Case Studies

To arrange interviews and for further enquiries contact pr@dentalhealth.org or call the Foundation press team on 01788 539792.

Lia Mills

Doesn't everyone know, by now, that if you have a lump or a sore that doesn't heal within a few weeks, you should check it out with your doctor? But I didn't take my lump seriously because it was in my mouth. I'd never heard of oral cancer.

I had put up with this for a while before I went to the dentist. He recommended a gel commonly used for mouth ulcers. The sore area spread and a second dentist concluded that I had erosive lichen planus.

He said he was glad that I'm not the kind of person who runs to my GP at the first suggestion from the internet.

However the sore area in my cheek was getting worse instead of better. I did go to my GP. By then I had a swollen gland in my neck as well. By the time I got to a maxillo-facial clinic I needed radical surgery to my face and neck, followed by radiotherapy.

The sooner you get to a specialist, the easier it is to treat. Since then, I've learned that the chances of survival improve dramatically with early intervention. I'm lucky to be alive.