I felt tired and unwell after eating — I actually had stage four cancer

This time last year, Tony Frawley was fine-tuning his recipes ready to launch his charming new pizzeria next to a bustling city park.

Cardiff’s culinary scene was buzzing with anticipation for the opening of a new restaurant by one of the city’s most esteemed chefs and the opening marked what should have been a thrilling year for him and his family.

But after being open just a few days, he received a devastating diagnosis of stage four oesophageal cancer and his world was turned upside down.

Opening up about his harrowing experience which began just before Christmas in 2023, Tony, 60, said: “I started throwing up after eating… I was driving home from the pizzeria and I’d picked up a sandwich… As soon as I’d eaten it I had to pull over and I was sick. I had severe chest pains and was struggling to breathe and swallow. To start with I thought I was probably allergic to it and I moved on from it.”

But Tony’s ordeal continued during a trip to France over the holidays leading to further concern. “The same thing happened again. My wife Anna booked me in the doctor’s and that’s when they told me I should have a camera down there and they found the 8cm cancer.”

Medical experts informed him of the gravity of his situation: extensive treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and a risky operation that presented a significant mortality risk, reports Wales Online.

Tony said: “They told me it was stage four and I’d need chemotherapy, radiotherapy, an operation. They told me 20% of patients die from the operation so I went in there knowing how difficult it was going to be to get through it. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My life completely changed. I sat my family down and we agreed we were going to have a right good bash at it.”

His courageous response to his diagnosis and decision to openly discuss his journey aims to inspire others to seek early medical advice for cancer detection.

“It was the typical story for me: I’d been reluctant to go to hospital about it, thinking I’d be a hindrance and knowing how busy they are. I didn’t want to waste their time or disturb them for them to tell me there was nothing really wrong with me. I never went until my wife booked me in. The simple message is if we hadn’t gone then and had the camera I’d be gone by now.”

Following his diagnosis in early February, Tony endured months of intense chemotherapy and radiotherapy before undergoing a 13-hour operation at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff to remove the tumour located near his heart. He spent weeks in intensive care on life support, before his condition stabilised and he was transferred to another ward where he remained until August.

“When I came out I looked like I’d been in a shark attack or something,” Tony shared. “The operation was pretty colossal. In total I’ve gone from 82kg to 53kg.”

Reflecting on the period leading up to his diagnosis, he noted: “In hindsight there may have been some signs. I used to go to the kudo martial arts club in Barry twice a week and I went through a phase where I was getting sick which I put it down to being hot and claustrophobic under the gumshield and head guard.”

Tony described his initial dismissal of fatigue as just the strain of opening a new pizzeria, but the alarming onset of vomiting and chest pain prompted him to seek medical attention. “I was fatigued, sometimes a lot more so than usual, but I put it down to opening the new place and everything that comes with that. I didn’t really think about it to be honest until I started throwing up and getting the chest pain. I was so focused on opening the pizzeria and I got a real buzz off that an adrenaline rush that kept me going and sort of made me put everything else to one side.”

Only after being diagnosed did he realise the gravity of his situation: “It all made sense, how I’d been feeling, after the diagnosis although there weren’t actually many symptoms that I can recall. I’ve since been told that is one of the dangers of oesophagus cancer it can progress quickly and doesn’t show a lot of obvious signs. Most of the time I actually felt normal and yet this big tumour was growing inside me.”

Cancer Research UK confirms that symptoms like those Tony experienced, such as difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss, indigestion, and heartburn, are indicative of potential oesophageal cancer. Undergoing immunotherapy, Tony remains hopeful: “It’s been a horrible year,” he admitted.

“I don’t want to moan about it too much though because I’m here lucky to be alive. I’m told there’s a good chance I can go on to live a relatively normal and active life and this is an operation which not everyone survives. I’m very, very fortunate it seems we just caught it in time.”

He expressed his regret at not being able to fully enjoy the experience at his restuarant, 591 by Anatoni’s, due to limited time there over the past year. Nonetheless, he extended his gratitude towards the community support for the pizzeria, saying: “I’ve had so much love, lots of customers messaging me. I’m very proud of how our team has stepped up and especially my wife. I’ve no idea how she’s got through the last year. It’s strange when you go through things like this because it’s you who gets all the sympathy and yet I’m lying there out for the count most of the time. It’s the family and what they go through that was the hardest part for me. They’ve been unbelievable.”

Moreover, he shared his vulnerability and reflections on life priorities since the incident, stating: “When you go through something like this you feel vulnerable. I feel vulnerable. It makes you rethink what’s important in life. When you run a business and you’re in there day and night for years and years in some ways you become a bit selfish because it becomes your life and you don’t realise the sacrifices those around you have made. This has brought all that home to me.

“I’m still alive and I feel so incredibly grateful to my family and friends and most of all our NHS. I know it sounds strange having gone through and still going through something like this but it’s been an amazing experience. How brilliant the NHS are, how brilliant the service is, and what they do in really difficult circumstances. There isn’t a lot to do when you’re there so I spent a lot of time sitting and watching these people working and I was just in awe. If I manage to live another 10 years I’ll look back and think what an amazing experience that was being surrounded and learning from those amazing people.”