Actress battles oral cancer cause
Actress Colleen Zenk Pinter is attempting to raise awareness of oral cancer nationwide.
Pinter, who played Barbara Ryan in ‘As the World Turns’ for 31 years, is campaigning to increase awareness of the disease which she was diagnosed with in 2007.
The actress has been so keen to raise the profile of the Oral Cancer Foundation that she even persuaded soap writers to diagnose Barbara with oral cancer too.
Oral cancer kills more people than prostate, cervical, or skin cancer, each year. However, if it is diagnosed in its early stages survivals rates can be as high as 90 percent.
Pinter is now encouraging people to get screened for the disease, which is a three to five minute procedure carried out by your dentist.
In interviews she’s pointed out that oral cancer screening is a painless process, where you don’t have to take your clothes off and it could save your life.
The actress has now made films for the Oral Cancer Foundation and has given speeches at the school of dentistry at New York University.
In December 2005 Pinter began to notice a slur in her speech and was told that it was just her teeth shifting by dental professionals.
Then, in July 2006, she began to develop cold sores on her tongue, which would come and go. The actress attributed them to stress.
In January 2007 Pinter, to her shock, was finally diagnosed with oral cancer. She said that cancer had never crossed her mind and admitted that she had never heard of tongue cancer. Pinter has never smoked or been a heavy drinker.
Luckily she got excellent medical care, which saved her life and career. Now she is trying to increase awareness of the disease to improve survival rates.
For more information on Pinter and oral cancer visit www.oralcancerfoundation.org
Join this Discussion
