Hero Navy pilot with tumour stretching from his chin to his heart is saved by a 12-hour operation

A former Royal Navy pilot with a tumor stretching from his jaw to his heart is now cancer-free after a pioneering 12-hour procedure saved his life.

Rich Sutton, 53, was diagnosed with epithelioid fibrosarcoma 12 years ago – a rare and usually fatal cancer that starts in the bone but can spread anywhere, making it difficult to treat.

The father-of-two, who spent decades flying helicopters in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and Iraq, is among hundreds of armed forces personnel who say their rare and deadly cancers were caused by exposure to toxic exhaust fumes during their years in service.

In his case, it started in his neck and spread throughout his body. Despite eight surgeries in ten years, Rich’s cancer continued to return. One tumor grew so large that it left him gasping for breath and crushing his windpipe.

Surgeons at three hospitals told Rich that the mass was inoperable because of its size and proximity to a major blood vessel that supplies blood to his brain. He was given less than a year to live and was prepared to say goodbye to his children Tom, 28, and Emma, ​​25.

But last year, a team of surgeons managed to completely remove the tumor in a marathon operation.

Rich, who lives in Cardiff, is now recovering at home and can breathe normally again.

His extraordinary story will be part of Channel 4’s new series Super Surgeons: A Chance At Life. The four-part documentary follows patients at London’s leading cancer hospital Royal Marsden as they undergo complex and often life-threatening operations.

“I was told three times that I had reached the end of the road, so I went to London with the one percent expectation that something could be done,” says Rich. ‘I just wanted to be able to look my children in the eye and say, after twelve years of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and eight previous operations, that I had really exhausted all options.’

Rich believes his cancer is due to unknowingly inhaling jet fuel exhaust while serving as a Navy pilot.

“The Sea King plane I flew burns jet fuel, which produces all kinds of chemicals that come in through the cargo door,” he explained. ‘[It] It turned out to be a problem that had been known for some time.

“So the irony of me having the career of my dreams is that this may very well be the cause of my cancer.”

In dozens of ongoing lawsuits, former RAF and Navy pilots – including Prince William’s former trainer Zach Stubbings – have accused the Ministry of Defense of failing to protect aircrews from cancer-causing emissions from military helicopters, some of which are still in service. They have been diagnosed with cancers such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, throat cancer, lung cancer and testicular cancer.

It was 2011 when Rich noticed a lump on the roof of his mouth, which was surgically removed. Although doctors told him it was a one-time benign tumor, four years later an egg-sized growth reappeared at the base of his skull.

The father-of-two, who spent decades flying helicopters in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and Iraq, is among hundreds of armed forces personnel who say their rare and deadly cancers were caused by exposure to toxic exhaust fumes during their years in service.

That same year, Rich was diagnosed with epithelioid fibrosarcoma. Surgeries over nine years removed tumors as they appeared in his spine, lungs and throat.

But the cancer returned and when he went to doctors in 2021 with a suspected tumor on his neck, Rich was told there was nothing that could be done this time.

By the time Rich was referred to Professor Vin Paleri, head and neck surgeon at The Royal Marsden, the tumor had caused the lining of his carotid artery – which carries blood to the brain – to become paper-thin. His windpipe had also been pushed to the other side of his neck, meaning he was constantly struggling to breathe.

But to Rich’s surprise, Dr. Paleri offered him one last chance to survive. “It was a very complex operation,” the surgeon said.

Rich was warned that he could develop swallowing and voice problems, and could even be at risk of having a stroke or dying during the operation itself. To ensure Rich would continue to send blood to his brain during the surgery, Dr. Paleri had to avoid the artery while cutting away the tumor around it. Due to the size of the tumor, his chest had to be split open.

After a huge twelve hours in the operating room, the tumor was removed in its entirety.

But the procedure took its toll and within hours Rich suffered a stroke.

However, after nine months of rehabilitation, he is still cancer-free. He has started driving again and hopes to soon get back on his motorcycle, one of his passions.

“Recovery has been a long, hard slog, but my family and friends have been amazing,” Rich said. “I hope my determination to survive has repaid their love.”

Experts say Rich’s procedure could help patients with similar tumors.

“I have red lines where I cannot and do not want to operate,” says Dr. Paleri, “and with every complex operation I do, those red lines are pushed further and further.

‘Performing these types of operations gives us more confidence to tackle such tumors. I hope it also encourages patients to have a different opinion about their medical care if their treatment center says there is nothing they can do.”

Other inspiring stories on Super Surgeons include 18-year-old Anthea – an aspiring midwife with a tumor in her arm so difficult to remove that doctors say she may have to amputate, and fitness fanatic Jonathan, 48, who had no symptoms before she was admitted. diagnosed with a rare melanoma, and now must undergo surgery to remove a tumor between his esophagus and heart.

A Ministry of Defense spokesperson said: ‘We continually review our policy to ensure it is consistent with good practice and to protect our people from harm.

“Service personnel and veterans who believe they have suffered ill health are entitled to claim compensation under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.”

Super Surgeons: A Chance At Life starts Tuesday at 9pm on Channel 4.