Christine Gundry

With cases continuing to rise, Mouth Cancer Action Month is more important than ever before. Cases have gone past the 6,500 per year barrier, yet awareness of the disease remains relatively low.
To support this year’s campaign, 30 year-old Christine Gundry told her story in her own words from a unique perspective – patient and researcher.

As a PhD student researching cancer, I have heard time and time again the latest cancer statistics and the latest idea of how to ‘beat’ cancer. However, it never crossed my mind that I, a healthy and happy woman in her 20s, would be diagnosed with oral cancer.
Cancer is never far from the headlines and every patient has their own story to tell, but I hope in writing this to share my personal experience from the rare position of a young patient and a scientist. I hope that in the future the causes of oral cancer in young people will be thoroughly researched to improve diagnosis and treatment, and that society will become mo...