Have you ever wondered what really happens when someone goes under the knife? Presented by Kathryn Thomas, My BodyFix, takes a look at six surgeries with the support of virtual reality.
In tonight's final episode, Kathryn meets 53-year-old Diarmuid Santry who discovered a malignant tumor at the base of his skull.
Having noticed a small lump on the side of his neck, Diarmuid’s medical journey began after a visit to his GP, who suggested he get tested for mumps and glandular fever.
Within days, he was in Beaumont to see Professor James Paul O’Neill, a surgeon specialising in cancers of the head, neck and skull base.
According to Professor O'Neill, head and neck cancer is "a lot more common" than people realise as the skin cancer is often found on the neck.
Working in Beaumont Hospital, Professor O'Neill's specialty also incorporates skull-based surgery and endocrine surgery as well as oral cavity and neck surgeries.
Although cigarette smoking is a big component when it comes to cancer, Professor O'Neill insists that other factors can come into play:
"Apart form chemical carcinogenic drivers, there are also viral carcinogenic drivers, which is why we promoted the HPV vaccine so strongly," he told RTÉ Lifestyle. "It is essential that our boys and girls get vaccinated against HPV diseases."
As well as leading a healthy lifestyle, O'Neill says that people should look out for "any lump or bump" that's present over a three to four week period. Persistent pain, bleeding, difficulty swallowing, unexpected weight loss, or a change in voice are also factors to look out for, and to relay back to your GP.
In Diarmaid's case, although he hoped that the small lump was harmless, PET scans revealed a malignant lymph node and a tumour growing at the base of his skull.
As well as taking an open biopsy, Professor O'Neill's team used specialised scanning tools to identify where the primary tumor had come from.
They soon found that Diarmaid was suffering from squamous cell carcinoma - the common mucosal cancer - with the 'mother tumor' revealed to be at the base of skull at the nasopharynx.
Up to this point, Diarmaid had been living what he described as 'a lovely life', working as an agronomist (an expert in the science of soil management and crop production), and living with his wife and their two boys.
All of a sudden, he was a patient, suffering the traumatic side effects of an intense course of both radiotherapy and chemotherapy that robbed him of his energy and his health, but not his spirit.
"He came through a tough treatment but came through it well," says Professor O'Neill. "He's a particularly resilient and positive young man. He came through it very well."
Diarmuid had to be hospitalised, having lost 22kg in weight during chemo-radiation, but the treatment worked, killing off the mother tumour. Unfortunately, a PET scan taken in the months following showed some residual cancer in the lymph nodes and he was advised to have surgery to remove it.
"Essentially, it was residual disease but not recurring," he explains. "All of his primary disease had gone but it meant that he had to go through a neck dissection and remove, not only the lymph node, but the surrounding tissue as well."
"Thankfully, he has done really well since then," he added.
In the face of all of these invasive treatments, Professor O'Neill says that Diarmuid's zest for life never failed him: "He's exceptional. He's very pragmatic, he's philosophical, he's a highly intelligent man. I've never seen anyone like him."
Speaking on his positive outlook, Diarmuid told the cameras: "What was I supposed to do, curl up and die? It’s not an option. Life’s too good. You go through what you go through because there are better times ahead. I would be very grateful for a second bite at life".
My BodyFix final airs at 8:30pm on RTÉ One on Tuesday, November 28.
