tongue – Oral Cancer News

Meet the ‘Young Tongues’— including suburban mom, 48, part of shocking tongue cancer diagnosis boom

Source: www.survivornet.com Author: Danielle Cinone Understanding Head & Neck Cancers Tongue cancer is on the rise among young people in the United States, according to a recent Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program analysis, and among those a diagnosed were a 48-year-old mom from Connecticut and a 22-year-old from England, both who are part of the “Young Tongues” group. Dr. Diana Kirke, an otolaryngologist at Mount Sinai Hospital who recently presented an analysis on “geographic trends in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma among young individuals,” told TODAY.com, “since 2010, there seems to be a national shift to younger patients developing oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. There is a very clear rise in patients that are non-smokers and non-drinkers.” Tongue cancer can be caused by a sexually-transmitted virus called HPV, and top experts suggest getting young adults vaccinated. “If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care,” National Cancer Institute Chief of Surgery Steven Rosenberg told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview, “because finding a doctor who is up to the latest of information is important.” A recent Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program analysis has revealed an oral tongue cancer boom is underway in the United States. Included in this increased incidence is Susan Smith, a 48-year-old mom from Fairfield, Connecticut, who is part of the “Young Tongues” group. Smith didn’t receive her tongue cancer diagnosis until she saw a fourth doctor who [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-08-03T06:22:16-07:00August, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

I blamed my ulcers on college stress — until my tongue was removed

Source: nypost.com Author: Brooke Steinberg A college student with ulcers blamed it on stress from exams — but ended up needing to have the majority of her tongue removed and then reconstructed when it turned out to be cancer. Rachel Morton from Edinburgh, Scotland, started noticing ulcers on her tongue in 2019, and initially thought they were a result of stress. “When I’m a bit tired, run down or stressed with exams I seem to be a bit prone to ulcers anyway, so I kind of just put it down to that and starting university,” Morton explained. “I went to the doctor and I’d been given some pain relief tablets, Bonjela and stuff like that.” But after a year, her condition worsened. “I still had them a year later but I wasn’t too worried about it. I had so much other stuff going on in my life and it wasn’t really at the forefront of my mind,” she told Kennedy News and Media. “At the start it was a couple of ulcers, but over the course of a year they got bigger and spread, and covered the whole side of my tongue. They were really red, raw and painful.” Rachel Morton ended up needing to have her tongue removed and reconstructed when her ulcers turned out to be cancer. Kennedy News and Media Morton, now 21, was also experiencing strange symptoms such as extreme tiredness; dry, red and swollen lips; tonsil aches; and abnormal feeling in the left [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-04-13T14:57:00-07:00April, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

Michael Douglas regrets calling this “the best cure” for cancer

Source: bestlifeonline.com Author: Luisa Colón For decades, Michael Douglas has been box office gold, starring in blockbusters such as Wall Street, Fatal Attraction, and Basic Instinct, to name just a few. But in 2010 the actor made headlines for a different reason when he revealed that he'd been diagnosed with throat cancer at the age of 65. After successfully undergoing both chemotherapy and radiation, the star made a full recovery—but three years later, he revealed it wasn't actually throat cancer he'd been battling against. Read on to find out what it really was, and why he regrets making an unusual claim regarding what caused his condition, as well as what "the best cure" for it was. In the summer of 2013, Michael Douglas spoke to the Guardian about his experience with what he then described as throat cancer. After "many months of oral discomfort… a series of specialists missed the tumor and instead prescribed antibiotics," reported the Guardian. "Douglas then went to see a friend's doctor in Montreal who looked inside his mouth using a tongue depressor." The doctor discovered the tumor and ordered a biopsy, and Douglas was soon diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Recalling his eight grueling weeks of chemotherapy and radiation, and subsequent liquids-only diet—during which he lost 45 pounds—Douglas told the Guardian it was a "rough ride," adding, "… the amount of chemo I was getting, it zaps all the good stuff too. It made me very weak." Later that year, Michael Douglas fans were surprised [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-06-20T07:05:35-07:00June, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

A challenge to chew on: eating and drinking after cancer treatment

Source: www.curetoday.com Author: Dara Chadwick, Heal Exercise has always been part of Scott Wieskamp’s life. But after cancer treatment, the longtime runner and marathoner added a new element to his training regimen — exercises to strengthen and maintain his swallowing muscles. "Every day while I’m driving to work, I open my mouth like I’m yawning to stretch all my facial muscles as much as I can,” says Wieskamp, 62, who lives just outside Lincoln, Nebraska. “I take my tongue and put it under the back of my lower teeth and push as hard as I can to exercise my tongue muscles. There’s about half a dozen things I do for a few minutes every day.” Four years ago, Wieskamp was treated for oral cancer caused by the human papillomavirus. The aggressive treatment, which included 39 radiation sessions and several doses of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, knocked out the cancer. But it also left Wieskamp unable to eat, and he lost 15 pounds in a matter of weeks. “As you get radiation in the neck and throat area, it becomes painful to swallow,” he says. “I quit doing all that. I quit eating, quit swallowing — I couldn’t even drink.” Because he was unable to get adequate nutrition, his doctors inserted a feeding tube so Wieskamp wouldn’t have to swallow. The tube stayed in place throughout his two months of treatment and for about a month after, he says. Although his nutrition improved, Wieskamp says he was left with another problem: [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2021-07-09T17:43:00-07:00July, 2021|Oral Cancer News|

Woman gets new tongue made from her arm after cancer battle

Source: www.mirror.co.uk Author: Laura Elvin A woman who lost her tongue while fighting cancer has had a new one made from her arm. Despite being a non-smoker Joanna Smith, 58, was diagnosed with tongue cancer after she found a tiny 'ulcer' in her mouth. The grandmother-of-four was given eight months to live unless she had it removed, so went through with a 15-hour surgery. Doctors removed her tongue via a hole in her neck and made a new one using skin, muscle and a long vein from her left arm . The cleaner, from Bedfordshire, was able to talk as soon as she woke up and can now eat and drink on her own. However, she has no taste buds on the new organ and has to eat slowly to avoid biting it - but is cancer free and expected to make a full recovery. The mum-of-two said: "It's a bit weird. I look at my arm and I can see where my tongue has come from. "I think 'that's in my mouth now but yet I can talk' and that's really weird. I can't stick my tongue out and I can't say it really feels like a tongue. It feels a bit surreal. Before I had it done I was thinking to myself 'how it that going to work' but now I've had it I'm like 'wow'." "It's really weird but it shows what they can do now." Joanna noticed a tiny dot on the side of her tongue [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-02-19T07:27:18-07:00February, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

The epidemic of throat cancer sweeping the industrialized world

Source: www.mercurynews.com Author: Dr. Bryan Fong Tonsils - Angina Pectoris Over the past three decades, a dramatic increase in a new form of throat cancer has been observed throughout the industrialized world. The good news is that it’s potentially preventable — if parents get their children vaccinated. The disease shows up primarily in men, typically between the ages of 45 and 70. Those who are affected often lead healthy lifestyles. They do not have extensive histories of smoking tobacco or consuming alcohol, which are risk factors for traditional throat cancers. The rate of this new cancer has been increasing 5 percent per year and today, it is more than three times as common as in the mid-1980s. If you think this scenario sounds like a slow-moving infectious medical drama (think Contagion or World War Z), you would be right. The source of this cancer is a virus, the human papillomavirus (HPV) — the same virus that causes most cervical cancer in women. It’s widely known that parents should get their girls vaccinated. Now, with the surge in oral HPV cancers, especially in men, parents should get their boys vaccinated too. Currently, vaccination against HPV is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for children and young adults ages 9-26. The vaccination includes a series of two or three injections; the side effects are mild. Ideally, the vaccinations should be administered before someone becomes sexually active. That’s because HPV is spread via sexual activity. Risk of HPV infection and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-02-15T08:18:22-07:00February, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

The rise of HPV-related cancers in men

Source: www.tmc.edu Author: Alexandra Becker Scott Courville admired his full beard and round belly in the mirror: He was ready for the upcoming holiday season. It was November 2015 and Courville, who plays Santa Claus in Lafayette, Louisiana, was too excited about his favorite time of year to worry much about the pain developing in his jaw. By February, though, the ache had worsened and was accompanied by new symptoms: white spots on his right tonsil, difficulty swallowing and lumps in his throat. He finally made his way to a walk-in clinic where he was diagnosed with tonsillitis and prescribed antibiotics. “They sent me home and said, ‘In two weeks everything should clear up,’” Courville recalled. But his symptoms only worsened. Courville made an appointment with a local ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist who also diagnosed Courville with tonsillitis. The doctor prescribed more antibiotics and steroids, but two weeks later there were no improvements. Courville was referred to a dentist—“In case they see something we don’t”—but that, too, was a dead end. Courville’s dentist insisted he return to his ENT, where he ultimately had a CT scan that revealed a mass in his throat. That was June 6, 2016. Two days later, Courville underwent a biopsy. When he awoke from the surgery, his doctor was standing over him. Courville always gets choked up retelling this part of his story. “The hardest part for me is always remembering when the doctor said, ‘I’m sorry, but you’ve got cancer.’” Courville was [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2018-06-06T12:31:29-07:00June, 2018|Oral Cancer News|

HPV is changing the face of head and neck cancers

Source: www.healio.comAuthor: Christine Cona A drastic increase in the number of HPV-associated oropharynx cancers, particularly those of the tonsil and base of tongue, has captured the attention of head and neck oncologists worldwide. In February, at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in Chandler, Ariz., Maura Gillison, MD, PhD, professor and Jeg Coughlin Chair of Cancer Research at The Ohio State University in Columbus, presented data that showed that the proportion of all head and neck squamous cell cancers that were of the oropharynx — which are most commonly HPV-positive cancers — increased from 18% in 1973 to 32% in 2005. Maura Gillison, MD, PhD, Jeg Coughlin Chair of Cancer Research at The Ohio State University, said screening for HPV in the head and neck is years behind cervical screening for HPV. In addition, studies from the United States, Europe, Denmark and Australia indicate that HPV-positive patients have a more than twofold increased cancer survival than HPV-negative patients, according to Gillison. With the rising incidence of HPV-related oropharynx cancers, it will soon be the predominant type of cancer in the oral or head and neck region, according to Andy Trotti, MD, director of radiation oncology clinical research, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, in Tampa, Fla. “We should be focusing on HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer because it will dominate the field of head and neck cancers for many years,” he said during an interview with HemOnc Today. “It is certainly an important population for which to continue to [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-06-03T11:11:05-07:00June, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Throat and tongue cancers linked to sexually transmitted virus on the rise

Source: www.theage.com.au Author: Julia Medew The sexual revolution is producing a new wave of throat and tongue cancers among middle-aged people, who are falling victim to a rare side effect of the "common cold of sexually transmitted infections". A growing number of Australians with oropharyngeal cancer are testing positive to the human papillomavirus (HPV), suggesting it has caused their disease rather than smoking or heavy drinking - factors responsible for many head and neck cancers in the past. Oropharyngeal cancer is usually found in the back third of the tongue or the tonsils. In 2014, about 125 Victorians were diagnosed with it. Most were men. An Australian study of 515 patients diagnosed with the condition between 1987 and 2010 found that the proportion of people with an HPV-related diagnosis increased from 20 per cent between 1987 and 1995 to 64 per cent between 2006 and 2010. Over the same period, the proportion of people diagnosed with throat cancer who had never smoked increased from 19 per cent to 34 per cent, suggesting HPV may overtake smoking and drinking as a cause of the cancer in future. American doctors say more oral sex following the sexual revolution of the 1960s probably spread HPV to more people's mouths and throats. Actor Michael Douglas said he believed oral sex was to blame for his HPV-related throat cancer in 2013. But Dr Matthew Magarey, an ear nose and throat surgeon at Epworth and Peter MacCallum hospitals in Melbourne, said while HPV-related throat cancers were [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-10-13T08:15:23-07:00October, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

A Disorder That’s Hard to Swallow

Source: www.usnews.comAuthor: Anna Medaris Miller Ed Steger’s last meal was a bowl of soup in Las Vegas. “I remember it all too clearly, as if it were yesterday,” he says. But it wasn’t yesterday – it was 2006. “Life is very different” now, says Steger, a 63-year-old former program manager in Houston. Steger was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in 2005. In addition to 36 rounds of radiation and eight regimens of chemotherapy, he underwent six surgeries, including one that replaced a portion of his pharynx and removed parts of his left jawbone, tongue, epiglottis and soft palate. “The part that makes it odd is that I’m alive after having four recurrences,” Steger says. The part that makes it distressing is that he can’t eat solid foods. “There are many case studies I’ve seen where patients have said [their] swallowing disorder is the worst part of their disease – and I believe this to be true,” says Steger, who’s president of the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders. His daily diet consists of four 8-ounce cans of the nutritional drink Boost Plus, along with two to four bottled Starbucks Frappuccinos, which he buys at his local supermarket. “It’s a very boring diet that allows me to maintain my weight,” says Steger, who’s 5 feet 10 inches tall and 155 pounds. It’s unknown how many people have dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, but the condition can be caused by any one of 30 diverse health events, Steger says. While his dysphagia is a result of surgery, other people [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-06-02T16:23:17-07:00June, 2015|Oral Cancer News|