Much-loved BBC star Mark Steel has revealed how he decided to ignore a common symptom of cancer just weeks before being diagnosed with the potentially deadly condition.
During a chat with the Times ahead of the launch of his new memoir, the star, well-known for his Mark Steel’s In Town show on BBC Radio 4, said that it was shortly after the break-up of his marriage that he noticed a lump on his neck.
Deciding to initially ignore the unusual growth, believing it would likely go down, just two weeks later it had grown bigger and he was later diagnosed with throat cancer (also known as laryngeal cancer).
During the interview, Times journalist Helen Rumbelow said that, despite the comedian having made a full recovery from the condition, she revealed how the disease had taken its toll, writing: “His voice is barely audible and he pauses between sentences to tackle the job of swallowing.”
Noting the chasm in difference between his familiar south east accent compared to the changes brought on as a consequence of his condition, she humorously said that his tone now resembles that of a famous singer: “For me Steel is synonymous with his booming estuary accent, a voice as strong and steely as his political views. Instead I am talking to someone who sounds like a whispering Leonard Cohen recording a sex tape.”
While the 64-year-old has made a full recovery from his recent health battle, his voice isn’t the only thing that is seemingly paying the price. Shortly after sitting down to chat, Helen noticed that the comedian began to struggle as he sipped his glass of water and had even had to learn a special technique to do so. He also revealed that it had been days since he last ate, but confirmed it “isn’t the cancer coming back”.
According to the NHS, there are approximately 2,000 new cases of the condition every year in the UK and the disease tends to be more common in men than women. Meanwhile, there can be a number of lifestyle choices that can increase the chances of developing the illness, such as; smoking, regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol and having an unhealthy diet that doesn’t include much fruit and veg.
Symptoms of throat cancer
According to the NHS symptoms of throat cancer include;
- a change in your voice, such as sounding hoarse
- pain when swallowing or difficulty swallowing
- a lump or swelling in your neck
- a long-lasting cough or breathlessness
- a persistent sore throat or earache
- a high-pitched wheezing noise when you breathe
- in severe cases, difficulty breathing