When a 67-year-old man from the U.K. experienced difficulty speaking, doctors dismissed it as symptoms of laryngitis. Nearly a year later, his worsening symptoms led to a devastating diagnosis: stage 4 laryngeal cancer, leaving him just six months to live.
Warwick Smith, a court clerk from Greater Manchester, England, struggled with his speech for months. Concerned that it might be more than just a lingering cold, he visited his GP multiple times but every time, he was assured that it was likely laryngitis and there was nothing to worry about.
However, over the months, Smith’s speech became so difficult that even his colleagues could barely understand him. It was then that he began to suspect it might be something more serious, like cancer. The thought became even harder to ignore, especially with a family history: his brother passed from throat cancer just two years earlier.
“I knew something was wrong, it wasn’t right, it wasn’t normal. The doctor said it sounds like laryngitis and not to worry about it. I said, ‘I’m feeling really worried, it’s been a few months and this can’t be right’,” Smith told Manchester Evening News.
“My brother died from throat cancer two years beforehand. I was worried at the back of my mind because of family history. They told me to wait and it got worse and worse,” Smith added.
Since Smith’s condition was getting worse, doctors eventually referred him to a specialist and suggested that it was “just to be on the safe side.” However, at the specialist, after a series of tests, he received the devastating diagnosis of stage 4 laryngeal cancer, a type of throat cancer in October 2022, almost a year after the symptoms started.
“My feelings were anger more than anything. You just feel so, so angry. I asked what the outlook was. They said if you leave it, you have six months max or you can opt for a total laryngectomy. It will remove the lymph nodes, but you won’t be able to talk,” Smith said.
Smith’s decision to undergo a laryngectomy, which involves the removal of the vocal cords, was undoubtedly life-changing. Although he is cancer-free, he now has to adjust to speaking with the help of a throat stoma.
When a 67-year-old man from the U.K. experienced difficulty speaking, doctors dismissed it as symptoms of laryngitis. Nearly a year later, his worsening symptoms led to a devastating diagnosis: stage 4 laryngeal cancer, leaving him just six months to live. Warwick Smith, a court clerk from Greater Manchester, England, struggled with his speech for months. Concerned that it might be more than just a lingering cold, he visited his GP multiple times but every time, he was assured that it was likely laryngitis and there was nothing to worry about. However, over the months, Smith’s speech became so difficult that even his colleagues could barely understand him. It was then that he began to suspect it might be something more serious, like cancer. The thought became even harder to ignore, especially with a family history: his brother passed from throat cancer just two years earlier. “I knew something was wrong, it wasn’t right, it wasn’t normal. The doctor said it sounds like laryngitis and not to worry about it. I said, ‘I’m feeling really worried, it’s been a few months and this can’t be right’,” Smith told Manchester Evening News. “My brother died from throat cancer two years beforehand. I was worried at the back of my mind because of family history. They told me to wait and it got worse and worse,” Smith added. Since Smith’s condition was getting worse, doctors eventually referred him to a specialist and suggested that it was “just to be on the safe side.” However, at the specialist, after a series of tests, he received the devastating diagnosis of stage 4 laryngeal cancer, a type of throat cancer in October 2022, almost a year after the symptoms started. “My feelings were anger more than anything. You just feel so, so angry. I asked what the outlook was. They said if you leave it, you have six months max or you can opt for a total laryngectomy. It will remove the lymph nodes, but you won’t be able to talk,” Smith said. Smith’s decision to undergo a laryngectomy, which involves the removal of the vocal cords, was undoubtedly life-changing. Although he is cancer-free, he now has to adjust to speaking with the help of a throat stoma.
