Mom diagnosed with cancer after dismissing 'spider web' symptom on her tongue
Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.
A mother received a devastating cancer diagnosis after doctors 'dismissed the white mark as her biting it' for years.
Sharon Moreby noticed a white, spider web-like patch on her tongue while she was brushing her teeth around two decades ago.
The 54-year-old said she was continually told that the mark was dysplasia - a growth of abnormal but non-cancerous cells.
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Over a period of 18 years, Sharon had eight biopsies and a laser treatment on the left side of her tongue, with doctors repeatedly insisting the mark was 'not harmful'.
The mother-of-four claimed that a surgeon told her the patch was due to her 'biting her tongue' in her sleep, so she followed his advice and wore dental braces for the next two years.
However, Sharon's symptoms got progressively worse, as she experienced earache, jaw pain, issues swallowing, and a new, unexplained lump on her neck.
But once more, she claims doctors dismissed her growing concerns, putting the condition down to the 'menopause'.
It wasn't until Sharon underwent another biopsy in August 2023 that her results revealed she had an aggressive HPV-related tongue cancer.
She said: "I had noticed a little, white patch on the left side of my tongue that looked like a spider web when I was brushing my teeth.
"I didn't think much of it. I wasn't overly concerned.
"I was reading a magazine article talking all about the cancers and it mentioned white patches, so I rang my dentist to get it checked out.
"From then on, over the years it just kept coming back. It kept growing towards the back of my tongue. It was probably the size of a penny.
"They kept doing biopsies. It was getting more severe. They kept saying it was dysplasia. I thought it can't be cancer, I've had that many biopsies."
The mom, from Barnsley in the UK, added: "They made me wear braces for two years because they thought I was biting my tongue in my sleep.
"Obviously it didn't work because I wasn't doing that. That just aggravated it.
"I think I probably had cancer at that point and I was told I was just biting my tongue."
It was a decade after Sharon first spotted the white spots when things worsened.
"I started having problems swallowing. I went to the GP and explained all the pain I was in and they said it was probably to do with menopause," Sharon added.
A visit to the dental hygienist brought Sharon the much-needed answers, with her being referred for another biopsy that confirmed she had cancer.
The Brit underwent a neck dissection to remove the cancer from her mouth two months later, followed by a tongue reconstruction performed using tissue from her left arm.
She is thankfully now in remission, though she does feel 'let down' by many healthcare experts after years of fighting for a diagnosis.
"I've no idea why all my biopsies came back clear. I think if I'd left it much longer, I don't think I'd be here," Sharon added.
"I feel like I was let down. I don't know if that white patch I found all those years ago was cancer.
"Now looking back, why didn't they look into it more? Why did it keep coming back?"
She has since urged others to 'follow your gut and keep pushing with doctors'.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Callum Jones