Mom, 43, Thought She Just ‘Bit Her Tongue,’ But It Was Cancer: How Oral Cancer Can Seem Like Mouth Sores

“My husband and I were both positive as it had been caught early and success rates were high but [my daughter] had a little cry before taking on our positivity,” she said.

During surgery in November 2018, doctors saw that the cancer appeared to have spread to her lymph nodes three of which were removed along with about 1 inch of her tongue.

Then, in January 2019 Colledge was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, meaning she was battling two different types of cancer at once. She then had her thyroid gland and more of her tongue removed for treatment.

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She thought she was finally in the clear in November 2019 after being told she was cancer-free. But July 2020 came with the devastating news that her cancer had returned. Following a successful surgery, she was deemed cancer-free once more, though doctors advised for MRI scans every three months as medics had noticed “aggressive features” of her cancer.

Sadly, her cancer journey would continue in 2022 after she began suffering from pain in her left jaw in February. Doctors thought she had a mere infection in her wisdom tooth after tests and an ultrasound, but a follow-up appointment for antibiotics led to the discovery of a “small ulcer” on the back of her tongue.

Colledge thought she “may have bit” her tongue, but she was eventually told her oral cancer had returned in April after struggling to open her mouth wide enough for food. She now has a feeding tube to help her eat and is undergoing chemotherapy.

“I was numb, how can it be the fourth time,” she said.

It’s understandable that Colledge thought she simply bit her tongue, as mouth sores can have some of the same symptoms as oral cancer, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center. However, knowing the distinct differences between cancer and an ulcer in the mouth is key to catching the cancer early.

A mouth sore or ulcer may:

• Be red and inflamed around the edges
• Be flat
• Be painful in the beginning and less painful as they heal
• Get better within two or three weeks

In contrast, oral cancer may:

• Not typically be painful or inflamed int he early stages
• Appear as a tiny lump or bump under the lesion
• Start as a small spot that grows larger
• Start as a white spot that turns red
• Be a lesion that bleeded when it didn't before
• Doesn't heal or get better over time

If your notice a spot in your mouth and are concerned at all about your symptoms, especially if it does not heal or get better over time, you should talk to you doctor or dentist about it.

Colledge can’t work while she tends to her health, but, thankfully, a friend has made an effort to “take the stress away” of any financial issues by setting up a GoFundMe page for the brave mother.

Understanding Oral Cancer

Oral cancer, also called mouth cancer, is the broad term for cancer affecting the inside of your mouth, according to the Cleveland Clinic. More specifically, it affects the lips, first parts of your tongue, mouth roof and floor. It can also affect your oropharynx which is the last part of your tongue and roof of your mouth, your tonsils and the sides and back of your throat.

Oral cancer is the most common type of head and neck cancer. Generally, we see oral cancers developing in people age 60 or older, but as we saw in the case of Snowden they can occur in younger people as well.

Oral cancer can look like a common problem with your lips or in your mouth, so it's important to bring up any changes to your health with a doctor. Common signs of oral cancer can include:

• Lip or mouth sores that bleed easily and don't heal within two weeks.
• Rough spots or crusty areas on your lips, gums or inside of your mouth.
• Numbness, pain or tenderness on your face, neck or mouth that occurs for an unknown reason.
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving your jaw or tongue.
• Unintentional weight loss.
• An earache.
• Chronic bad breath.

Oral Cancer and HPV

We do not know the cause of Colledge's cancer, but we do know that there is a link between oral cancer and HPV. The human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is an extremely common virus spread through sexual activity that nearly every sexually active person will get at some point in their lives, according to the CDC. Most people with the infection do not know they have it and never develop symptoms or health problems from it, but the virus is spread via sexual activity and can manifest as warts on your genitals or mouth.

When people talk about HPV and cancer risk, they tend to focus on cervical cancer. And while it's true that nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV, people should also be aware that HPV puts both men and women at risk of developing several other cancers as well, like oral cancer, as well as cancers of the vagina, penis, anus and throat.

Oral and throat cancers are both on the rise in young, non-smoking adults, and Dr. Allen S. Ho, an oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, says HPV is the cause.

"The fastest-growing segment of the people developing oral cancers are young non-smokers," Dr. Ho told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. "HPV, a very common virus, one responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancers, is now identified as a cause of this rapid rise of oral cancers."

Why the HPV Vaccine Is So Important in Preventing Cancer

Luckily, we have the HPV vaccine. And while Dr. Susan Vadaparampil, the associate center director of community outreach, engagement and equity at Moffitt Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet there are few medical strategies that totally prevent against getting cancer in the first place, she emphasized that data from countries with high rates of vaccine coverage show decreases in HPV-related pre-cancer and cancer particularly so in the case of cervical cancer.

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"We have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HPV-related cancer," Dr. Vadaparampil previously told SurvivorNet. "It is widely available, and costs are typically covered by private or public insurance."

According to the CDC, the HPV vaccine is recommended for all preteens (both girls and boys) 11 to 12 years old in two doses administered between six and 12 months apart. The series of shots can also be started as early as 9 years old.

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That being said, the CDC also says that teens and young adults through age 26 who didn't start or finish the HPV vaccine series also need the vaccine. And people with weakened immune systems or teens and young adults who start the series between the ages of 15 and 26 should get three doses instead of two.

Additionally, the HPV vaccine is sometimes administered in adults up to 45 years old, but it is not recommended for everyone older than 26. Still, a person older than 26 might decide to get vaccinated after talking to their doctor about possible benefits even though it is less effective in this age range since more people have already been exposed to HPV by this time.

But why are people hesitant to protect themselves and their children? One reason may be that there is a myth that that the HPV vaccine can cause autism.

"The HPV vaccines do not cause autism, there's always a risk of some vaccine-related side effects … local site injection pain, some redness, some swelling," says Dr. Jessica Geiger, a medical oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center. "There are no syndromes such as autism or other neurologic symptoms that have been linked to the HPV vaccines."

Dr. Geiger also wants people to remember that, although you might not want to think about it, your children will likely participate in sexual activities at some point in their lives. Refusing to vaccinate your children denies them available protection from HPV-linked diseases, and that should be more important than not wanting to think about your kids ever having sex.

"The fact is that the majority of us are going to participate in sexual activity at some point in our lives … it's unreasonable to think that just because your child isn't engaging in sexual activity now that they won't later in life."

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