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Combating cancer, injury and disfigurement in the most socially important part of our bodies – the face and mouth

The face is the only part of our body we cannot hide. It conveys our emotions and innermost feelings. We often judge each other on the basis of facial appearance, making assumptions on a whole range of issues.

People suffer the consequences of facial diseases, injuries and disfigurement every day. In the United Kingdom 6,500 people develop oral cancer every year. Around 125,000 young people sustain serious facial injuries and 15,000 people receive treatment for facial disfigurement.

Despite the severity of these issues, this remains a much neglected research area leaving thousands of those unfortunate enough to be affected with little hope for the future. Not enough is known about facial disease, injury and deformity, their psychological and emotional impact and, critically, which treatments are most effective. Saving Faces - The Facial Surgery Research Foundation is the only charity in the UK solely dedicated to the worldwide reduction of facial injuries and diseases. We are taking the lead in education and research to improve the physical and psychological treatment of all victims of oral cancer and other facial diseases.

Andrew LyonsAndrew Lyons is a consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital London, where he focuses on treating patients with Head and Neck Cancer. He has a particular interest in the surgical reconstruction of these patients and has published widely on this subject in scientific papers and textbooks. Related to this is a special interest in the complications of surgery and radiotherapy in head and neck cancer. These include a condition called osteoradionecrosis, which causes the bones and adjacent tissues of the jaws to “fall apart”. His current research focuses on the genetics of susceptibility to this condition. In the past he has researched the role of Human Papilloma virus in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Outside his surgery and research he:

  • Organises conferences and courses for trainees and colleagues on surgical anatomy, reconstruction and on osteoradionecrosis.
  • Has worked as Surgical Tutor at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
  • Set up the section of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Royal Society of Medicine and is its President.
  • Set up the John Anderson Cancer Research Trust in memory of his Uncle who was a couturier to the Queen.

In 2003 he sustained catastrophic injuries damaging his left arm in a widely publicised waterskiing accident, but with the support of his patients and his own determination to succeed he was able to resume surgery within a year. This drive to succeed was undoubtedly fuelled by the loss of two close relatives to oral cancer. It is also his motivation to pursue further research, in partnership with The Facial Research Foundation - Saving Faces to improve the treatment of head and neck cancer. He also receives financial support from the Inman Trust.

He lives with his wife, who works as a GP, and his two children.

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