Dad-of-two given devastating diagnosis after noticing something while shaving

A dad-of-two was shocked to be given a devastating cancer diagnosis after finding a lump on his neck while shaving.

Michael Schillinger, 57, thought the lump was a swollen gland, but made an appointment to see his doctor to check. But his GP recognised signs of cancer, and made an urgent referral for tests, scans and a biopsy.

The test results revealed that Michael had stage four cancer - a diagnosis that his children Ben, 16, and Kate, 12, described as a frightening and traumatic life-changing event, reports CheshireLive.

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Reflecting on his shock diagnosis, Michael, from Nantwich, said: "I remember thinking about my children, and it really hit me that they might have to grow up without a dad there to support them into adulthood. I wanted to keep things as normal as possible and didn't want them worrying.

"My wife Jackie was also extraordinary. She took on the entire responsibility for the family during that period."

Following his diagnosis in 2020, Michael was referred to The Christie hospital in Manchester in September of that year, where he was treated with proton beam therapy at The Christie in Manchester as part of a clinical trial. He became only the ninth adult patient to join the TORPEdO clinical trial.

The trial compares the impact of proton beam therapy with conventional radiotherapy for patients with oropharyngeal cancer. He was told while under the treatment of The Christie that his cancer was actually stage three.

But following the head and neck cancer treatment, Michael had a further blow when a scan discovered an unrelated tumour on his kidney. The position of the tumour, however, meant it was relatively straightforward for a surgeon