Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.
A dad-of-two has admitted he was 'surprised' when doctors linked his throat cancer diagnosis to performing oral sex.
Frank Lane, from Hampshire in the UK, first noticed an unusual sight on his neck in November 2023, when he realized that he had a firm, egg-sized swelling on his right side.
"I was having a shave, felt my neck and thought 'that feels a bit hard'," Frank recalled. "It was just a slight swelling."
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He initially thought it might have been caused by swollen glands after a hard workout at the gym, but when nothing changed after a fortnight, the 60-year-old went to the doctor.
"When the doctor looked in my mouth she could actually see it sticking out of the top of my tonsils, it was the size of a boiled egg," he said.
"I was very tired but I just thought it was down to work and not getting enough sleep. I was also waking up to go to the toilet three or four times a night, but I put that down to getting older. "
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After visiting his doctor, Frank underwent a biopsy, and 10 days later, he received his diagnosis: throat cancer.
Recalling the moment he learned of his disease, Frank said: "When they said I had throat cancer, I thought he was talking a load of rubbish for a split second because I'd stopped smoking 10 years ago.
"I remember thinking, 'what the hell are you talking about throat cancer?'"
As he spoke further with the doctor, Frank learned that the cancer was believed to have been caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), contracted through oral sex.
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HPV is known to cause changes in the cells of the cervix, which can lead to cervical cancer, and it's thought the virus may have a similar effect on the cells of the throat.
Frank was initially caught off guard by the diagnosis, saying: "[When he said] you've got throat cancer from oral sex, it was a surprise. Some of the guys I've told at work laughed, not because I had cancer but because of how it came about.
"They said I was talking a load of rubbish, I told them to Google it and I saw the colour drain from their faces."
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According to Frank, doctors determined the virus had contracted about 40 years ago, when Frank was around 20 years old and serving in the army.
He said: "I was having fun, but I wasn't messing about with loads of different girls."
Following the diagnosis, Frank underwent two rounds of chemotherapy, followed by a six-week course of radiotherapy.
"I was in the army for 12 years and that [radiotherapy] was the most painful thing I've ever experienced in my life," Frank said.
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Thankfully, the treatment worked and Frank is now all clear and is undergoing checks every two months. He's now urging people to be vigilant of any unusual symptoms they may notice, and to take action as soon as possible.
Laughing, he said: "My advice would be don't have oral sex."
However, more seriously, he added: "For anyone who can't follow that, my advice would be if you have any unusual symptoms don't ignore them, get it checked out."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Topics: Health, UK News, Sex and Relationships, Cancer
Emily Brown