I had a toothache – it turned out to be cancer and I was told I had 6 years to live

A father-of-three had to have half his jaw removed and was told he had six years to live after he was diagnosed with a form of cancer that kills up to three in 10 patients.

Wayne Reimer of Alberta, Canada, said the first warning signs of the disease appeared in May 2006 as a typical toothache, which he treated by repeatedly taking aspirin.

The airport manager’s pain subsided for weeks but eventually became much worse than before during a business trip to the United States, prompting him to make a dentist appointment when he returned to Canada.

The dentist extracted the tooth causing the pain from the left side of Mr Reimer’s mouth – who had previously undergone a root canal – but referred him to a cancer specialist after he became concerned.

A biopsy two days later – in which flesh was removed to test for cancer – revealed the disease.

Mr Reimer then underwent a 17-hour operation in which half of his jaw was removed to rid his body of the disease. The jaw was then reconstructed using bone and tissue from his left arm and leg.

After the operation he underwent several months radiation therapy – which caused severe burns to the inside of his mouth, requiring him to relearn how to eat and drink. An accident during the operation also left his left foot severely burned, causing him to have difficulty walking for months.

To write Newsweek On Tuesday he said: ‘Cancer has taken a lot from me and my family.

‘(But) we won a lot more. I learned how strong and resilient my wife and children really were. Being struck by cancer was never a consideration.

‘I beat the odds. I could see my pension. I saw all three children meet and marry their spouses. I have experienced the incredible joy of seeing four grandchildren born, and I am thrilled to be called ‘Daddy’ by them.”

Oral cancer in the US is responsible for approximately 58,000 cancer diagnoses per year. In Canada, approximately 5,400 new cases are diagnosed each year.

For patients whose cancer is detected at an early stage, the five-year survival rate is 86 percent.

But when the disease is only noticed in later stages, when it has spread to other parts of the body, this drops to 69 percent.

Adults in their 60s are most likely to be diagnosed with cancer, although one in five cases are diagnosed in people under the age of 55.

Early warning signs include pain in the mouth and ear, loose teeth, and a lump in the throat, although some of these symptoms can be overlooked.

But in later stages, the cancer can cause problems opening the mouth, chewing, and creating a feeling of something stuck in the throat.

Risk factors for the disease include smoking and heavy alcohol use, as well as infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Mr Reimer said he initially ignored the pain in his mouth because he had a busy day at work during his business trip to the US and did not want to spend ‘half a day’ at the dentist.

He said: ‘After a few weeks the toothache stopped. ‘Even better, I thought. “No need for a dentist.”

The pain stemmed from a tooth on the left side of his mouth, where he had previously undergone a root canal, a procedure in which the tooth is drilled open and infected tissue is removed before a filler is placed in the tooth.

Mr Reimer said once the tooth was removed, his dentist’s face changed and he was immediately referred to a cancer expert.

Two days later he underwent a biopsy to test the tissue under the removed tooth for cancer, and a few days later the results came back showing he had the cancer.

The following month – June 2006 – doctors sent him for a three-hour operation to remove the cancer from his mouth – but it ended up taking seventeen hours after the cancer reached his lymph nodes.

These form another part of the circulatory system in the body and are used to transport fluid through them. Once a cancer spreads here, it can also spread to other organs in the body, making it more difficult to treat.

During the procedure, half of his lower jaw – the mandible bone – was removed and then rebuilt using bone from his left leg and flesh from his left forearm.

An accident during surgery also led to his left foot being severely burned, causing him to have difficulty walking for months.

Immediately after his procedure, he suffered respiratory arrest and a heart attack due to extreme swelling in his face and neck.

Doctors gave him a tracheostomy to help him get oxygen to his lungs through a hole in his throat. A feeding tube was also placed to provide nutrients.

They then put him on a ventilator and kept him in a medically induced coma for almost two weeks to recover.

Mr Reimer hoped the surgery would be the end of his ordeal, but then he was told he would have to undergo months of radiation therapy.

This involves shooting beams of radiation at the area where the cancer is present to kill any remaining cells. This can successfully kill the cells, but also causes serious damage to other healthy cells in the area.

“Radiotherapy for oral cancer is a double-edged sword,” he said.

‘Because the location of the disease is close to the surface, radiation is very effective. It is also very stressful for the tissues of the face and neck.’

Mr Reimer underwent the therapy for around six months and described it as ‘terrible’, leading to severe burns to his mouth, nose and ears.

This made it difficult for him to eat, as his family gave him liquid meals to keep him eating. During this period he lost 25 percent of his body weight.

But over the next year, and with the cancer seemingly gone, he gradually began to recover, started gaining weight and – six months later – said he felt more like himself.

He now works part-time in search and rescue operations and is retired.

During his cancer journey, Mr Reimer said he was encouraged by how strong his family was, and said he wanted to have a ‘family photo’ taken on the first anniversary of his ‘cancer-free’ status.

Providing advice to others, he said, “I hope everyone reading this asks their dentist about oral cancer screening during their next visit.”

“It will save lives and immeasurable, unnecessary suffering.”