THIS IS WCCO4 NEWS .
THIS METHOD DOCTORS ARE
TRYING TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT
A TYPE OF CANCER THAT DENTISTS
ARE OFTEN THE FIRST TO
NOTICE. IT IS ORAL CANCER AND
IT AFFECTS THE TONGUE AND OTHER
PARTS OF THE MOUTH AND THE
DISEASE IS TYPICALLY FOUND IN
PEOPLE WHO SMOKE AND PEOPLE
DOCTORS USUALLY DO NOT DISCOVER
IT UNTIL LATE STAGES BECAUSE
THE SIGNS ARE EASY TO OVERLOOK,
ANGELA DAVIS INTRODUCES US TO
US WITH NONE OF THE RISK
FACTORS.
Reporter: BROOKE BRIGHTON
SAYS SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN GOOD
ABOUT GOING TO THE DENTIST
REGULARLY THAT WHEN SHE WAS 26
YEARS OLD HER DENTIST SENT HER
TO HER DOCTOR. ALMOST 2 YEARS
TO THE DAY NOW I NOTICED THE
LITTLE WHITE SPOTS UNDER MY
TONGUE, THEY WERE NOT PAINFUL,
THEY JUST SHOWED UP.
I DON'T KNOW I JUST NOTICED
THEM.
A BIOPSY REVEALED THE BROOKE
HAD PRECANCEROUS CELLS AND SHE
HAD SURGERY TO REMOVE THE SPOTS
ON HER TONGUE. THE PATHOLOGY
CAME BACK THAT THERE WAS AN
ACTUAL CANCEROUS TUMOR STAGE I
TUMOR IN THE SPOTS THAT WERE
REMOVED. BROOKE HAD A SECOND
SURGERY AND THIS TIME TO REMOVE
ONE THIRD OF HER TONGUE.
FOR WEEKS SHE COULD NOT TALK.
ESPECIALLY RIGHT AFTER THE
SURGERY, NOT ONLY WAS IT REALLY
PAINFUL TO TALK BUT NO ONE
COULD UNDERSTAND ME.
I WAS LIKE WOW. THE DOCTOR
PERFORMED BROOKS TWO SURGERIES
AT THE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER
THIRD SOME OF THE SIGNS AND
SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH ORAL
CANCER CAN BE PAIN AND SWELLING
AND NUMBNESS OR THERE MIGHT BE
A SHIFT AND THEIR BITE. THE
PROBLEMS SWALLOWING AND YOUR
PAIN ARE ASSIGNED TO. WE SEE
A LOT MORE PATIENTS THAT ARE
YOUNGER WITHOUT TRADITIONAL
RISK FACTORS FOR ORAL CANCER
WHICH IS SMOKING AND
DRINKING. NOW THAT SHE CAN
TALK AGAIN SHE HAS PLENTY TO
SAY. I WOULD NEVER HAVE
THOUGHT I HAD ORAL CANCER IN 1
MILLION YEARS SO IT IS VERY
IMPORTANT, TO ME PERSONALLY
NOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE
ARE MORE AWARE OF IT AND ARE ON
THE LOOKOUT FOR IT.
APRIL IS ORAL CANCER
AWARENESS MONTH AND THE
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
ESTIMATES ABOUT 48,000 PEOPLE
IN THE US WILL BE DIAGNOSED
WITH SOME KIND OF ORAL CANCER
THIS YEAR AND ABOUT 9000 WILL
DIE FROM IT.
ALSO MORE MEN ARE DIAGNOSED
WITH THIS THAN WOMEN, ABOUT
TWICE AS MANY MEN AS WOMEN AND
WE DO HAVE A LOT MORE
INFORMATION AND WEBSITES AND
WCCO.COM/LINKS. THAT IS
IMPORTANT BECAUSE PEOPLE DO NOT
