4 days ago
Throat cancer: "I noticed the lump while swallowing"
Almost 800 new cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed in Ireland each year, according to the National Cancer Registry 2024 Report. They include cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, salivary glands, nasal cavity, sinuses, and middle ear.
Because more than two-thirds of patients are diagnosed with late-stage head and neck cancer, Ireland's five-year survival rate is just 48%.
Professor Sinéad Brennan, a radiation oncologist at St Luke's and St James's Hospitals in Dublin and chair of the Head and Neck Cancer Disease-Specific Subgroup at Cancer Trials Ireland, aims to improve this statistic by educating people on the early warning signs.
'Through prevention and early detection, we could prevent so many more people from dying of head and neck cancer,' she says.
'If you've got a lump in your throat that doesn't go away, a persistent sore throat, trouble swallowing or hoarseness that goes on longer for three or four weeks, pay a visit to your GP.'
It was a lump in his throat that prompted 58-year-old Mike Freeney from Castleconnell, Co Limerick, to visit his doctor in 2022. 'It was a small lump that made swallowing not difficult but different,' says the head of business development in Ireland for construction company Kiely Brothers and former ultra runner.
'My wife had also heard a crackle in my breath, and while I was out running with my training group, I'd started finding it hard to keep up. My breathing seemed to be off.'
Blood tests, CAT, PET, and MRI scans followed. Freeney was diagnosed with throat cancer and started treatment. He did 35 radiation sessions in the Mater Private in Limerick and six chemotherapy sessions in University Hospital Limerick (UHL).
The gruelling treatment took a toll on his body. 'I was unable to speak for three weeks, and that was hard for a non-stop talker like me,' he jokes. 'Even now, I have to be careful. My voice gets croaky if I talk a lot, so I make sure to keep drinking water to prevent that from happening.'
Mike Freeney: 'When I'm alone with the pain in the darkness, I can't help but worry. And when I'm due to go for a scan or waiting for results, I feel a sense of dread. But that's a mental thing I have to get over.' Picture: Brendan Gleeson
Eating was even more challenging as the radiation caused painful sores in his mouth, and for weeks around the time of the treatment, all he could bear to eat were high-calorie shakes.
Although he can now eat normally, his taste buds have been permanently altered. 'I used to like chocolate, but now I think it tastes horrible,' he says. 'And I still have difficulty eating dry food. I need to add gravy or sauce, otherwise I can't eat it.'
One of the side effects of radiation is that it can cause muscles to become stiff and sore.
'It made my whole body feel tight,' says Freeney. 'I worked with a cancer rehabilitation physiotherapist to help me deal with it.'
Like all cancer patients, he also underwent regular scans to monitor his recovery. The throat cancer disappeared following the initial treatment, but a year or so later, a cancerous growth unrelated to this throat cancer was found on his spine, which required further radiation treatment.
'That seemed to work, but when I went back for another scan in November 2023, there were small cancerous nodules in my lungs and two more small ones on my spine,' he says. 'So I did 10 more rounds of radiation and started immunotherapy. As of August 2024, my throat, lungs and spine are clear of cancer, and everything seems stable.'
He acknowledges that he is still reeling from the physical and psychological aftermath of his experience. Physically, he regularly experiences pain in the parts of his body that were treated with radiation and he has ongoing physiotherapy and attends yoga classes to help deal with it.
There are times when the pain makes him worry the cancer is back. 'Especially if I'm lying awake at night,' he says. 'When I'm alone with the pain in the darkness, I can't help but worry. And when I'm due to go for a scan or waiting for results, I feel a sense of dread. But that's a mental thing I have to get over.'
He attended counselling in the oncology support centre in UHL and found it very helpful. It taught him to reassure himself with the thought that he has already overcome cancer more than once.
'I tell myself that it's not necessarily a death sentence if the cancer comes back and that I'm doing what I can to keep my body healthy by eating well and exercising,' he says. 'I can no longer go on ultra runs and I miss the challenge of them but I'm getting into cycling instead.'
Freeney also goes to the doctor whenever he genuinely thinks there might be something wrong. He advises everyone else to do so, too. 'Listen to your own body and advocate for your health,' he says. 'Ask questions and don't stop asking them until you get proper answers.'
Professor Sinead Brennan
Brennan adds that there are other things we can all do to reduce our risk of head and neck cancer. 'The HPV virus causes a subset of head and neck cancer that occurs in the tonsils or back of throat, and the National Cancer Registry shows there are approximately 200 cases of these cancers every year,' she says.
'The HPV vaccine that is given to boys and girls in first year of secondary school will help prevent these cancers as well as cervical, vulval, vaginal, penile, and anal cancers. All teenagers should be encouraged to get this vaccine.'
Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption are two of the other major risk factors.
'If people smoke less and reduce their alcohol intake, they can significantly reduce their risk of head and neck cancer,' says Brennan.
As for Freeney, he is now focusing on the positive impact of his cancer experience and not on the negative.
'The mental impact of cancer is tough but if you get through it, it can make you stronger,' he says. 'It has made me more appreciative of what I have. It has made me want to really live my life.'
Sunday, July 27, is World Head and Neck Cancer Day. It's a day devoted to raising awareness of these cancers, their risk factors and the importance of early detection.
If you have questions or concerns about cancer, contact the Irish Cancer Society Support Line on 1800 200 700 or visit
