Foodie describes life without a tongue – as mouth cancer diagnoses hit record high
A self-described foodie, cooking and baking has always been a central part of Laura Marston’s life.
But a mouth cancer diagnosis in 2019 meant Ms Marston would have to learn to eat in a different way – without her tongue.
Ms Marston is sharing her story as the number of mouth cancer cases in the UK has reached a record high, surpassing 10,000 cases for the first time, according to the Oral Health Foundation.
The charity says with 10,825 cases being identified last year, it means there has now been an increase of 133% over the last 20 years.
Last year 3,637 people in the UK lost their life to mouth cancer.
Ms Marston was 39 when she was diagnosed and despite seeking advice from doctors and dentists, it took months before the disease was confirmed.
By this point, her tongue could not be saved and had to be removed.
Ms Marston said facing this reality was “brutal”.
“I was told I wouldn’t speak again, I would never eat again, I would have to have a fitted tube,” says Ms Marston.
Since then, she has learned how to eat and speak all over again, and has written a cookbook to enable others with similar conditions to continue enjoying tasty food.
But the journey hasn’t been easy and she has faced many challenges.
Laura Marston was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2019
“I can’t just grab a meal. I have to plan, I have to have a lot to order. I have to sit down, and I am at high risk of choking. It’s scary,” Ms Marston continues.
According to the Oral Health Foundation, around one in three (31%) of mouth cancer diagnoses occur on the tongue.
Meanwhile, around one in five (22%) of these are found in tonsils. Other common areas affected include the lips, gums, inside of the cheeks, and the roof and floor of the mouth.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, said: “It’s distressing to see that yet again the number of cases have increased. It’s the first time they’ve been over 10,000, now really reaching 11,000.
“It just emphasises the importance of people being aware of what is going on in the mouth, checking for unusual red or white patches, lumps in the neck, and being aware of the risk factors.”
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Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption remain significant risk factors for mouth cancer, but the charity says it’s also seeing a growing number of cases linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Mouth cancer can impact anyone, but data reveals that the condition is most common in England among men (66%) with those over 50 accounting for more than nine in ten (90%) of all cases.
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Dr Carter says: “We need to raise awareness of the symptoms, the risk factors, and most importantly, the importance of early detection. Too many cases are diagnosed too late, often at the most advanced stage. This needs to change.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government has inherited a broken NHS, with Lord Darzi’s investigation finding that the UK has higher cancer mortality rates than other countries.
“We’re committed to turning the NHS around and rebuilding NHS dentistry. We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer on time with more scanners being made available, along with catching cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive.
“Going further, we will reform the dental contract to encourage more dentists to offer NHS services to patients.”
A man who died after being hit by a bus in Edinburgh has been named.
Michael Leneghen, 74, died after being struck at around 7.25pm on Saturday 2 November in the Cowgate area of the city.
On the day of the incident, police issued a warning for members of the public not to share distressing images and videos circulating online.
In a statement, Mr Leneghen’s family thanked members of the public and emergency services who were involved and asked for privacy.
A single-decker bus collided with Mr Leneghen, who was on foot, Police Scotland say.
Sergeant Paul Ewing of Edinburgh‘s road policing unit said the force’s thoughts were with Mr Leneghen’s family and friends “as well as everyone affected by this tragic incident”.
“Our enquiries remain ongoing. We have already spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time and work is ongoing to check public and private CCTV footage,” he added.
“We are still keen to hear from anyone who has not yet spoken to police.”
Chief Inspector Trisha Clark, the local area commander, previously said police were “aware of videos and images circulating on social media which are causing distress to the deceased’s family”.
“We would ask members of the public not to share them out of respect for his family, and to report them to the relevant social media platform to prevent further circulation,” she added.
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Ms Clark added that while there had been a lot of speculation, it was an “isolated incident” and there was “no risk to the wider public”.
Officers have asked anyone with information which could help the police investigation to get in touch.
MP Mike Amesbury has been charged with common assault following an incident in Frodsham, Cheshire, last month.
The charge comes after a video emerged of him appearing to punch a man to the ground.
Cheshire Police said the 55-year-old will appear at a magistrates court at a later date to face the assault charge.
In a statement, police said the charge “relates to reports of an assault on a 45-year-old man on Main Street, Frodsham, which was reported to police at 2.48am on Saturday 26 October”.
Rosemary Ainslie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime division, said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by Cheshire Police, we have authorised a charge of common assault against Mike Amesbury MP, 55.
“The charge follows an alleged assault in Frodsham, Cheshire, on Saturday, 26 October 2024.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.”
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In a statement, Mr Amesbury said: “I have today been summonsed to court to face a charge of common assault following an incident in Frodsham last month, which was deeply regrettable.
“I am continuing to cooperate with police and given this is an ongoing case I cannot comment further.”
Labour suspended Mr Amesbury from the party so he is now an independent MP for Runcorn and Helsby.
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