Cancer charity Faceup Cymru funds specialist nurse at University Hospital of Wales - UKCIG AR -

A CHARITY which helps people affected by head and neck cancer has funded a specialist nurse.

Faceup Cymru’s clinical nurse specialist Do Bevan will support the head and neck department at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, for a minimum of two years.

She said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for me and the patients. The charity has worked hard to get this money together and it’s the best way it could be spent.

“I’ve always had an interest in this area. Patients are given a life-changing diagnosis and the support they need is enormous.”

The charity’s president, Captain Sir Norman Lloyd Edwards, joined members of the head and neck department team in welcoming Do on board at the start of Mouth Cancer Action Month.

The charity’s treasurer Barbara Sainsbury said south-east Wales has double the UK average for incidences of head, neck and oral cancer, reinforcing the need for a specialist nurse.

She said: “The team concentrates not only on successful surgery and physical recovery but also on rehabilitation, helping patients resume a normal life.

“Successful surgery is just the first stage in recovery from the most harrowing forms of the disease. The after-effects of surgery – especially facial disfigurement and loss of speech – can have devastating, traumatic effects on patients.

“These may include loss of identify, self-esteem and self-confidence, stress within the family, marital difficulties, feelings of hurt, humiliation, isolation and depression.”

The launch came at the start of Mouth Cancer Action Month, in which a number of public health charities have joined forces to urge people to change their lifestyle.

Figures show one person develops mouth cancer in Wales every day and one person dies every five hours from the disease across the UK.

Charities, including Ash Wales, Alcohol Concern and Cancer Research UK, have revealed that cases of oral cancer have increased by 41% over the past 10 years.

In the UKCIG AR, cigarette and pipe smoking are the main forms of tobacco use and all are causes of oral cancer. So-called smokeless tobacco such as snuff, gutkha and betel quid are just as dangerous – but few people are aware of the risks.

Tanya Buchanan, chief executive of Ash Wales, said: “There is simply not enough information available to the general public about the risk of developing oral cancer if you smoke and drink excessively.