A woman, who faced a ’50/50′ chance of regaining her ability to speak following a tongue cancer diagnosis, has opened up about the symptoms she noticed prior to her diagnosis.
Tongue cancer is considered a relatively uncommon cancer in the United States, accounting for about one percent of new cancer diagnoses and 0.5 percent of all cancer-related deaths, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Risk factors for this cancer include tobacco usage, alcohol consumption, and exposure to the HPV virus.
The Mayo Clinic also notes other potential risk factors such as being male, older age, poor dental hygiene, and a weakened immune system.
Symptoms can differ among individuals, and Beth Riehle, who was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2024, shared an unusual symptom she experienced.
In the latter part of 2023, Beth experienced a persistent migraine, with the pain extending to her ear and jaw.
“I always felt like I wasn’t feeling good, but wasn’t necessarily sick,” she shared with TODAY.com. “I had general tiredness,” she mentioned regarding her symptoms.
Suspecting an issue related to her mouth, Beth consulted her dentist, who observed discoloration on her tongue.
She recounted: “She noticed some discoloration on my tongue but never discussed what it might be. My primary care physician also examined me when I came in for my original complaints but also never alluded to any major problems.”
It was only after visiting an otolaryngologist, or ENT doctor, that a biopsy confirmed Beth had Stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma in her tongue.
Following the diagnosis, Beth opted for radiation and chemotherapy. However, she encountered new symptoms in the months after completing her treatment.
“I started having terrible shooting pains across my forehead and neck,” she noted. “I assumed they were delayed reactions to the radiation.”
In September 2024, Beth received the unfortunate news that her cancer was ‘treatment resistant’ and a second tumor was discovered. She underwent surgery to remove part of her tongue, with doctors cautioning that her ability to speak again was uncertain, with only a ’50/50 chance’.
Nevertheless, Beth has managed to speak to some extent and uses her social media presence to conduct ‘fit checks,’ where she discusses her outfits with her followers.
Explaining her motivation, Beth said: “I wanted to use TikTok to track my progress as far as my speech. I also thought that by putting my experience out there, I might be able to help someone else my age or someone going through my experience in the way I wished for when I was first diagnosed.”
You can follow Beth on TikTok here.
If you have been affected by these issues and need to talk to someone confidentially, reach out to the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or through their 24/7 live chat feature available every day of the year.