John Fordham launches Head and Neck Foundation to fight cancer

CELEBRITY agent John Fordham fought and beat neck cancer — and now he is using his extensive contacts to raise awareness and funds to fight the deadly disease.

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CELEBRITY agent John Fordham fought and beat neck cancer — and now he is using his extensive contacts to raise awareness and funds to fight the deadly disease.

Fordham exclusively revealed to The Sunday Telegraph his battle to beat the cancer in 2017.

Now he and his doctor, head and neck cancer specialist Professor Thomas Havas, have created a new cancer-fighting foundation to help others and today marks the inaugural board meeting of the Head And Neck Foundation.

Head and neck cancer specialist Professor Thomas Havas with celebrity agent and cancer survivor John Fordham. Picture: Dylan Robinson

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“We need to work on early intervention,” Mr Fordham, 74, said.

“If I hadn’t got to the doctor and thought it wasn’t serious and left it a few months, I wouldn’t be here.”

Representing some of Australia’s biggest stars, Mr Fordham used his extensive contacts to get the foundation off the ground, with some help from old friend Mark Taylor’s Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation.

As well as a low survival rate, Prof Havas said head and neck cancers can have a “terrible impact on quality of life” if not treated early. Sufferers can lose voice boxes, or parts of their jaw or face and lose the ability to chew or talk.

Wine maker Neil McGuigan has teamed up with Mr Fordham to create a new wine.

“Medical research is grossly underfunded and competition for research dollars is highly competitive so we want to try and foster young doctors to get involved in research and I hope the foundation will provide funding for that,” he said.

Mr Fordham, who is also The Sunday Telegraph wine critic, has also come up a wine to raise funds, with the help of Neil McGuigan.

“It will go on the market next March and all proceeds will go to the foundation and it will become an annual release,” Mr Fordham said.