Sally Bragg (R) and Toni Richardson (L)
November is Mouth Cancer Action Month and with 6,000 new cases every year, mouth cancer now kills more people than cervical and testicular cancer combined.
Drinking alcohol to excess, smoking, poor diet and some some sexually transmitted infections (Human Papilloma Virus - HPV) are all known risk factors for mouth.
If you have ulcers which do not health within three weeks, red and white patches in the mouth and unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth, the Foudnation's message to everyone is 'If in doubt, get checked out' - which is exactly what these mouth cancer survivors did.
The British Dental Health Foundation spoke to these sufferers to give us a glimpse into their fight for survival and hopefully encourage more people to get checked out.
Keith Hern
A keen photographer, Keith fell victim to the disease in 2007.
“I have such a vivid recollection of the day I found out”, Keith said. “It was the last Friday in May when I received the phone call that changed my life. When you’re told ‘you have cancer’, I defy anyone not to have pure naked fear running through their emotions.”
Diagnosed with a lump in the side of his neck, Keith lived a lifestyle that would put him in the ‘risk’ category. Although Keith kept himself fit, he was a regular smoker for 24 years, drank alcohol regularly and was not very careful about his diet. All of these factors are known to contribute towards increasing the risk of mouth cancer.
Keith was first alerted to the possibility that something wasn’t quite right after a conversation in the kitchen drew his attention to his neck. It turned out to be the catalyst for life-saving treatment.
Sally Bragg
“From the moment I was diagnosed, I knew my life would change forever. I’ve been fortunate to be given another chance in life, and I’m determined to take it.”
Sally has a very different perception of life after being diagnosed with cancer of the cheek in 1998. At the time, Sally had never heard of mouth cancer. For someone who didn’t smoke, exercised regularly, had a fantastic diet, had regular dental check-ups and only enjoyed the occasional glass of wine, Sally’s experience at the age of 37 provides a harrowing reminder that mouth cancer can affect anyone.
“There’s a culture within society that’s crept in today where people think it won’t happen to them”, Sally said. “If anything, I’m a prime example of how that simply is not the case. When I was told I had cancer, you could have knocked me down with a feather. You just can’t help but be petrified when someone tells you that you have cancer.”
Toni Richardson
Having fought mouth cancer for more than 20 years, Toni’s story is even more remarkable given the trials and tribulations she endured in the aftermath. Although she was a smoker and an occasional drinker, Toni never considered the effect her lifestyle could have on her oral health.
“It was 1989 when I was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue”, Toni told us. “It was another piece of bad news for me, as I’d already had a tumour removed from my throat some years before. It doesn’t matter how many times someone tells you that you have cancer, the feeling of anguish and pain doesn’t change.”
“At the time we knew what drinking and smoking could do to you, but for me mouth cancer wasn’t one of those things. Awareness of the disease is much higher now that it was then, yet in my opinion there’s a complacency that’s developed. People have such a terrible attitude now. They believe that if they don’t smoke or if they don’t drink then they’re not at risk, and that is wrong.”
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