A young man discovers an ulcer on his tongue and treats it himself. But a short time later he receives a shocking diagnosis: cancer.
London – Lesions in the mouth, speech problems and difficulty swallowing can indicate oral cancer. A young man from Great Britain has now received such a diagnosis. During an eleven-hour operation, part of his tongue had to be removed.
Young man bites his tongue – then the cancer diagnosis follows
Dan Durant discovered an ulcer on his tongue in the summer. However, that wasn’t a reason for him to worry, the 26-year-old recalled to the tabloid Daily Mail. He initially treated it himself. “It was a gray, whitish spot,” he said — about the size of a copper coin. However, when he accidentally bit his tongue while sneezing, the ulcer became infected. Durant finally sought medical treatment – fortunately.
“You’re lucky you bit your tongue,” a nurse reportedly told the young man. A little later he received a devastating diagnosis. Durant has squamous cell carcinoma in his mouth. This is a malignant tumor that can affect all regions of the head, the Aachen University Hospital informs on its website website.
These symptoms can occur with oral cancer:
- Lesions and/or swelling in the mouth
- Pain in the affected area
- Difficulty swallowing
- Speech disorders
“It was so surreal”: Young man undergoes eleven-hour operation after cancer diagnosis
In addition to the ulcer, Durant had also suffered from weight loss and a sore throat. “I didn’t really believe it Cancer could be. When I found out, I was shocked. I cried. It was so surreal,” he told the newspaper. In September, two tumors in the mouth and a cancerous lymph node in the neck were removed in an eleven-hour operation.
“It was an absolute rollercoaster,” he wrote in one after the operation Facebook-Contribution. He described this time as the worst days of his life. “My jaw hurts a lot. I have to learn a lot of things again.” Because Durant also had to have part of his tongue removed. But this was at least reconstructed using skin from his forearm. “I also speak much better than my doctors and myself originally thought,” he explained.
Young man asks for donations after shocking cancer diagnosis
Durant lovingly named his new half of the tongue Basil. “We are starting to get along like real buddies.” However, it is not yet clear whether he is actually cancer-free; the results are still pending. In the meantime, Durant has launched a fundraising campaign. Because he can’t work for the time being. “I’m setting up this fundraiser to help pay the bills until I can go back to work in January.” Until October 16th are on the GoFundMe donation page More than 1,600 British pounds (the equivalent of almost 2,000 euros) have already been received.
Oral cancer rarely causes symptoms in the early stages, so early detection of the tumor is of great importance, according to the medical portal MSD Manual informed. Meanwhile, new research provides the key to early cancer detection. A new anti-cancer pill even appears to destroy almost all tumors.
According to Aachen University Hospital, around 5,000 people in Germany develop squamous cell carcinoma in the oral cavity every year. Smoking and alcohol consumption are the main causes, and the combination of the two in particular increases the risk “drastically”. But poor oral hygiene, vitamin deficiencies and chewing tobacco can also promote oral cancer. “Rarely, squamous cell carcinoma can also occur in young people without any risk factors,” informs the university clinic. Durant therefore urgently recommends having any noticeable symptoms checked by a doctor. A study shows that more and more younger people are getting cancer. (kas)
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