Rhod Gilbert has urged the public to seek medical advice if they notice any persistent changes in their health, following his own serious health scare.
Gilbert was diagnosed with stage four head and neck cancer in 2022 but received the all-clear last year after undergoing “wonderful” treatment at Cardiff’s Velindre Cancer Centre.
The comic’s health concerns started with symptoms such as a sore throat, persistent cough, difficulty swallowing, and occasional choking symptoms that are often dismissed during the winter season but can be signs of more serious conditions if they persist.
Despite initial tests showing no abnormalities, doctors considered his extensive use of his voice in his comedy career as a possible cause for his symptoms. Covid-19 was also suspected until he found a lump on his neck, which led to further investigation and his diagnosis.
“Luckily that lump popped up,” he told Reach PLC. “If that lump hadn’t have popped up, I don’t know what would’ve happened, I would dread to think.”, reports Surrey Live.
Now back to full strength and touring with his show ‘Rhod Gilbert and the Giant Grapefruit’, the 56 year old has reflected on how easily such symptoms could be overlooked as a common illness.
“I think that one of the problems we’ve got is some cancers don’t have any symptoms. With some of them, the symptoms could well be something else and they’re more likely to be something else,” he explained.
“If you’ve got a cough, that doesn’t mean you’ve got cancer, it means you’ve got a cough or you’ve got Covid or whatever, it could be anything.”
In a warning to others based on his experience, he added: “The problem with coughs as well, you hear about this 100-day cough, but I think the general rule is if anything persists and doesn’t go away, if it won’t go away after a few weeks, then get it checked out.”
“Don’t panic and make sure you can do anything you can to get it checked out.”
Sharing an update on his health, Rhod said that other than some residual issues, he feels lucky to have come through his ordeal. “My treatment was wonderful, and I was given the all clear in May 2023. I am currently all clear and now having ENT camera checks every 6 months,” he shared.
Discussing his return to comedy, Rhod mentioned: “I feel great, my energy levels are good and I’m just really happy to be up there. I can’t believe really quite how well I feel, I’ve got problems in my neck, throat area and my mouth area, but other than that, I feel great.”
The NHS highlights that head and neck cancer is fairly uncommon in the UK, with around 12,400 new cases diagnosed each year. It can appear in one of over 30 different locations within the head and neck.
The National Cancer Institute also pointed out that symptoms of head and neck cancer can include a lump in the neck, a mouth or throat sore that doesn’t heal and may cause pain, persistent sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and changes or hoarseness in the voice. While these symptoms could be due to less serious conditions, it’s crucial to seek medical advice if they persist.