Saving Faces and Surgeon Neil Shah partner to raise funds for a Professor in Clinical Trials in Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is rising sharply with 390,000 new cases each year and more than 500 deaths every day.

Together we can SAVE LIVES

Saving Faces is partnering with Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial / Head & Neck Surgeon and Patron Neil Shah to raise funds for a Professor in Clinical Trials in Oral Cancer. This is an international role dedicated to advancing research, enabling earlier diagnosis and improving treatment for future patients.

Neil’s Story:

Neil has over 25 years’ experience operating on some of the most complex cancers of the mouth, face and neck.

In 2025, he developed the very disease he has dedicated his life to detecting early.

The tumour was small but highly aggressive, requiring radical tongue surgery, neck dissection, free-flap reconstruction and radiotherapy.

Neil’s illness exposed something felt by clinicians and patients worldwide:

Oral cancer is rising sharply – with nearly 390,000 new cases each year and more than 500 deaths every day. Globally, incidence has increased by almost 60% over the past three decades, yet survival has barely improved.

In many populations, the disease is becoming more aggressive, striking earlier and progressing faster than before.

He co-authored the SEND Trial, led early-diagnosis work across London, and pioneered the UK’s first validated tele-triage model for oral cancer.

Yet the behaviour of his own cancer revealed how much more research is needed, and how many lives could be improved through stronger evidence and better pathways.

The support for Neil made one thing clear: this is the moment to turn compassion into progress –  and to build the research foundation facial cancer urgently needs.

Together with Saving Faces, he is helping to establish a new Professorship to build the research and clinical trials that future patients deserve.

How you can help:

If you would like to support this work, any contribution – small or large – will help improve treatment and outcomes for patients across the UK and beyond. You can donate on Justgiving here or via bank transfer to:

Account Name: Saving Faces
Bank: Santander
Sort Code: 09-06-66
Account Number: 40769363

Thank you.