A mother from Surrey has described how she “went into meltdown” after being diagnosed and treated for advanced head and neck cancer. Soula Demetriou, 47, hopes her story will help raise awareness of the disease, its symptoms and the importance of early detection. After finding a lump in her neck on Christmas Eve in 2017, Mrs Demetriou decided to book an appointment with her GP, who said the lump was probably a harmless cyst due to her non-drinking and non-smoking habits. “I came home on Christmas Eve and leaned forward on my chin and noticed something there. “I thought it was strange as I hadn’t noticed the lump before. “Since I’d had a stressful week with my mum in hospital, we all assumed it was probably swollen glands. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that it could be cancer,” she said. Read More Latest health news After undergoing dozens of tests, Mrs Demetriou was diagnosed with advanced head and neck cancer on February 1 2018. The following day, she had her first operation. She said: “The time between my diagnosis and my first operation was less than 24 hours. I had no time to digest anything. “It was an absolute rollercoaster. I don’t think my feet touched the ground. “You’re leading a normal life and the next thing you know, you’ve got cancer.” Her treatment included a six-week course of radiotherapy, in an attempt to eliminate the cancer and stop further growth. She also underwent four different surgeries within eight… [Read full story]
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