Dan Durant, a 26-year-old man from the UK, had to undergo the removal of his tongue after mistakenly assuming his cancer symptoms were due to an ulcer. In 2023, Dan noticed an ulcer on the right side of his tongue but didn’t think it was serious. The condition worsened when he sneezed and accidentally bit his tongue, causing the lump to swell. This prompted him to seek medical help.
Doctors diagnosed Dan with squamous cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer, and recommended immediate surgery to remove the tumor. Reflecting on the diagnosis, Dan recalled, “I sneezed hard and bit my tongue, which caused it to become really inflamed. At Stoke Hospital, they told me it was cancer and aggressive.”
Surgeons removed half of Dan’s tongue to eliminate two tumors and reconstructed it using skin from his left forearm. His neck was also operated on to remove cancerous lymph nodes. Dan is now waiting for biopsy results to determine if further treatment is required.
Dan expressed his disbelief about the diagnosis: “I didn’t think it could be cancer. Hearing that was very upsetting. I had a cry—it felt surreal.” He explained the surgery process: “They used skin from my forearm to rebuild my tongue, and skin from my stomach to cover the forearm. They also transferred arteries from my forearm to ensure blood flow in the tongue.”
After spending eight days in the hospital recovering, Dan is adjusting to eating and drinking, currently on a soft food diet. “Learning to swallow was tough,” he shared. “Now, I’m just getting used to chewing again. My jaw hurts a lot, and it’s like relearning basic things. If few or no cancer cells remain, I’ll only need one round of radiotherapy.”
Dan, who had to delay starting a new job due to his diagnosis, is not currently working. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover his living costs, with any leftover funds going to cancer research. Reflecting on the impact, Dan said, “Everything seemed normal, and then suddenly, it wasn’t. It’s life-changing.”