Dad, 47, diagnosed with cancer after suffering from blocked nose

Mark Hallums, 47, from Knaphill, in Surrey, started suffering from blocked nose and nosebleeds in 2020, which doctors initially attributed to a polyp in his left nostril.

The dad of sons aged 18 and 16, and a 14-year-old daughter, was then prescribed antibiotics and steroids.

However, the medication didn’t make any difference to his symptoms, so he was referred to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist.

Following a series of tests, Mark was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, known as adenoid cystic carcinoma.

However, the dad’s diagnosis was even more unusual as it had grown in his nose rather than in the salivary glands where it usually occurs.

Mark, who works for a market research company, said: “I noticed that when I lay down, my left nostril would feel a bit blocked. 

“I also started to get a couple of weird nosebleeds, which was peculiar for me because I’d never suffered from them before.

“I have private healthcare through work so I was quickly referred to an ENT specialist at Mount Alvernia Hospital at the end of February that year.

“The consultant took one look up my nose and said, ‘I don’t like the look of that at all’. Life took a different turn right then.”

Mark had to undergo biopsy, MRI and CT scans which got him diagnosed with the non-aggressive tumour.

The dad was told the “best” approach to target the cancerous culprit would be through surgeries and radiotherapy.

The majority of Mark’s tumour was surgically removed, but it was discovered that cancerous cells had touched the base of his skull, leaving the dad in need of a further eight-hour procedure with skull-base and neurology specialists.

While both surgeries were a success, the doctors also recommended a form of radiotherapy, known as proton therapy, to ensure all the remaining traces of the tumour had been destroyed.

Proton therapy targets cancerous cells with pencil-point precision.

The level of accuracy meant it was able to spare surrounding tissue, which was particularly important in Mark’s case, with the tumour site being so close to his eyes, brain and other sensitive organs in the head.

This type of treatment is available in NHS centres in Manchester and London, but Mark was not able to be seen in the preferred timeline given his age and the non-aggressive nature of his tumour.

It was then decided the best course of action would be to work with the team at the Proton Therapy Center in Prague, Czech Republic.

In October 2022, Mark received the “second to none” treatment over the course of seven weeks.

“I was made to feel exceptionally well cared for, with a superb team of expert professionals,” he said.

A year to the day after his diagnosis, Mark got the all-clear from his doctors and is now attending yearly scans.

He added: “I’m pretty sure I haven’t fully dealt with what I have gone through. 

“It has been a fairly tough year, but without the fabulous support of all of the healthcare teams I’ve been looked after by, it would have been quite a different story. In many ways, I feel lucky!”