A self-described foodie, cooking and baking has always been a central part of Laura Marston’s life.
But a mouth cancer diagnosis in 2019 meant Ms Marston would have to learn to eat in a different way – without her tongue.
Ms Marston is sharing her story as the number of mouth cancer cases in the UK has reached a record high, surpassing 10,000 cases for the first time, according to the Oral Health Foundation.
The charity says with 10,825 cases being identified last year, it means there has now been an increase of 133% over the last 20 years.
Last year 3,637 people in the UK lost their life to mouth cancer.
Ms Marston was 39 when she was diagnosed and despite seeking advice from doctors and dentists, it took months before the disease was confirmed.
By this point, her tongue could not be saved and had to be removed.
Ms Marston said facing this reality was “brutal”.
“I was told I wouldn’t speak again, I would never eat again, I would have to have a fitted tube,” says Ms Marston.
Since then, she has learned how to eat and speak all over again, and has written a cookbook to enable others with similar conditions to continue enjoying tasty food.
But the journey hasn’t been easy and she has faced many challenges.
“I can’t just grab a meal. I have to plan, I have to have a lot to order. I have to sit down, and I am at high risk of choking. It’s scary,” Ms Marston continues.
According to the Oral Health Foundation, around one in three (31%) of mouth cancer diagnoses occur on the tongue.
Meanwhile, around one in five (22%) of these are found in tonsils. Other common areas affected include the lips, gums, inside of the cheeks, and the roof and floor of the mouth.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, said: “It’s distressing to see that yet again the number of cases have increased. It’s the first time they’ve been over 10,000, now really reaching 11,000.
“It just emphasises the importance of people being aware of what is going on in the mouth, checking for unusual red or white patches, lumps in the neck, and being aware of the risk factors.”
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Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption remain significant risk factors for mouth cancer, but the charity says it’s also seeing a growing number of cases linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Mouth cancer can impact anyone, but data reveals that the condition is most common in England among men (66%) with those over 50 accounting for more than nine in ten (90%) of all cases.
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Dr Carter says: “We need to raise awareness of the symptoms, the risk factors, and most importantly, the importance of early detection. Too many cases are diagnosed too late, often at the most advanced stage. This needs to change.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government has inherited a broken NHS, with Lord Darzi’s investigation finding that the UK has higher cancer mortality rates than other countries.
“We’re committed to turning the NHS around and rebuilding NHS dentistry. We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer on time with more scanners being made available, along with catching cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive.
“Going further, we will reform the dental contract to encourage more dentists to offer NHS services to patients.”
