My name is Berlinda James and I am an 11-month oral cancer survivor. My cancer appeared in November of last year, as a canker sore-like lesion at the base of my tongue that would not heal. Dr. Fukano, at Forks Family Dental, had me keep watch on the lesion for two weeks, with strict instruction to come back in if it did not heal.

When it did not, he sent me directly to Dr. Turella (an oral surgeon) in Port Angeles for a biopsy. It was indeed squamous cell carcinoma. I was immediately referred to Swedish Hospital. The 2 cm tumor was removed by Dr. Kim Namou, and my lymph nodes were thankfully free of cancer. At this point I have an 80-90 percent chance of survival at five years.

Thankfully, my oral cancer was caught at a Stage 1. Unfortunately, most oral cancers are not. Stage 1 oral cancer survivors are very rare and most oral cancers are found much later, which is why the mortality rate is extremely high. I would like the Forks Forum to use my story to encourage folks to see their dentist regularly.

They should make sure that their dentist does regular oral cancer screenings. Most importantly, I encourage people to be their own advocate. If you experience a mouth sore/lesion that does not heal within two weeks, please get it checked out.

There is simply no time to waste. I am very thankful that my dentist, here locally, got the ball rolling so quickly. He saved my voice, and my ability to eat. He saved my life.

Please also note that I did not need chemotherapy and/or radiation at this point, because it was caught early. In conclusion, I would like to thank you Dr. Fukano and all the staff at Forks Family Dental. I ran in the Oral Cancer Foundation’s Seattle Walk for Oral Cancer Awareness in October. With the help of my daughter, Sarah Warner, I raised over $1,000 to support spreading oral cancer awareness. I want to see more screenings and less suffering due to this disease in my lifetime.

Thank you,

Berlinda James

Forks