Matilda's story

Matilda's story

My name is Matilda Sequeira and my cancer is called squamous-cell carcinoma or salivary gland carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the right internal cheek.

How were you diagnosed? 

I was first diagnosed following an extraction of my four wisdom teeth and that was way back in 1984, and at the time I was training to become a nurse. And I just thought my whole life had come to a complete end before it had even started, if you like, in my career

What treatment did you have?

I had surgery to remove a lump which appeared following the extraction of my wisdom teeth. When I was having my sutures removed following that surgery, and then I had the lump removed which indicated it was the type of cancer it is, or it was. And I then had to go back for further surgery to make sure it hadn't entered the bone.

What is your approach to life post-treatment?

I believe that, strongly believe that, I'd like to make sure that I have a positive mind about my future and that whatever’s happened in the past, is now the past. But there's just a little bit of me wanting to make sure there's no reoccurrence and for that reason, I have requested an annual checkup with my dental oncologist.

Having lived with salivary gland cancer for 40 years, what advice would you give others?

I would suggest having a good understanding and an examination of your own mouth, which is something I never used to do. And to request further investigations, and don't take anything for granted, and to really follow things up. 

As a patient, we need not to be afraid of asking and requesting, from our health service, the aftercare and the ongoing care that we need to look after ourselves.