A 32-year-old London man is urging people to trust their instincts after his persistent feeling that something was wrong with his recurring tonsillitis uncovered a hidden tumour.
Pawel Chmura, a front-of-house co-ordinator for a marketing agency, began investigating his health at the end of 2023. What started as frequent bouts of tonsillitis after holidays eventually led to a life-altering discovery of mouth cancer.
The Persistent Problem
"It all started from something entirely different," Pawel recounted. "The year before I was diagnosed with mouth cancer, I was having issues with my tonsils. Every time I came back from holiday I was suffering from tonsillitis, and there are only so many times you can take antibiotics before you start asking questions."
After initial tests and swabs at his GP surgery revealed nothing unusual, Pawel continued to push for answers. He utilised his Bupa health insurance provided through work to consult with specialists. His persistence paid off when he was referred to an infectious disease expert at the beginning of 2024.
An MRI scan revealed the truth: his tonsils were fine, but doctors had spotted something suspicious. "The specialist said, 'your tonsils are fine, but we found something on the image which I think you need to speak with someone else about'," Pawel recalled.
The Shocking Diagnosis
Further investigations, including an ultrasound, were arranged. However, the location of the lump—under his tongue and close to the jaw—made a fine needle biopsy impossible. The situation was becoming increasingly concerning.
Pawel took matters into his own hands, finding a surgeon who specialised in mouth issues on Bupa's website. The surgeon decided to remove the lump entirely and send it for biopsy. Two weeks later, Pawel attended his follow-up appointment with characteristic optimism, but immediately sensed something was wrong when he saw the doctor and nurse.
"We sat down and they said 'listen, unfortunately it's a cancer'," Pawel said. The diagnosis was official: mouth cancer.
According to a report by the Oral Health Foundation, mouth cancer is one of the UK's fastest-growing cancers, with cases up 38% in the past decade.
Breaking the News and Treatment
Despite the devastating news, Pawel felt reassured that a clear treatment plan was immediately put in place. His primary concern became breaking the news to his parents in Poland.
"The only thing I focused on was how to tell my parents and how to organise them to fly over here from Poland," he said. "Obviously, you never want to hear over the phone that your only son has cancer. They were pretty devastated, but I reassured them that I had the best care possible."
In April 2024, Pawel underwent major surgery at Cromwell Hospital under the care of oral and maxillofacial surgeon Raf Niziol. The complex procedure involved removing the floor of the mouth, a neck resection, and a forearm tissue transplant. A tracheostomy was also performed to manage post-operative swelling.
The days following surgery remain a "blur" for Pawel, who was heavily medicated in ICU. "The first night after the surgery, I was having trouble sleeping. As the anaesthesia was wearing off, I had these awful dreams and kept waking myself up," he remembered. "Laying there and hearing the beep, beep, beep in the hospital wasn't really nice, so I played the radio on the TV, as music is the thing which usually grounds me."
Life After Cancer
Pawel returned to work just three months after his surgery, but the experience has left lasting physical and emotional marks. He admits that the fear of cancer returning lingers, particularly since his type of cancer has a relatively high chance of recurring in the lungs.
Physically, he has had to relearn how to use his tongue. "My tongue doesn't feel as flexible as it once was and I can no longer stick it out," he revealed.
Neil Sikka, director of dentistry at Bupa Dental Care, emphasises the crucial role dental professionals play in early detection. "During routine check-ups, we perform a cancer screening examination and are well-placed to spot early signs of mouth cancer and refer patients for further investigation when needed," he explained.
The ordeal has dramatically shifted Pawel's perspective on life. He has declared 2025 his "year of making dreams come true" and has embraced a new life motto of doing whatever he wants.
"I want to try and get as much out of life as I can, because I could have possibly been dead at 30 if the surgery went wrong," he said. "I have travelled a lot, I've seen Lady Gaga in Barcelona and ate a lot of nice food. So yeah, it was quite a busy year for me."
He hopes his story will encourage others to advocate for their health. "If there is a worry about anything, just go and have it checked, because if I didn't push, god knows when we would have found it," Pawel urged, highlighting the critical importance of trusting your intuition when something feels wrong with your body.
