Newham cancer survivor receives first bespoke NHS artificial tongue

Dr Imogen Brooks, a cancer survivor from Newham, has spoken of her relief after being fitted with what is believed to be the first bespoke artificial tongue provided by the NHS. The custom-made prosthetic was developed by a team of experts from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Brooks was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a common form of head and neck cancer, at the age of 26. Surgery to remove the tumour resulted in the loss of most of her tongue. While initial speech reconstruction was adequate, subsequent radiotherapy treatment caused tissue shrinkage, leading to significant communication difficulties.

Restoring Communication

The artificial tongue, constructed from cobalt chrome, is designed to clip onto Dr Brooks’ bottom teeth. It was tailored to enable her to produce a wider range of sounds. The development process involved months of research and scanning, with Dr Brooks actively participating in testing prototypes and providing feedback to the clinical team.

Michael Brown, a dental technician at Guy’s Hospital, described the project as a challenge that the team embraced. He stated that the design aimed to maximise the number of sounds Dr Brooks could make, acknowledging the extensive trial and error involved. He added that working with Dr Brooks throughout the process had been satisfying.

Dr Brooks reported that it took approximately two weeks to adjust to the prosthetic, with noticeable improvements in her speech within three days. She noted that people are now more willing to listen and have less difficulty understanding her. When misunderstandings do occur, individuals are more inclined to ask for clarification.

The prosthetic has also eased conversations with her grandmother, who has hearing difficulties. Dr Brooks explained that previously, they often relied on large hand gestures or writing, making group conversations particularly challenging. She shared an anecdote about her grandmother noticing a significant improvement in her ability to follow their conversations after she was fitted with the device.

Physical and Personal Benefits

Beyond improved communication, Dr Brooks has experienced physical benefits. She finds speaking requires less effort and allows her to speak for longer periods without needing to pause for breath mid-sentence. This reduced cognitive load has resulted in more fluid speech and less physical fatigue when talking.

Dr Brooks, now 30, has since completed her PhD in skin disease therapies at King's College London, which included an oral examination. She had initially sought medical advice due to very mild symptoms, even questioning if she was overreacting when asking her GP to examine her tongue.

Carolyn Doughty, an advanced specialist speech and language therapist at Guy’s and St Thomas’, led the multi-disciplinary team. Following presentations of their findings at conferences, Ms Doughty believes this type of prosthetic has not been previously manufactured within the NHS.