Radio presenter Mark Radcliffe urges men to look for signs of head and neck cancer in new campaign

North West Cancer Research has launched a campaign named Don’t Be Silent. Speak Out as new figures show more men across the region are living with head and neck cancer than anywhere else in the country.

According the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service, rates of head and neck cancer in the North West are 20 per cent higher than England as a whole, with over twice as many men living with the disease than women.

Affecting more than 30 parts of the head and neck, including the throat, tongue and mouth, the condition is more common in men, especially those aged 50 and above.

BBC Radio 2 and 6music presenter Mark Radcliffe joined the campaign after he was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue and lymph nodes in 2018.

The 65-year-old noticed a lump in his neck while shaving and consulted his GP straight away.

Following his diagnosis, he had surgery to remove cancerous tumours in his tongue and neck, before an intensive course of radiotherapy and two rounds of chemotherapy.

He has now been cancer-free for five years and recently discharged from his oncologist.

He said: “On the day I was diagnosed, the consultant asked whether I had someone there with me and I thought to myself ‘well, that doesn’t sound good, does it?’

“I remember thinking about this terrible word ‘cancer’ and how I was going to tell my wife and children – it’s something that you never think will happen to you. But, unfortunately, it can happen and it’s a word that’s heard a lot more in our region.

“I know that I am so lucky to be here today. My story could’ve been very different if I hadn’t gone to my doctor straight away – I was told if it hadn’t been found so quickly, I would’ve had six to eight months to live, which is terrifying.

“The message is so simple – if you find a symptom, just get it checked out. If it turns out to be nothing, then you have lost nothing. But it could save your life.”

Symptoms of head and neck cancer include: a lump or swelling in the neck, jaw or mouth; difficulty swallowing; persistent hoarseness; nose bleeds; decreased sense of smell; or numbness in part of the face.

As part of the campaign, North West Cancer Research teamed up with men who have survived head and neck cancer for a video encouraging people to seek medical advice.

CEO Alastair Richards said: “Across the North West, rates of head and neck cancer are 20 per cent higher than the rest of the country.

“We also see similar inequalities across other types of cancer, whereby those living in our region are impacted significantly more than their counterparts living elsewhere.

“It is our mission to close this gap through specific research projects that tackle the cause and find the cure for cancer. Until then though, it’s vital that people across the area know what to look out for and when to get medical advice.

“That’s why Don’t Be Silent. Speak Out is so important to help increase early diagnosis and, most importantly, encourage people to ‘speak out’.”