These images show a man in Turkey whose nose has wasted away bit by bit every day, leaving a massive hole in his face after a pimple turned cancerous.

Kazim Oztas, 59, was diagnosed with skin cancer at the Korucuk Training and Research Hospital, which is located in Sakarya province in north-western Turkey.

He was referred to the oncology department at the Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine in the Izmit district of the province of Kocaeli, where he was treated with radiation therapy.

After 15 sessions, the cartilage on his nose wasted away, and he underwent 31 operations on his face.

His son, Erdem Oztas, age not reported, said: “In 2009, my father was diagnosed with skin cancer. The acne on his nose was not removed by surgery, he was sent for radiotherapy.

“He underwent 15 sessions of radiation therapy and his nose cartilage melted and fell off. And these processes were troublesome. Each time it got worse.

“They swelled his head to fix it, they wanted to make a piece for his nose, it didn’t work, they took a piece from his arm and foot. It couldn’t be done. He is still ill and he has another surgery on the 15th of the month.”

“We are looking for people who have knowledge, help and support in this regard. How can a mask be made?”

Cuneyt Uzun, who founded a charity and started a campaign to raise funds for the patient, said: “As a result of our uncle Kazim’s acne on his nose, he was diagnosed with skin cancer, and he underwent 31 surgeries in 13 years.

“We, as an association, will try to meet this as much as we can, but we want a permanent solution when the surgery is done. If a mask could be made, our uncle would be more comfortable because he has difficulty with eating and drinking.”