. "I kept asking for antibiotics and another appointment took weeks to get. "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." 6 6 6 William is now hoping the radiotherapy has done enough to keep the cancer at bay so he can focus on rebuilding his face. He said: "I'm hoping to have a skin graft to try and rebuild my face within the year. "I finished with radiotherapy which I've been having for six weeks on Wednesday (18/06). "I can't thank the surgeons enough; they saved my life." What are the signs of lymphoma? LYMPHOMA is a term for cancer that starts in the lymph system - a network of vessels and glands that spans your body. There are two main kinds of lymphoma – Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Lymphoma can cause many different symptoms, depending on which type of lymphoma it is and where it develops in the body. The most typical signs are: Swollen lymph nodes, such as in the neck, armpit or groin area Night sweats Extreme tiredness Itching Unexplained weight loss Fever Excessive bleeding, such as nosebleeds, heavy periods and spots of blood under the skin Other signs of lymphoma in a more localised area include: Swelling of the stomach, loss of appetite and other abdominal symptoms Coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain
