My wife’s only incurable cancer sign was bizarre taste in mouth – she was ridiculously fit and healthy

A HEARTBROKEN husband has shared the bizarre symptom his wife had that turned out to be a sign of her incurable cancer. Neil Hughes’ wife Carol had always been very healthy but when she told her GP she had a metallic taste in her mouth, everything changed. Carol, pictured with her husband Neil, was given a devastating diagnosis after mentioning to her GP she had a metallic taste in her mouth Credit: Cover Images Carol had an endoscopy and was diagnosed with terminal oesophageal cancer Credit: Cover Images She was sent for an endoscopy and the results sadly showed that Carol had terminal oesophageal cancer. Neil, 62, said: “It came right out of the blue. She was ridiculously healthy.” Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! Oesophageal cancer is one of the world’s deadliest cancers – by the time most patients are diagnosed, it’s already too late. A lack of awareness and vague symptoms, such as heartburn, have partly driven the poor survival rate of the disease. Jill Clark, chair of Action Against Heartburn, says that incidence of the disease in the UK is “disproportionately high” with late diagnosis meaning the outcome is “often fatal”. “The reasons for the increase in late-stage diagnosis are unclear but are likely to be due to a combination of strain on the NHS, referral delays, unhealthy lifestyles, an ageing population and poor symptom awareness,” she says. Along with heartburn, symptoms include difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss, indigestion or heartburn that don’t go away, acid reflux and a pain in your throat or behind the breastbone. According to Cancer Research UK, oesophageal cancer is the seventh most common cause of cancer death in the UK. Most read in Health Neil has continued to travel after Carol’s diagnosis, as she requested Credit: Cover Images It is sometimes referred to as the ‘forgotten cancer’, with around 7,900 people dying from the disease in the UK every year. For Neil and Carol, the diagnosis was devastating. Carol had only gone to the GP for a hearing test, but when she mentioned the odd symptom, her life changed. Describing the ordeal, Neil, who lives in Essex, said: “She told him: ‘I’ve also got a bit of a metallic taste in my mouth,’ so he sent her for an endoscopy.” While there had been no signs there was anything wrong with Carol, the doctor said the results had “found something nasty” and she was given her terminal cancer diagnosis in 2024. Neil gave up his job to care for her and the couple decided to go on some final holidays together before Carol become too ill to travel. They went to Berlin, Prague and Vienna and after their adventures, they set up a travel blog. Carol sadly passed away last March at the age of 71 after 31 happy years of marriage with Neil. He was completely devastated but he continued to post on his travel blog – as he had promised Carol – to help manage his grief. Neil said: “It is a lot easier to deal with grief when you are keeping yourself busy. Carol and Neil set up a travel blog together when she got sick and he has continued to post on it after her passing Credit: Cover Images The warning signs of oesophageal cancer OESOPHAGEAL cancer is a cancer of the food pipe. It affects around 9,500 people in the UK every year, and most people are over the age of 60. Smoking increases your risk of the disease, as does being overweight, drinking alcohol and having conditions like Barrett’s oesophagus, where the cells lining your oesophagus have become abnormal. Only 13 per cent of patients survive for 10 or more years after being diagnosed. There are around 7,900 oesophageal cancer deaths in the UK every year – or 22 every day. Early diagnosis is key, so recognising the symptoms is vital. The most common include: Difficulty swallowing Unexplained weight loss Indigestion or heartburn that doesn’t go away Pain in the throat or behind the breastbone But some people also experience a cough, hoarseness, dark poo, tiredness and food coming back up after swallowing. Source: Cancer Research UK “The idea is that I am living on behalf of Carol as well. It has been a good distraction, but there were a few difficult times. “During Covid we did a puzzle of all the landmarks around Europe, and there was just one neither of us recognised. “After Carol passed away, I went to Prague to see Bruce Springsteen play, and I saw the Dancing House. “When I realised it was the place from the puzzle, that broke me. I had to find somewhere quiet for half an hour. “Normally, I am fine, but things do sneak up on you.” Speaking about his travelling, Neil added: “I think Carol would be pleased with what I’m doing. I think she’d be proud of it.” Comment now