Two-time tongue cancer survivor: Why I support research at UT MD Anderson
Sometimes, the most meaningful breakthroughs in medicine aren’t about saving your life — they’re about saving your quality of life. That was certainly the case for me when facing my second possible recurrence of tongue cancer in just six years in the spring of 2025.
By then, I’d already undergone two oral surgeries near my home in Pennsylvania. Each one came with its own set of frustrations...
Proton therapy saved my ability to taste during treatment for tongue cancer
For Carlos Morera, the only symptom of oral cancer was a small lump beneath his jaw when shaving.
With a history of cancer, he knew...
Tongue cancer survivor thriving after minimally invasive surgery
After Tim Turner began feeling pain in his jaw, doctors discovered an ulcer underneath his tongue. A CT scan and biopsy in early 2023 confirmed...
Oral cancer survivor: 5 quality of life hacks that I didn’t learn until survivorship
When I was still in active treatment for stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, a type of oral cancer, I was so focused on staying alive that I couldn’t think too far into the future.
But after five years of being cancer-free, I finally transitioned to survivorship. That meant I only needed to come back to MD Anderson once a year for check-ups. It also meant I’d meet with a nurse or a physician assistant instead...
Triathlete: Tongue cancer treatment was my race course
I ran my first triathlon in the summer of 2015. Even with the 100-degree Texas heat, I fell in love with the sport. I started training several...
Tracheostomy care for cancer patients and caregivers
Living with a tracheostomy and learning proper tracheostomy care can take some adjustment for cancer patients who rely on them during cancer...
4 myths about oral cancer symptoms
As director of MD Anderson’s Oral Cancer Prevention Clinic, I see many patients each year with both oral cancers and pre-cancerous conditions...
Tongue cancer survivor: Coming to MD Anderson saved my life
In January 2020, I noticed a changing spot under my tongue. My family doctor advised that I get it biopsied. The results came back negative...
Dysphagia in cancer patients: What to know
The ability to swallow — or to eat and drink what you enjoy most without choking or coughing — is something that many of us take for granted...
Tongue cancer teaches patient and caregiver the art of reinvention
Singer and songwriter Kimmie Rhodes holds a somewhat unique distinction: she’s supported two different people on their oral cancer journeys...