"I had no symptoms, no pain, none of the signs" - the Plymouth man who believes a dental student saved his life
John Sanders is urging people to check themselves as part of November's Mouth Cancer Action Month
A Plymouth man 'truly' believes a dental student saved his life, after she discovered a malignant lump under his jaw.
John Sanders was called up for a routine dental check-up with the University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Dental School during lockdown.
He was seen by fifth-year student, Jasleen Batra, who found a 'very very hard lump' during the examination. She ran her fingers from the tip of his chin down towards the back of his jaw, where the lymph node was swollen.
Jasleen referred her patient to Derriford Hospital where they found cancerous cells in his tonsils, his right lymph node under his jaw and the surrounding tissue.
John said being told about the lump was like 'being hit with a sledgehammer'.
He was offered an operation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy - he requested all three to give him the best chance of survival. John explained: "I underwent a six-and-a-half-hour operation where they removed the offending lymph nodes, and they took my tonsils out. I then underwent six weeks of radio therapy daily and weekly days of chemotherapy."
John Sanders believes Jasleen 'truly' saved his life after the lump grew 12mm in 10 days. If it was not for his check-up, he may not have discovered it until it was life changing.
As part of November's Mouth Cancer Action Month, he is hoping to spread awareness and urge people to check themselves - because he had 'no idea' anything was wrong:
"I’m completely in her debt, and, if anything can come from my experience, it’s that people need to check for signs before it’s too late.
"I am desperate to get the message across that I had no idea that there was anything wrong with me.
"I had no symptoms, no pain, none of the signs that in my limited experience would suggest there is anything that badly wrong with me. I would urge people to go onto websites, read about it, see if you can check yourself."
John Sanders
Symptoms of mouth cancer can include ulcers, lumps, swelling, earache and difficulty moving the jaw. According to the Mouth Cancer Foundation, there are over 8722 new cases of Mouth Cancer in the UK each year.
Oral cancer screenings are now routine every time you see a dentist, but you can still check at home.
Jasleen, a now qualified dentist, emphasises the importance of this: "Having a good look around your mouth, including your lips, cheek, tongue, under your tongue, the back of your throat and the top of your mouth with a mirror takes less than a minute a day, but means you would catch any changes early before they become more serious."
Jasleen Batra
In the last academic year alone, Dental Students and Dental Therapy students from Peninsula Dental School were responsible for delivering 22,481 appointments.
Ewen McColl, Director of Clinical Dentistry at Peninsula Dental School, said: "A crucial component for these visits is screening for oral cancer. Whilst this has significance at a population level, at a patient level this screen can be lifesaving as testified by Mr Sanders."
Ewen McColl - Peninsula Dental School
In aid of November's Mouth Cancer Action Month, Peninsula Dental School and placement provider Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise are promoting patient and public self-screening.
You can follow along with this video to find out how to check your mouth yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6QkKhEjS5M.