Brave Bridgend woman urges others to quit smoking after having part of her tongue remove following mouth cancer diagnosis
A brave woman from Bridgend is encouraging others to quit smoking after having part of her tongue removed as part of treatment for mouth cancer.
Jayne Campbell, 57, was diagnosed with oral cancer after she went to her dentist for a routine check-up in 2016. During the check, Jayne’s dentist noticed a discoloured spot underneath her tongue and referred her for further tests. When Jayne saw her consultant, and the diagnosis was confirmed, she remembers crying as her doctor suggested that she had smoked her last cigarette. In line with professional advice, Jayne quit immediately, and put all her energy and focus into getting better for her husband and daughters.
Although smoking is a well-known risk factor for many types of cancer, Jayne said that she never thought she would get cancer, and she admitted that the diagnosis was a huge shock.
Within four weeks of being diagnosed, Jayne underwent surgery to remove part of her tongue and a section of the floor of the mouth. The treatment was successful and Jayne is now using her experiences to try and encourage other people to give up smoking. Since she was told she had mouth cancer, Jayne hasn’t smoked a single cigarette, having previously smoked 20 cigarettes a day for 35 years. As well as boosting her health, Jayne has used an app to discover that she has saved over £7,680.
Jayne has shared her story as Cancer Research UK calls for the Welsh Government to introduce initiatives to reduce the proportion of people who smoke from 17% to 5%.
Smoking is the most significant risk factor for mouth cancer, a form of cancer that has become increasingly prevalent in the UK in the last 10 years. Other risk factors include heavy drinking and exposure to the HPV (human papilloma virus).
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