Perth family grieves after new father Josh Piscitelli loses battle with fatal disease
A young family is devastated after a new father dies after losing his battle with an aggressive form of cancer.
Josh Piscitelli from Perth died on July 14 at the age of 28, just over a year after he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in June 2023.
He is survived by his wife Chelsea and his 20-month-old son Hunter.
Mr Piscitelli, an excavator and drill mechanic at the Roy Hill iron ore mine in Western Australia, underwent surgery to remove the cancerous tissue in July 2023 and continued radiotherapy until October 2023.
He first noticed a sore on his tongue that wouldn’t go away before he was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer of the tongue and throat.
In January of this year, a routine PET scan revealed that the cancer had returned.
On a GoFundMe This page, which was specially organised for Mr Piscitelli’s young family by his friend and colleague Callan Oorschot, went into detail about his last months of fighting the disease.
“He immediately started chemotherapy, but after several failed treatments, the treatment was intensified,” Mr. Oorschot wrote.
Perth man Josh Piscitelli (right) passed away on July 14 at the age of 28, just over a year after being diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in June 2023. He was survived by his wife Chelsea (left) and 20-month-old son Hunter
‘Josh suffered an extreme side effect from chemotherapy in March 2024, which left his body in septic shock.
‘Multiple surgeons and specialists were amazed that Josh had survived the never-before-seen surgery and called him a medical miracle. Then it turned out that Josh had suffered multiple strokes as a result of the septic shock.
‘Josh began a new intensive road to recovery. His rehabilitation progressed by leaps and bounds but sadly he was told shortly afterwards that the chemotherapy was not working and that Josh’s condition was now terminal, less than 12 months after his initial diagnosis.’
The fundraising page was set up because of the “huge financial burden” of a terminal illness, in addition to the emotional pain and stress on his family, Mr Oorschot said.
‘Josh was the main breadwinner for his household and should have had his entire working life ahead of him. Josh’s wife Chelsea and son Hunter must now clear out the mess as they prepare for major financial and emotional changes.’
Mr Piscitelli, an excavator and drill mechanic at the Roy Hill iron ore mine, underwent surgery to remove the cancerous tissue in July 2023 and continued radiotherapy until October 2023 – but found the cancer had returned in January this year
The tongue is susceptible to several types of cancer, but squamous cell carcinoma is the most common. Squamous cells are thin, flat cells that line the mouth and other organs.
The cancer is more common in people aged 40 and over, and twice as common in men.
Signs of possible tongue cancer include a bump on the side of the tongue that touches the teeth, looks like an ulcer, and is gray-pink to red in color. The bump bleeds easily when bitten or touched.
