Man lost half of tongue due to rare cancer – his first red flag symptoms

Peter Beckett-Clee from Barry has now shared the warning signs which led him to visit the dentist and then doctor.

It all began in March 2020 when Peter started experiencing discomfort on his tongue. Initially, he dismissed it as a minor irritation, attributing it to spicy foods and fizzy drinks. However, as the discomfort worsened, Peter decided to consult his dentist.

Unfortunately, the dentist misdiagnosed the issue as stress-related and suggested Peter had been biting his tongue in his sleep. Despite following the dentist’s advice and using a special mouthwash and mouthguard, the discomfort persisted.

Peter then went on to have teeth removed from his mouth to see if they had caused the issue but said “it didn’t seem to do anything”. Peter then said the dentist was “not the most helpful, they didn’t manage to find anything, even when I pointed directly at it”.

Frustrated by the lack of progress, Peter sought further medical advice from his GP. When the doctor examined his tongue, Peter said: “The doctor went white in the face and put me in for a hospital referral straight away.”

Despite being proved right that there was something wrong, he said: “It wasn’t an element of relief because I didn’t want to be right and I didn’t want the answer to be cancer.” The next day he had a biopsy of his tongue done at the University Hospital of Wales, which found he had cancer of the tongue and would need immediate surgery.

Peter said: “It was all very quick. I didn’t really have time to process it.”

The surgical procedure, known as a partial glossectomy, involved removing half of Peter’s tongue. The surgery lasted approximately 10 hours and included replacing the excised portion with tissue from his forearm. An artery from his arm was carefully attached to the new tissue on his tongue via the neck.

Peter expressed his gratitude towards the hospital staff, describing them as “absolutely amazing”. He said hospital staff “were so reassuring and authoritative but not in an intimidating way, they made it very simple and clear for me”.

However, Peter’s recovery took an unexpected turn when a national lockdown was announced just two days into his hospital stay. The isolation brought meant Peter and his fellow patients had limited interaction and were unable to have visitors. Despite the difficult circumstances, they formed a unique bond, supporting each other through their recoveries.

He said: “There was five of us in the room, we made quite a special bond then because it was just us against the world.”

After two weeks in the hospital, Peter was discharged and had speech and language therapy to help him talk again after surgery. He worked to lessen his speech impediments but is still conscious of the way he talks.

He said: “Fortunately because of how absolutely amazing the NHS is, the work they did with me and the tools helped to enable me. That was everything. They are absolute heroes.”

Two months after his surgery, Peter started a six-week programme of radiotherapy at the Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff. He said the physical recovery from the radio therapy was “much worse than recovering from surgery”. For months after the radiotherapy programme, Peter was unable to walk for long periods of time and any physical activity felt strenuous for the first year and half.

In addition to the physical challenges, Peter also faced mental hurdles during his cancer journey. He said: “I think for anyone the recovery scenario would be long because of the Covid issue, that changed the entire experience. It meant that although I have a really strong emotional support network, my family is amazing, my wife’s amazing, I couldn’t see them or speak to them so it was super isolating.”

Unfortunately, when Peter was diagnosed, within a month two of his friends were also diagnosed with cancer. Peter was the only one who survived which he says triggered feelings of “survivors guilt”.

He said: “Survivor’s guilt is a huge issue that nobody ever talks about. It was the feeling of ‘what right did I have to survive it when they didn’t’ and that was a real kicker.” He believes that if more people speak about their experiences honestly, that it may help feel better prepared when going through a similar thing.

This year, to celebrate three years of being cancer-free and express his gratitude, Peter decided to fundraise for Velindre Cancer Centre. The hospital played a pivotal role in his treatment and recovery, providing exceptional care during a time of great uncertainty. Peter embarked on three challenges: completing three 10km runs in Cardiff Bay, Porthcawl, and Barry Island; swimming 3km; and conquering the Three Peaks Challenge by climbing three mountains.

Peter’s fundraising efforts have exceeded expectations, with over £1000 raised for Velindre, surpassing his initial goal. However, his commitment to giving back remains unwavering. Peter plans to continue supporting the hospital that saved his life for as long as possible.

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