I lecture on programs with the best and the brightest researchers, and treating physicians on oral cancer in the US every month at universities, to doctors and to students. I pick up lots from them. I read almost every significant oral cancer research paper that comes out through the main journals like Lancet, NEJM, Journal of Oncology etc. weekly, and many doctors send me their pre publication data sets as a favor, since they know that I need it (to fight for things at the NIH NCI and elsewhere), and I will keep the actual data quiet in the public venue until the day of publication. Maura Gillison the HPV researcher is one that does this with me routinely. I have to know this stuff as well as the doctors that I am on programs with, though my background is in osseointegrated implantable devices, I have some significant accrued credibility over the last decade in this arena, but make no mistake, I am not a doctor. I do have to be able to quote it all chapter and verse from other researchers papers etc. off the top of my head to be on these programs.

There are 4 pathways known to oral cancer - tobacco, alcohol, (or the two in combination for a double whammy), and HPV16 virus. Those three are the big ones that account for about 93% of all oral cancers. The fourth, in about 7% of the people that get OC, they have no risk factors that we can determine. These cancers tend to be on the tongue, and they respond to treatment poorly with worse outcomes. They likely have some genetic predisposition or aberration to get them, but it is not familial that anyone has shown in peer reviewed publication.

Reflux and GERD. Anti-acids like TUMS OTC are only one path, and you can't deal with a serious case of things with them, though they are part of a solution. This condition has to have a time to heal, and that means shutting down the proton pumps that create the acid in the first place. This even allows the esophagus and larynx to heal from months of acid burns. 14 days in a row minimum of Prilosec, for me they had me on it for 9 months, with doctors permissions and recommendations. In his case it would not surprise me that he might be on them for a protracted period of time, ie months.

So that PPI treatment is often supplemented by OTC H2 blockers. H2 blockers reduce the amount of acid your stomach makes. While they don�t relieve symptoms right away, H2 blockers relieve symptoms for a longer period of time than antacids like those that are calcium based. They usually start to work within an hour. Examples of H2 blockers available over the counter are ranitidine (one brand name: Zantac) or famotidine (one brand name: Pepcid). Lastly there are the liquids that I use for peak immediate events. That would be things that contain magnesium and aluminum hydroxide. Maalox etc. I live on some combination of all these things, but if all he is doing is chewing TUMS, he is never going to get a handle on this. In extreme cases (me for instance) a nissan fundoplication surgery to help keep the acid in my stomach is necessary. Google it.

Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.