Woman told mouth ulcers were caused by wisdom teeth has tongue ‘re-made’ after devastating diagnosis
A woman who was told her mouth ulcers were caused by growing wisdom teeth and a hectic lifestyle has had part of her tongue removed and remade with muscle from her leg.
Charlotte Webster-Salter, 27, began suffering from recurring ulcers in 2018 but put it down to working long shifts as a flight attendant and feeling “run down”.
After several trips to the dentist and GP, Charlotte was eventually referred to a specialist at the Ear, Nose and Throat department at St Richards Hospital, Chichester, in February 2021 for a biopsy after her tongue developed painful, white patches.
Test results revealed that Charlotte had oral cancer, after a tumour was identified on her tongue.
Weeks later, she underwent a nine-hour long operation at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, which involved removing part of her tongue and replacing it with muscle from her leg.
Charlotte had no idea if she would be able to speak or eat normally again and spent the next two weeks with a tracheostomy – an opening in the neck with a tube inserted to help you breathe.
Despite the gruelling surgery, Charlotte stunned doctors with her speedy recovery, and was overjoyed to discover the cancer had not spread further.
She now hopes to help raise awareness about signs and symptoms of the disease.
Charlotte, a student midwife, from Petersfield, East Hampshire, said: “My tongue is now a two-tone colour – it looks like a drumstick lolly. There is even a freckle on my tongue from my leg. You hear about breast cancer and prostate cancer, but rarely mouth cancer. It’s usually older men or smokers who are diagnosed. The doctors had never treated someone as young as me. The first time I saw a poster about it was in the head and neck clinic. It’s definitely something that needs to be talked about more.”
Charlotte started feeling “rundown” and suffering from ulcers in 2018 while working as cabin crew.
She went to the dentist who suspected the ulcers were being caused by her wisdom teeth coming in.
However, when they continued to come and go for the next couple of years, she booked an appointment with the GP in 2020 to get more answers.
Charlotte said: “The ulcers always appeared in one area – which I thought was odd. I kept dismissing it, in my mind I thought it was just stress or feeling run down. I even thought it was from being hungover or eating spicy food was aggravating it. I had my teeth straightened and had fillings, but nothing helped.”
Charlotte returned to the GP who eventually referred her to the Ear Nose and Throat department at St Richards Hospital, Chichester, in February 2021.
She underwent a biopsy which involved taking a sample of tissue from her tongue for testing.
Doctors had discovered a tumour called a squamous cell carcinoma growing in her tongue and Charlotte – it was classified as a type of head and neck cancer.
At the same time, Charlotte’s mum, Sam, now 51, had battled breast cancer after being diagnosed at aged 49.
Sam had undergone a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and was in remission when Charlotte revealed her diagnosis.
Charlotte said: “I just laughed when they told – I was so shocked I didn’t know how to react. Cancer was the furthest thing from my mind. The hardest thing was telling my mum – so I waited to do it in person. She had been through so much and it broke my heart to tell her that her daughter had cancer too.”
