He consults for a canker sore, and has to have part of his tongue removed!

in collaboration with

Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)

With a canker sore that wouldn’t heal, Chris Byrne, a 66-year-old Briton, didn’t expect to experience such a shocking treatment when he went to his dentist. But his good decision probably saved his life.

Tongue urgently removed and reconstructed with skin

According to the story told by the English media l‘Expressthe man from Bewdley, UK, had been suffering from a mouth ulcer that had been going on for several weeks.I remember my wife telling me I should get this ulcer checked out, so I went to my dentist who referred me to the specialist team at the local hospital”he confided to the press.

But what he discovered was an intense upheaval: according to the tests carried out, it was not a canker sore but an aggressive mouth cancer. To counter it, Chris quickly underwent a 10-hour operation to remove part of his tongue and a whole series of lymph nodes. Later, the doctors reconstructed his tongue using skin from his forearm.

Proud of his courage, which ultimately saved him

Once the wound was healed, Chris Byrne did not need radiotherapy after his operation because his cancer was detected early. But far from being traumatized, the man who has been in remission for 6 years now, intends to use his experience to encourage everyone to seek medical attention if they have any abnormalities in their mouth.

“I am so grateful that I didn’t ignore this sore and had it checked out. I am speaking well and my neck scars are barely visible. I now realize how important it is to know your own body and to seek help if you notice something that is not normal for you,” he shares in the media. This is why the man campaigns to explain the symptoms… directly on the toothpaste tubes!

Consult in case of unusual signs, even trivial ones

The National Cancer Institute reminds us that it is important to have your mouth checked regularly, because the lesions caused by oral cancer are not easy to spot on your own. For Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo, certain signs should even make you consult fairly quickly, because they can suggest oral cancer:

• White and/or red patches on the lips, tongue or in the mouth;
• Growth on the lip or in the mouth;
• Mouth sore that does not heal after two weeks;
• Thickening of the oral mucosa (cheek) making wearing dentures uncomfortable;
• Pain or difficulty chewing, swallowing or speaking;
• Swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck or salivary glands;
• Persistent bleeding, numbness of the tongue or lips;
• Changes in voice.

Some atypical signs, which are rarer, can also appear during oral cancer:

• Teeth that move in a localized manner (2-3 teeth) are a sign of advanced cancer;
• A sudden and persistent loss of appetite, with sudden and unexplained weight loss.

Finally, people at risk (smoking, alcohol, immunosuppression) must be particularly vigilant and regularly consult an oral health professional and at the slightest doubt or lesion that does not heal.

Slide: Misconceptions about cancer