David Nicholson mentioned to his dentist that he had a persistent ulcer on his gum that would not heal.

Tests were taken and he was left shocked when it was discovered it was an early sign of mouth cancer.

David, from Eckington, had to endure a gruelling operation where specialists removed part of his jaw and a gland in his neck to prevent the cancer from spreading.

Luckily for the 53-year-old early detection meant he is now on the road to making a full recovery.

Urge

And he is using his experience to urge other people to look out for the early warning signs and think about how their lifestyle can make them more susceptible to such illness.

"I feel lucky to be alive," said David.

"I am now getting back to full health and my scars are barely noticeable.

"I hope my story can raise awareness of what lifestyle choices can increase the risk of getting mouth cancer and also the symptoms to look out for so others can catch the disease in time."

Mr Afshin Yousefpour, consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Charles Clifford Dental Hospital in Sheffield where David was treated, said: "Thanks to David acting on a warning sign, his cancer was caught early.

"If people look out for symptoms and get them checked out by their GP or dentist — lives will be saved. Once mouth cancer progresses to a later stage the survival rate drops dramatically. David was more at risk of mouth cancer because he smoked and drank alcohol heavily for more than 30 years."

Mr Yousefpour added: "Most cases of mouth cancer are preventable. Smoking tobacco and drinking a lot of alcohol are the main risk factors for mouth and oropharyngeal cancers in the western world."

Mouth cancer is more common than cervical and testicular cancer combined.

The disease is more likely to develop in people over the age of 50, but is on the increase in younger adults, especially men.