Tony Frawley dismissed his symptoms until his wife made sure he saw a doctor — now he wants everyone to be aware of symptoms
This time last year, esteemed chef Tony Frawley was fine-tuning his pizza recipes ready to launch of his charming new pizzeria next to a bustling city park. It was to be an exciting year — and not just for him and his family, because the Cardiff foodie scene was abuzz with anticipation.
But after being open just a few days, he received a devastating diagnosis of stage four oesophageal cancer and a stark warning that it could be fatal. Tony, 60, shared his harrowing experience, hoping it might encourage others to detect their cancer early.
“I started throwing up after eating,” he said, recounting the ordeal that began just before Christmas 2023.
“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.”
The symptoms persisted during a trip to France over Christmas, reports Wales Online. “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.”
The news was grim: “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.”
Tony shared his story of hesitation before seeking medical help: “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.”
After being diagnosed in early February, Tony faced months of arduous chemotherapy and radiotherapy before undergoing a marathon 13-hour surgery at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff to take out the tumour which lay precariously close to his heart. Following this, he spent several weeks hooked up to life support in the ICU, before eventually making headway and transferring to another ward where he recovered until August.
“When I came out I looked like I’d been in a shark attack or something,” he recalled. “The operation was pretty colossal. In total I’ve gone from 82kg to 53kg.”
Reflecting on the period before his diagnosis, Tony mused: “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 headguard.
“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.
“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.”
According to Cancer Research UK, Tony’s symptoms, including difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss, feelings of indigestion, and heartburn, are all typical signs of possible oesophageal cancer. Tony revealed he is currently undergoing immunotherapy and has been informed that he could potentially regain almost full health within three years.
“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 regret for not fully enjoying his time at 591 by Anatoni’s, acknowledging he hasn’t been there much over the past year. But he extended gratitude to the community for their support: “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.”
Reflecting on his vulnerable state, he added: “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.”