Claire Barbery, 51, was treated in Birmingham having almost cancelled her initial appointment fearing it was a waste of time
Claire Barbery with her family.
A mum who started snoring due to a persistent blocked nose was stunned to discover she had a rare form of cancer.
Claire Barbery, 51, from Newquay, Cornwall, was treated in Birmingham having almost skipped the hospital visit that ultimately led to her diagnosis, as she didn’t want to “waste the time” of the NHS.
Initially dismissing the constant blockage in one nostril as a side effect of frequent covid testing at her job in a care home, Claire’s condition didn’t improve even after using a steroid spray.
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In January 2023, she sought medical advice and was sent to see an ENT specialist. And after undergoing scans and a biopsy, Claire was diagnosed with olfactory neuroblastoma – an uncommon cancer that starts in the upper nasal cavity.
The tumour, which measured 5cm, had already started to damage the bone at the base of her skull. She underwent intricate surgery to remove it at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Claire, who has two daughters and is married to husband Gary, urged others not to overlook persistent health issues, no matter how insignificant they appeared. She said: “I very nearly cancelled that appointment because I didn’t want to be wasting NHS time.
Claire Barbery with husband Gary.
“There was nothing wrong, I thought. But looking back, that decision could have cost me my life.
“I started snoring, which I’d never done before. I was waking myself up, breathing through my mouth rather than my nose.
“Even then, I nearly cancelled my hospital appointment. I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. I just left it and thought it was something to do with having had covid the month before.”
Claire Barbery undergoes treatment.
Claire teamed up with UK charity the Get A-Head Charitable Trust to raise awareness of World Head and Neck Cancer Day today, Sunday, July 27.
She urged: “If you know your body, then you’ve got to push. If there’s something wrong, don’t ignore it.”
The surgery in January last year was carried out by consultant surgeon Shahz Ahmed, an expert in skull base operations. The procedure was captured for the Channel 5 documentary ‘Surgeons: A Matter of Life or Death’.
Mr Ahmed said: “Claire had a very rare form of cancer that needed to be removed. Untreated, it could have metastasized and spread into the neck and the rest of the body.
“It had already gone through the skull base into the base of the brain and if left, it would have become harder and harder to treat.”
The complex surgery entailed excising the tumour and Claire’s olfactory bulbs – resulting in a permanent loss of her sense of smell – and reconstructing the space between her nose and brain.
Mr Ahmed continued: “The key worries were operating between the left and the right eye. The main blood supply to the brain is in very close proximity so the risk of seizures, stroke, injury to the brain and loss of life, were all very real.
“Thankfully, the surgery was a huge success and Claire suffered no complications.”
After her operation, Claire underwent a six-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and is regularly monitored by her medical team.