Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.
A father of two expressed his surprise when doctors attributed his throat cancer diagnosis to engaging in oral sex.
Frank Lane, residing in Hampshire, UK, initially noticed something unusual in November 2023. He discovered a firm, egg-sized lump on the right side of his neck.
“I was having a shave, felt my neck and thought ‘that feels a bit hard’,” Frank recalled. “It was just a slight swelling.”
Initially, he suspected it was due to swollen glands from a rigorous gym session. However, when the condition remained unchanged after two weeks, the 60-year-old decided to see a doctor.
“When the doctor looked in my mouth she could actually see it sticking out of the top of my tonsils, it was the size of a boiled egg,” he said.
“I was very tired but I just thought it was down to work and not getting enough sleep. I was also waking up to go to the toilet three or four times a night, but I put that down to getting older.”
Following his visit to the doctor, Frank underwent a biopsy. Ten days later, he was diagnosed with throat cancer.
Reflecting on the moment he received the news, Frank recounted: “When they said I had throat cancer, I thought he was talking a load of rubbish for a split second because I’d stopped smoking 10 years ago.
“I remember thinking, ‘what the hell are you talking about throat cancer?'”
Further discussions with the doctor revealed that the cancer was likely caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which was contracted through oral sex.
HPV is recognized for causing changes in cervical cells that can lead to cervical cancer, and it is believed to have a similar impact on throat cells.
Initially, Frank was taken aback by the diagnosis, saying: “[When he said] you’ve got throat cancer from oral sex, it was a surprise. Some of the guys I’ve told at work laughed, not because I had cancer but because of how it came about.
“They said I was talking a load of rubbish, I told them to Google it and I saw the color drain from their faces.”
Frank explained that doctors concluded he had contracted the virus approximately 40 years ago, around the age of 20, while serving in the army.
He said: “I was having fun, but I wasn’t messing about with loads of different girls.”
After the diagnosis, Frank underwent two rounds of chemotherapy followed by a six-week course of radiotherapy.
“I was in the army for 12 years and that [radiotherapy] was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Frank said.
Fortunately, the treatment was successful, and Frank is now cancer-free, undergoing checks every two months. He encourages people to be attentive to any unexplained symptoms they encounter and to seek medical attention promptly.
Laughing, he said: “My advice would be don’t have oral sex.”
More seriously, he added: “For anyone who can’t follow that, my advice would be if you have any unusual symptoms don’t ignore them, get it checked out.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.