This archive report was first published on 4 July 2019.
Elizabeth Merab spoke to Raymond Njeru, a 60-year-old man from Embu, Kenya, who lost his voice to laryngeal cancer after a delayed diagnosis.
Mr Njeru was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in 2017, but his symptoms were initially misdiagnosed as a common cold.
He visited three hospitals before being referred back to Embu Tenri Mission Hospital, where further tests revealed he had laryngeal cancer stage four.
Mr Njeru underwent a total laryngectomy, a procedure in which the voice box was removed, and a permanent opening called a stoma was created on the front part of his neck.
Every year, about 423 Kenyans are diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, and of these, it is estimated that 75 per cent succumb to the disease.
According to Dr Andrew Odhiambo, an oncologist, cancer of the larynx is fast becoming one of the most common types of cancers in the country.
Dr Odhiambo emphasized the importance of not ignoring persistent symptoms, saying, “Something as simple as a persistent common cold should not be ignored.”
