'My wisdom tooth pain was actually cancer'

A 24-year-old woman has spoken about the "shocking" moment when she learned her wisdom tooth pain was actually a rare form of cancer.

Shannon Griffiths, of Denton, was 18 when she noticed a lump on her jaw. She was initially treated for wisdom tooth pain - but five years after an initial appointment - she pushed for a referral to a dental hospital and was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer in December 2024.

"It was a complete shock," she said. "I had never heard of that type of cancer, I thought I was going to die."

Now cancer-free, Ms Griffiths wants to encourage others to push for referrals. "You know your own body better than anyone else," she said. "And sometimes things do get missed."

Ms Griffiths first noticed a pea-sized lump behind her ear on her jaw in 2019. But, after speaking to a doctor and having an x-ray, she said she was assured it was "nothing major to worry about".

Over the following years, Ms Griffiths began to have shooting pains in her jaw but says she did not worry, as dentists had done a scan and were treating her with antibiotics.

"I've always suffered with wisdom tooth pain and infections and, when I've had other infections before, I've always had my lymph nodes flare up, so I just put it down to that," she explained.

While the antibiotics had settled her wisdom tooth infections, Ms Griffiths said the pain in her jaw continued.

"I'd get shooting pains down my jaw and down my neck - and this had been going on for a few years at this point," she said.

In January 2024, Ms Griffiths said her symptoms of locked-jaw were causing her so much discomfort that she pushed for a referral to a dental hospital - where she was assessed for symptoms of Temporomandibular Disorder, or TMD, a joint disorder in the jaw caused by teeth grinding or clenching.

"I didn't worry too much because I had never heard anyone have this before and it be anything sinister," she said. "I just wanted to get it sorted because it was causing me so much discomfort."

But, after further scans, including MRIs and ultrasounds, Ms Griffiths was put forward for a biopsy - and, on 4 December 2024, she was told she had cancer of the salivary gland.

Ms Griffiths said she had expected the appointment that day to be "like a routine appointment" and had not thought to bring anyone with her.

She said: "Before that, I'd I've never heard of this type of cancer, it was never mentioned to me throughout any of my tests - so I think that's why it was a complete shock because I wasn't concerned about it at all."

"I just completely lost it - I had a huge panic attack. You feel like your world like literally tipped upside down."

It is not known whether the lump had always been cancerous or had originally been benign.

Ms Griffiths had an operation to remove the cancer in February.

Test results later confirmed she would not need radiotherapy and Ms Griffiths was given the all-clear in March.

But since the all-clear, life has been far from normal for Ms Griffiths, who was in therapy for several months afterwards.

"I've got scars on my body from the surgery but the mental scars are so much worse and you can't see them," she said.

"I did struggle physically and mentally, because exercise was how I would wind down from the week and I couldn't do that after surgery."

Despite this, Ms Griffiths managed to train and complete a 10km charity run in September, raising £2,400 for Salivary Gland Cancer UK.

Ms Griffiths wants to raise awareness of her symptoms and encourage others to get checked if "something isn't right".

"I knew something wasn't right and things do sometimes get misdiagnosed or missed, but it's how you go about it that's important.

"Especially as a young person, sometimes it can be overlooked - I'm not saying that's what happened here, but it's a possibility."

Ms Griffiths said she exercised five or six times a week before she was diagnosed and has never smoked - she wants people to know her experience could "happen to anybody".

She said: "It's so important for all people to pursue something that they feel isn't right.

"Not to scare anybody, but it should encourage people to get checked early."

Salivary gland cancer is very rare, with only about 720 people diagnosed in the UK every year, according to Cancer Research UK.

Possible symptoms include:

• a painless lump or swelling in your jaw, cheek, mouth or neck
• numbness in a part of your face
• drooping on one side of your face (facial palsy)
• pain in the area of the lump or swelling
• problems swallowing
• difficulty opening your mouth fully
• swelling on one side of your face

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