Tanja Bage, a professional singer from Leeds, continues to perform on stage despite having her voice box removed during treatment for cancer. She underwent a total laryngectomy in March 2020 after being diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a cancer of the salivary glands, at the age of 38.
Bage's primary symptom, breathlessness, began two years before her diagnosis. Doctors eventually discovered a tumour on the outside of her windpipe. Following her surgery, a speech valve was fitted in her throat, which she presses to enable her to speak.
She joined the Shout at Cancer choir, whose members have all had a laryngectomy, and has since performed across Europe and at the Royal Opera House in London. In 2023, Bage was informed her cancer had returned and spread, and a routine check this year found five new tumours in her liver, with no further treatment options available.
Today, Bage is participating in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge with a group of 100 people to raise money for Salivary Gland Cancer UK and The Ella Project. She has already surpassed her £20,000 fundraising target.