A woman who was diagnosed with mouth cancer has shared symptoms to keep an eye out for, after cases in the UK reach a record high. Karen Liesching-Schroder, 47, was "shocked" to be told that a mouth ulcer she thought to be harmless turned out to be mouth cancer.
The ulcer appeared during the summer of 2016, but it wasn't until February 2017 that Karen underwent a biopsy. Her worst fears were confirmed when she was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue.
Karen also had pain in her mouth, was unable to eat and people were struggling to understand her at work, but she had no idea the symptoms could indicate cancer. The mum-of-two had to undergo radiotherapy, a neck dissection - to make sure the disease hadn't spread down her neck - and gruelling surgery to remove the side of her tongue.
