Guy Stannett was diagnosed with tongue cancer in April 2003.

Guy had pioneering surgery whereby tissue and a vein was removed from Guy's wrist and arm before being implanted in his mouth to rebuild his tongue.

He says: "My diagnosis came as a bolt out of the blue. There is no history of cancer in my family and I wasn't a heavy drinker or smoker."

Spreading awareness

Guy is now cancer free but still goes for regular check-ups to check the cancer hasn't returned. He hopes his story will encourage other men to see their doctor if they are worried about a possible symptom or change.

He says: "Initially I only told close family and friends about my experience, particularly as I was not sure what it was going to involve. Now I want to talk freely about my experience and encourage men to visit their doctor if they think that there is something wrong.

"It is better to find out what is wrong as soon as possible if it turns out to be cancer. Something triggered me to go to the doctor, I still to this day don't know what made me go. If I had left it longer, my cancer could have spread further and I don't know what affect this could have had on my chances."

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If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with cancer, you will find more detailed information on our patient information site, CancerHelp UK.

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