I was unaware that film critic Roger Ebert was suffering from oral cancer until he bravely allowed a portrait to be taken of him for Vanity Fair this week. He has oral cancer as well as head and neck cancer.
Mr Ebert's face is now distorted and somewhat unrecognizable from the nose down, although the portrait is quite stunning in it's simplicity and lack of "artsy" pretension. A man who has lost nearly one third of his face simply looks at the camera. His eyes are interesting. A combination of irony, defiance and smiles. He looks handsome.
Oral cancer is incredibly difficult for many people, not only due to the pain, treatments and fears, but because it can be so disfiguring. Hiding our body parts are one thing; hiding our face is another. And while no-one should be stared or pointed at, people with oral cancer are. A person missing much of their face will often isolate themselves. At a time when family, friend and community support is so important, the oral cancer patient may retreat, making life (and recovery) so much more difficult.
Eating, drinking and even breathing can become nearly impossible. Suffocation remains a constant threat and can be terrorizing for the patient.
Causes for head and neck cancers include a history of alcohol and tobacco abuse and more and more studies are coming out that link the human papilloma virus (HPV) to oral and facial cancers. You can read more about that here : https://www.empowher.com/news/2008/05/13/oral-cancers-linked-hpv-new-york-times
Many other causes for oral and facial cancers remain unknown.
Treatments include surgery to remove cancerous tumors, chemotherapy, radiation and other options. Facial reconstruction is also an option after remission.
It's important for us to limit smoking and drinking and to insist that oral and mouth screenings are a regular part of our checkups. Any signs of growths, colors or differences in our mouths, throats, necks, tongues and entire facial areas need to be looked into immediately.
There are several kinds of face and oral cancers. Here are a few to look at:
For facial cancer, click here : https://www.empowher.com/media/reference/throat-cancer
Tongue cancer :https://www.empowher.com/media/reference/tongue-cancer
Laryngeal cancer : https://www.empowher.com/media/reference/laryngeal-cancer
To see Roger Ebert's portrait and story, click here : http://www.esquire.com/print-this/roger-ebert-0310
Tell Us
What do you think of Roger Ebert's portrayal of his oral cancer and his experiences? Do you think his decision will bring more awareness into a medical condition that's not talked about much?
Do you, or someone you know, have a personal story about oral cancer you can share with us?
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Add a Comment4 Comments
I was wondering if Mr Ebert smoked any form of tobacco....
I went searching for the answer.
I found the following as posted by Mr Ebert...
"Look, I hate smoking. It took my parents from me, my father with lung cancer, my mother with emphysema. They both liked Luckies. When my dad's cancer was diagnosed, they played it safe and switched to Winstons. When my mother was breathing oxygen through a tube, she'd take out the tube, turn off the oxygen, and light up. I avoid smokers. It isn't allowed in our house. When I see someone smoking, it feels like I'm watching them bleed themselves, one drip at a time."
April 7, 2013 - 6:36pmThis Comment
Thanks for the post Susan. I was also not aware of Roger Ebert's Battle with cancer until a few days ago when I saw him on Oprah with his wife. What a brave man to go
through all of this and yet still maintain a smile on his face-- and his wife has been his angel.
I have not known anyone with oral cancer, personally, but like other forms of cancer it is a battle and anyone who has endured it in any way is a hero in my eyes.
Thanks for the great share, Susan!
March 5, 2010 - 9:45amThis Comment
Susan - Thank you for highlighting Roger Ebert's strength in continuing to work and communicate with others while also being a cancer survivor. The Esquire story provides a moving portrait of an incredible man whose spirit is as strong as ever. I would encourage anyone who is a fan of his, or who has benefited from his movie reviews, to read the article. It's also an uplifting article for any person who is in the process of overcoming a major transition in their life.
I have not had an oral cancer, but did have an experience with this. During a dental procedure, involving removal of a piece of filling that had been left behind, the dentist found a tumor. He proceeded to tell me it was malignant, that he was very sorry, and that I needed to be seen by another specialist immediately. This was on a Friday and I saw the specialist on Monday. Needless to say it was a long and worrisome weekend! On Monday I learned that while it indeed was a tumor, it was 99% likely to be benign, which proved true when it was removed. The tumor was so large it had destroyed my left jaw bone and there were multiple risks involved in the surgery to remove it, including potential facial paralysis due to nerve damage. For me everything came out well in the end, but it definitely was a challenging experience that led to a lot of thought about how much we depend on our ability to speak and use our mouth. I admire Roger Ebert's ability to keep on keepin on under the circumstances he's in, but then I've been an admirer of his for what seems like forever. Again, thanks so much for posting his story!
February 22, 2010 - 6:14pmThis Comment
Pat, what a frightening weekend you must have had. What a rollercoaster you were on during that time.
Susan, this is a wonderful post. I had not been aware that Roger Ebert's cancer had gotten so far. I too think he's brave for sitting for such a portrait. Good for him. It opens awareness, educates us and helps us deal with ordinary people in our lives who may be dealing with the same thing.
One of my best friends lost her sister to oral cancer just last year. The sister had a lesion on her tongue that she had ignored for far too long, out of fear. Turns out that most likely had she gone to a dentist or specialist sooner, she'd have had surgery and chemo and been OK. It was a really sad time in the family and my friend is still missing her sister, as well as wishing that she'd seen a doctor sooner.
Thanks for a great Share, Susan.
February 23, 2010 - 9:28amThis Comment