James didn’t know he had cancer until he visited the dentist

Nov 23 2009 by Lynn Jolly, Paisley Daily Express

ATRIP to the dentist probably saved James Browning’s life.

Now 54-year-old James is urging anyone who likes a cigarette and a drink to get a check-up for mouth cancer after he endured a 10-hour operation to remove part of his tongue.

He was puffing his way through 50 cigarettes a day before he was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue in August.

Brave James has spoken to the Paisley Daily Express in the hope that his story will encourage other people – especially those who are over the age of 50 – to be on the lookout for any unusual lumps or swelling in their mouths.

Broken

The Renfrew man had to have his jaw broken by surgeons at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow so they could remove a section of his tongue and replace it with skin from his right forearm.

There was only a week between his first visit to the dentist and him being given the shattering news that he had cancer.

James said: “I didn’t know about the cancer until I went to the dentist for a check-up. I had a wee sore, as if I had bit my tongue, for about a year and I got my dentist to look at it.

“She sent me to the dental hospital in Glasgow for a biopsy the next day and, within a week, doctors at the Southern General told me I had cancer.

“They said they were 100 per cent sure they could cure it because they had caught it quickly enough.

“I was told I had to have an operation as soon as possible so they could get rid of the cancer for me.”

James went under the knife on Monday, October 5, as surgeons carried out the intricate 10-hour operation.

A section at the back of his tongue was cut out, along with two glands in the side of his neck, in case the cancer had spread.

The operation involved James’s jaw being broken and removed from his face while the surgeon worked on him.

He has been left with scarring from his throat up to his bottom lip and around his jawline but this will fade in time.

The skilled surgical team also took skin and a vein from his right forearm to patch up the tongue and then removed a section of skin from his thigh to re-cover his arm.

James, who helps to boost oil rig safety through his work as a freelance mini-submarine operator, said: “I don’t remember the operation at all. I had a tube in my throat to help me breathe because my mouth was swollen and I couldn’t speak at all for a week.

“I was in the Southern General for two weeks but I am one of the very few patients who doesn’t need chemotherapy or radiotherapy after surgery.”

James had just returned home from a stint working in Thailand when his cancer was discovered.

Despite having to undergo such a major – and painful – operation, James hasn’t managed to kick his habit completely as he still enjoys five roll-ups each day.

Smoking

He said: “The doctors told me for sure that the cancer was caused by a combination of smoking and drinking.

“I was smoking 50-a-day for 10 years but now I smoke five roll-ups a day. I’m not a heavy drinker but I do like a drink at the weekend.

“I would warn people who smoke and drink that they are at risk. If you feel any swelling that won’t go away or you have a sore in your mouth, get it seen to.

“I have told all my family and friends to look out for signs of mouth cancer. Even if you don’t feel anything that worries you, you should still get a check-up at least once a year.

“I was always one for slagging off the NHS but this experience had made me see how brilliant the system and the people working in it are.”