• 10/8/2007
  • Bradford, England
  • Claire Lomax
  • www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk

A young mother is battling back from mouth cancer thanks to the medicinal magic of blood-sucking leeches.

Michelle Fuller, 32, had to endure the slimy creatures placed on her tongue four times a day for a week and a half to boost circulation to her reconstructed tongue following surgery to remove a cancerous tumour, which if left untreated would have proved fatal.

Despite the yuk’ factor it has proved successful and Michelle – one of youngest patients to be treated for mouth cancer – is now on the road to recovery.

“I have never been squeamish and I just said you have to do what you have to do’,” said Michelle.

Michelle, who lives in Clayton with her partner Mall, 31, and seven-year-old daughter Morgan, sought advice earlier this year after feeling discomfort in her tongue. She didn’t have a dentist but when it got to the point where she could no longer eat because of pain in her tongue, she called NHS Direct for advice.

An appointment was made with an orthodontist at St Luke’s Hospital and an MRI scan and a biopsy were carried out.

On April 16 she was told she had mouth cancer, a disease which is most commonly seen in people over the age of 60, smokers and heavy drinkers – none of which apply to Michelle.

Michelle’s parents Peter and Eileen Fuller, of Bingley, believe a tongue piercing their daughter had 11 years ago could be to blame, but this is a theory which Michelle and her consultant refute.

Following the diagnosis Michelle was placed under the care of consultant maxillo-facial surgeons David Sutton and Jim McCaul and the team on ward 19 at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Mr Sutton and Mr McCaul carried out extensive surgery to remove the tumour, which involved inserting a tracheotomy, splitting her mouth and jaw in half and cutting her neck open from ear to ear.

Three-quarters of her tongue had to be cut out and some lymph nodes removed to get rid of the cancer and then a flap of skin, including a vein and artery, was removed from her stomach to reconstruct the tongue.

The team believed the operation had gone well but just a few days later the tongue began to die when its blood supply failed and the whole operation had to be repeated, this time using a section of Michelle’s left arm for the tongue.

“In just five days I had nearly 20 hours surgery,” said Michelle. “I didn’t let it bother me and in some respects I am lucky they were able to reconstruct it.”

To make sure the blood supply to the tongue did not fail again it was decided leeches would be used, the first time Mr Sutton has used such a technique.

“The leeches suck blood out and that allows oxygenated blood to get in and that allows the flap to heal and obtain its own blood supply,” said Mr Sutton.

“It is very uncommon and I have not done it before – it is reserved for very selective cases. It worked and Michelle was a star and took everything we threw at her.”

Following surgery Michelle had to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy and is currently in Cookridge Hospital, Leeds, recovering from an infection.

Michelle faces another operation to loosen the tongue, after which she should be able to eat and speak normally.

Michelle and her family are full of praise for the team.

Mrs Fuller said: “It has been soul-destroying for us, just horrendous, but Michelle had a lot of faith in the consultants and both of them did a marvellous job. All the staff on ward 19 and in ICU were absolutely fabulous and Michelle has had the right attitude from the beginning – she is very strong.”