Tristan Stokes believes he has been ‘failed’ by health system

A young father believes he has been “failed” by the health system after he was dealt a deadly throat cancer diagnosis.

Tristan Stokes believes the health system "failed him". Picture: Nigel Hallett

A young Gold Coast father believes he has been “failed” by the health system after he was dealt a deadly throat cancer diagnosis, despite undergoing regular check-ups for a prior cancer.

Just over a decade ago 37-year-old Tristan Stokes - a loving husband and father of three - was diagnosed with spinal cancer in 2013 and was forced to undergo major surgery to remove his sixth vertebrae.

Mr Stokes believed he was in the clear following several positive follow up scans - including one just two months before he was told he had stage four cancer.

But now he is facing a future where he is robbed of time with his three young children - aged 8, 3 and five months old - and wife.

“I’ve had regular MRI scans ... I was always seeing the radiation oncologist that did the radiation after I had my surgery (the first time), who I’ve been seeing every three to six months for the past 11 years,” Mr Stokes said.

Mr Stokes had scans twice in 2024, one in April and another in October, at Queensland X-ray at the Mater Hospital, both were cleared of anything suspicious in the radiologist reports.

He had check-ups with his radiation oncologist at Greenslopes Private Hospital during this time.

Tristan Stokes celebrated the birth of his third kid in November, but the news was quickly overshadowed by his stage 4 throat cancer diagnosis. Picture: Nigel Hallett

At one point a benign nerve sheath tumor was found on the left hand side of his neck on the fifth or sixth nerve, which he had radiation on in May 2024.

“I guess I was high risk for tumors and cancers which makes me even angrier that they didn’t pick up on my throat,” he said.

However, for several months from September - including through the birth of his third child - Mr Stokes developed a debilitating sore throat, which he said was “brushed off” by GPs and other medical professionals as a common virus or oral thrush.

“I’d complained to the radiation oncologist who did the radiation in May that my throat was sore, and he looked at the scan report, there was nothing on the report, so he said, oh no it’s all fine,” Mr Stokes said.

The young dad also attempted to see an ENT specialist, however could not get an appointment until February 23 of this year.

Finally in mid December, when Mr Stokes took himself to emergency at John Flynn Hospital following struggles to properly breathe, a lump was found in his throat and a biopsy was done.

He was told two days before Christmas that he had stage four throat cancer and his best option was to have his voice box completely removed.

“I just broke down,” Mr Stokes said.

“I told them I’ve been trying to see people for months, like everyone just let me down, and no one’s been listening to me.”

Due to already having radiation on his neck, it was not an option to have radiation done again on the same area twice, but the father of three refused to let removal of his voice box be the only viable option.

Mr Stokes said he received “no explanation” from doctors as to how the cancer was missed, just that they were “sorry it had been”.

“I kept asking them, how did they miss it and why didn’t anyone listen to me,” he said.

So far, Mr Stokes has not made any formal complaints to Queensland X-ray or Greenslopes Private Hospital. Both were contacted for comment.

“I’m worried if I do I will be cut from the health system or no one will want to have anything to do with me in the health system,” he said.

Currently, Mr Stokes is undergoing both chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments, however his glimmer of hope lies overseas where he hopes to undergo proton therapy.

This led the father to appeal for any community support, starting a GoFundMe to raise funds for the treatment - which can be up hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket - and his family should the worst happen.

“Every time I look at my kids, I just feel sad, like I’m probably not going to be here for long … there’s a massive chance that I’m not going to be here and they’ll grow up without me around, and it’s just horrible to think about,” Mr Stokes said.

Originally published as Tristan Stokes believes he has been ‘failed’ by health system