'I survived war and gunfire - but
it's skin cancer that's going to kill me': Former soldier, 44, claims his
disease was triggered by the Army never giving him sun cream
A former
soldier battling terminal skin cancer believes his illness was caused by his
time abroad with the army – when sun cream was not issued to troops.
Lee Hall, 44,
was devastated to be told the stage four melanoma had spread to his lungs,
liver and spine following treatment to remove the deadly tumour.
Doctors say
the deadliest form of skin cancer is likely to have been triggered by his time
serving at an army base in Cyprus.
He admits he
didn't take his own sun protection and using sun tan lotion was the 'last thing
on my mind' during his deployment.
The
step-father-of two, from South Shields, who also served in Bosnia, is now
calling for the Army to issue it routinely and warning troops to be more aware
of the potential killer.
'Soldiers are
going out to these hot countries and doing a job, risking being killed every
day by gunfire and the like, but they do not realise they are also risking
being killed every day in other ways – by the sun,' he said.
'When I went
to Cyprus I was a 21-year-old lad, and sun cream was the last thing on my
mind.
'Skin cancer
was just never heard of, and I'd never even heard of sun cream either.
'I had only
been abroad once before. It was a brand new experience, and skin cancer was
something I never really knew about.'
Mr Hall
served for 12 years as a sapper with the Royal Engineers and in the Royal Logistics
Corps and was stationed in Cyprus for three years from 1993.
The Army
confirmed Mr Hall's melanoma was 'attributable to service' – but added that sun
cream is now 'either issued or readily available' to all service personnel,
depending on where they are serving.
Mr Hall first
visited his GP in March 2012 three months after his wife Heather, 52, noticed a
mole on his back had grown in size.Tests
revealed the mole was a melanoma and he had an operation to remove it. Doctors
discovered the cancer had spread deeper than expected and he underwent more
surgery which involved doctors cutting flesh from his back and creating a skin
flap to cover the wound.
Subsequent
biopsies came back negative and he was in good health and having regular
check-ups until August 2014 when he started getting pains in his ribs.
In October
2014 doctors revealed the melanoma had spread and he was then given the
devastating news his cancer was terminal two months later.
Finding out
the cancer was terminal was very difficult for my family but I'm a very happy
person and I try not to let anything get me down,' he said.
'The
prognosis was that Christmas 2014 was going to be my last Christmas, but I'm
still here.'
Incredibly,
Mr Hall, who is being treated with a new side effect-free immunotherapy trial
drug, was told last year his cancer had shrunk.
A further
scan in December showed no signs of the cancer growing and there were also
signs of improvement.
Now Mr Hall
wants to increase awareness about the disease among troops stationed in hot
countries.
During his
military career, he spent time in the Falklands, Germany and London.
'Doctors
think my cancer was caused by serving in hot countries while I was in the army.
'We were
never offered, nor issued any sun cream,' he said.
'I also have heard sun cream is still not issued to some
soldiers serving abroad, which I think is a disgrace.
'I do not hold any ill will towards the army. I loved my
time in the Army and if I had my time again I would do it exactly the same, but
this time I would wear sun cream. '
Mr Hall, who also worked as a taxi driver for 12 years, has
since raised more than £6,000 for a local cancer charity. He wants his story to inspire others to get suspicious moles
checked out sooner.
'It takes a doctor 30 seconds to look at a mole and put your
mind at rest and say 'it's nothing to worry about,' he said. I
loved my time in the Army and if I had my time again I would do it exactly the
same, but this time I would wear sun cream Lee
Hall, 44.
'I didn't listen to my wife when she told me my mole was
getting bigger. I waited three months and if I hadn't then I might not be
terminally ill now.
'I know people are worried about what the result could be,
but if it is cancer not speaking to a doctor is not going to change anything –
it is going to make it worse.'
An army spokeswoman offered sympathies to Mr Hall, adding
service personnel were now briefed on environmental factors prior to
deployment.
Sun blocks and creams are now 'readily available' but the
spokesperson was unable to say what the procedures were at the time Mr Hall was
serving.
'We offer our sincere sympathies to Mr Hall,' the statement
said.
'We can confirm all service personnel receive briefing and
training prior to deployment or assignment to different climates, and this
includes environmental and healthcare factors.
'Sun block creams of various strengths are either issued or
readily available, as appropriate, and guidance reminds personnel that they
should be used and re-applied frequently.'
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