Middleton dad warns of the risks of smoking after life-changing mouth cancer diagnosis

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A former smoker who was diagnosed with mouth cancer aged just 48 is urging smokers to quit ahead of World Cancer Day (4 February).

Phil Sledden-Houston, 51, from Middleton, underwent life-changing surgery in 2018 after tests revealed he had Stage 4 mouth cancer.

Phil is sharing his story to warn other smokers of the risks of developing a smoking-related illness like cancer, and to urge them to give quitting a go before it is too late.

He said: “I started smoking at school when I was around 15 or 16 as everyone smoked back then. I never thought about how it was affecting my health as I wasn’t a heavy smoker, I only smoked a few a day.

“I continued smoking for years and then in 2018, I was drinking water and some of it came out of my nose. I knew something wasn’t right, so I went to get help.

“I was referred to see a specialist at the dental hospital, who told me I had cancer and that it was serious, and I needed to have an urgent MRI scan and biopsy. A week later I was diagnosed with Stage 4 (palliative care) mouth cancer and the doctor told me I had a choice – to decide to have the operation within a month or die. He said I could have six months to live and maybe see Christmas. I had to quit smoking immediately.

“I’ll never forget the surgeon telling me how serious it was, the tumour was in my cheek bone, and he thought it had been hidden for four years. It was the size of a tennis ball and had to be removed. It was a massive operation, and it took me months to recover.”

A team of surgeons operated on Phil for over 15 hours using the Weber-Ferguson approach, where they cut his face in half and removed his cheek bone, eye and palate. Part of his hip bone was then used to replace the removed part and reconstruct his face.

The dad of two couldn’t talk or eat properly for six months and he was also left slightly disfigured as the nerves in his face were damaged during surgery.

“It looks like I’ve had a tiny stroke, but I have been incredibly lucky as not everyone makes it through. The medical team managed to remove the entire tumour, so I didn’t have to have chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

“In October 2019, I had a face lift which has given me much more confidence and I only have a faint scar now. One of the biggest challenges was learning to eat and talk just using my left-hand side of my face, as I have no teeth on the other side. I’ve now been in remission for just over three years, and I have never felt better.”

Once Phil had fully recovered from his operation, he returned to work doing highways maintenance, and immediately noticed the benefits of quitting smoking.

“I had more energy; I was no longer out of breath and had better quality sleep. My taste improved and I also started to save money, all of these were incentives to stop smoking but being diagnosed with cancer was definitely my wake-up call as I would have continued smoking. I needed the shock of being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer to stop, and I urge everyone to give quitting a go before you end up like me.”

Cancer Research UK warns that smoking is known to cause at least 15 different cancers and is directly responsible for around 54,300 cases in the UK every year (15% of all cases).

Whilst the number of people who smoke has been declining for years, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and early death, eventually killing 1 in 2 long-term smokers. 

Dr Matt Evison, Clinical Lead for Greater Manchester’s tobacco control programme Make Smoking History, said: “Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health, and to reduce your risk of developing serious illnesses.

“I see the harm from smoking daily and the devastation it causes patients and their families. It damages every organ in the body and causes lung disease, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and at least 15 types of cancer. 

“I always say to my patients – it is never too late to quit smoking and you will start to see the benefits straight away. Beating an addiction isn’t easy, but you don’t have to do it on your own. There are now more ways to quit than ever before. And if you get help from your local NHS stop smoking service, you’re three times more likely to quit.”

Visit www.MakeSmokingHistory.co.uk to get free access to the latest quitting aids, apps, information, one-to-one advice, and local support in Greater Manchester.