In Shocking Case, Doctor Allegedly Dismisses Man's Cancer Symptoms As Mental Health Issues

A 36-year-old man who underwent surgery for tongue cancer is now warning people to insist on their doctors for detailed check-ups if their odd symptoms are getting dismissed by healthcare professionals. Mark, who is from Denver in the USA, made a TikTok video in which he explained how his symptoms of tongue cancer were allegedly dismissed by doctors as “mental health issues”. It was not until he insisted on getting a biopsy of a mouth ulcer that his tongue cancer was diagnosed.

In a now-viral TikTok video, Mark said, “I learned the hard way that your annual doctor’s visit and the standard blood work they do is not always a great indicator of your health,” as per a report in Ladbible. He added that regular health checkups that include blood tests and urine tests are not equipped to highlight rare cancers like tongue cancer. Mark asked people to trust their gut instinct about their health and said, “You know yourself better than anyone and any doctor and sometimes even better than the results of a test. This is why it’s so important to be persistent.”

Mark detailed that he would get perpetual lightheadedness, tightness in his chest, months months-long brain fog which forced him to visit several doctors and even specialists but his complaints were dismissed. However, earlier this year his symptoms worsened and he would get night sweats and fever. He also observed a mouth ulcer that would not go away.

Just before his annual health check-up, Mark got a biopsy of the ulcer and the result showed that the ulcer was cancerous. The doctors concluded that Mark suffered from stage one of tongue cancer which is quite rare. According to the Cleveland Clinic, tongue cancer accounts for less than one per cent of cancer cases diagnosed annually in the USA.

Tongue cancer usually affects those over the age of 60 or those who are heavy smokers and drinkers. Mark said in his video that he is neither a heavy drinker nor a smoker so his diagnosis was even more shocking. Another risk factor for tongue cancer is human papillomavirus, also known as the sexually transmitted virus HPV.

After his diagnosis, Mark underwent extensive surgery that had roughly one-quarter of his tongue removed. The doctors also removed 41 lymph nodes from his neck to ensure all of the cancer was removed from his body. After recovering, Mark made the above-mentioned cautionary TikTok and expressed his frustration with the healthcare professionals who do not take patients seriously.