When a gland in Mandy Weston's neck remained swollen after her cold had gone away, the 58-year-old was stunned to be told she had a cancerous mass on her tonsil that had started to spread. She required surgery, chemotherapy and an advanced type of radiotherapy.
Mandy says she owes her life to Cancer Research UK after benefiting from a type of radiotherapy it helped to develop that could be delivered so precisely by her doctors, she’s amazed them with her recovery and her latest scans show no evidence of disease.
Mandy believes she is living proof of the power of research and is backing a campaign to help fund more big breakthroughs.
Mandy said: “I never thought cancer would ever happen to me especially where I hadn’t noticed any symptoms before the swollen gland, so to be diagnosed myself was an horrific shock.
“It was really hard explaining it to my son, Thomas, 27 and two step-daughters who are 26 and 28. When you say out loud to your loved ones that you have cancer, it really hits home.
“I was going to need a lot of treatment which was also tough for me to hear, but I remember my doctor saying to me, ‘We have come so far with this – we will cure you.’ And he was right – Cancer Research UK has found a magic way forward to help people like me survive with a good quality of life.”
After having her tonsils and a wisdom tooth removed, Mandy was prescribed a combination of weekly chemotherapy called cisplatin, whilst receiving radiotherapy treatment five days a week for six weeks.
The latter involved advanced techniques, including intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) which precisely shapes the radiation beam to match the tumour shape. With less radiation affecting healthy tissues, doctors can give a higher dose to cancer cells. Cancer Research UK launched the first UK clinical trial of IMRT for head and neck cancer.
Mandy also benefited from image guided radiotherapy (IGRT), which involved having a CT scan before each daily session allowing doctors to monitor changes in the treatment area, adapt the radiotherapy if necessary and ensure precision.
By combining these techniques, it allowed doctors to target the cancer with such accuracy, it minimised the damage to surrounding healthy tissue such as her saliva glands and voice box, helping to reduce side effects and preserving Mandy’s quality of life after treatment.
Mandy’s consultant clinical oncologist, Dr Shanmugasundaram Ramkumar who treats patients across Hampshire and London, said: “Head and neck cancers affect people’s normal activities such as eating, drinking, talking and breathing – all vital functions – so it’s important we are precise and are only treating the tissues that need it, to try to minimise damage to surrounding normal tissues.
“In my 20 years as a head and neck consultant, I’ve seen how much technology has developed and treatments like IGRT and IMRT now allow us to give a very accurate dose of radiotherapy so that we only target tumour tissues.
“But now we can reduce any set up errors and reduce the dose to normal surrounding tissue so that patients have a better long-term recovery. Seeing patients making a good recovery after radiotherapy and returning to normal life is the main thing that keeps me ticking as an oncologist.”
Success stories like Mandy’s are made possible by the generosity of Cancer Research UK supporters. That’s why she’s urging people across Hampshire to help save more lives by donating monthly to the charity.
Cancer Research UK scientists laid the foundations for modern radiotherapy back in the 1920s. After decades of research to innovate and improve it, today radiotherapy is used to treat more than 140,000 people every year in the UK, from curing early-stage cancer to easing symptoms for people with terminal illness. More than 8,000 people with head and neck cancer are treated with radiotherapy in the UK every year.
The benefits of using IMRT to treat head and neck cancer were specifically proven via the charity’s landmark PARSPORT clinical trial. After 12 months, just 39% of patients experienced the common side effect of dry mouth compared to 74% having the traditional treatment.
To support life-saving research, donate monthly to Cancer Research UK at cruk.org/donate
Mandy’s experience began in the summer of 2023 when she picked up a cold following a cruise to Greece and Croatia.
Mandy said: “I thought nothing of the cold because it came and went, but I’d felt a gland on the right-hand side of my neck that didn’t go away, so I booked to see the GP who prescribed some antibiotics.
“The lump was still there after I finished the course of tablets so another GP referred me to an ear, nose and throat specialist. I thought it was a bit over the top, as I expected to be given some more antibiotics.
“The ENT doctor used a special camera to have a look up my nose and down my throat and then told me that he thought I may have throat cancer. You could have knocked me down with a feather as I just never imagined that kind of diagnosis.
“They booked me in for several scans and a biopsy which confirmed that I had a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma in my right tonsil that had travelled to the lymph nodes in my neck.
“My consultant explained that I would need to have my tonsils removed and a wisdom tooth taken out. Once I’d recovered from that, I would need to receive weekly chemotherapy at the same time as having daily radiotherapy for six weeks.
“Before the radiotherapy could begin, I had a very detailed MRI scan which precisely mapped out everything in my neck so they could deliver the treatment accurately, avoiding damage to the healthy areas so that I’d be left with fewer side effects. I also had a CT scan after each daily radiotherapy session to monitor any changes and my progress.
“Although heading into the treatment was daunting, you have to give yourself to science and trust the research – you don’t have any another choice. So, starting in the October, for five days a week over six weeks, I would wear a special mask moulded to my head and neck and received my radiotherapy treatment. As this continued, each Wednesday for four weeks I also received a chemotherapy treatment called cisplatin.” Cancer Research UK led some of the first in-human trials for this type of chemotherapy.
Mandy continued: “Rhod Gilbert’s documentary for Stand Up To Cancer was shown while I was also being treated and it really helped me to know someone else understood what I was going through. It also helped my family to see the kind of treatment I was receiving and how it works.
“It was tough though and as the treatment continued, I needed to be fed through a tube for nine weeks, including on Christmas Day. When my tube accidentally came out, I decided against having it put back in so that I could make myself learn to eat proper food again.
“My medical team were amazing and supported me throughout. I lost my voice for a couple of weeks but Dr Ramkumar assured me it would be back to normal after a year and he was right again. They were also unsure if my saliva glands would fully function long-term which can make it difficult to talk and eat. But I’m really fortunate that they’re also working normally, which has surprised them all.
“Now I enjoy food again, I can speak with a full voice and I have a much better quality of life than I would ever let myself believe I could end up with. I’m grateful to all the unsung heroes who have helped me embrace life after cancer and I count myself very lucky.
“Life-saving treatments are made by decades of testing, trialling and learning. I simply wouldn’t be here without the energy and commitment of Cancer Research UK scientists. Step by step they’re beating this devastating disease and donating monthly will make a huge difference to their work now and in the future.”
The charity’s goal for ‘next-gen’ radiotherapy is making it more personalised and targeted so that everyone gets the best treatment for their cancer. In the last six years, it has invested £67million in developing RadNet - a network of seven centres of excellence aimed at fast-tracking advanced techniques and harnessing new technologies, like AI, to make radiotherapy smarter.
Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the South East, Elisa Mitchell, said: “As the evolution of radiotherapy shows, we’ve been at the forefront of cancer research for over 100 years. From making it more targeted to combining it with other treatments and reducing the number of doses needed, Cancer Research UK has changed clinical practice worldwide and made radiotherapy kinder and more effective. But our work isn’t done yet.
“That’s why we’re grateful to Mandy for helping to raise vital awareness and funds. We want to bring about a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer - no matter who they are or where they’re from. And monthly donations are critical to making this a reality.”
Support the future of cancer research at cruk.org/donate
RADIOTHERAPY FACTFILE
Cancer Research UK’s Dr Anna Kinsella answers some commonly asked questions about radiotherapy.
What is radiotherapy? Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of cancer treatment used across many types of the disease. It can be used to treat the cancer, reduce the chances of the cancer coming back or to help relieve symptoms.
How does radiotherapy work? It uses radiation, usually x-rays, to damage the DNA inside cancer cells so that they stop growing or die. Cancer Research UK pioneered some of the earliest studies of x-rays and radium in the treatment of cancer. Since then, the charity's research has underpinned advances in radiotherapy, from exploring the effects of radiation on cells and standardising its use, to practice changing trials.
What are the side effects of radiotherapy? Common side effects include tiredness and sensitive skin, but they vary depending on the area being treated. Decades of research has helped to reduce the impact of treatment on patients and there’s lots of first-hand information and advice from people who have had radiotherapy on the Cancer Research UK website.