Cancer survivor Imogen Brooks fitted with bespoke artificial tongue in reported NHS first

Mixed · 2Dr Imogen Brooks, 30, from Newham in east London, has been fitted with a bespoke artificial tongue made by a team at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, in what is reported as an NHS first. 1 2 Mixed · 2The Standard and the Express attribute Brooks's account to interviews with the Press Association, and describe her as an assistant medical writer. 3 2 Mixed · 2Brooks was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue at 26, after going to her GP fearing she was "overreacting" over very mild symptoms. 1 2

Mixed · 2Outlets describe the cancer differently: the Mirror calls squamous cell carcinoma "a form of skin cancer", while the Standard and the Express call it "the most common type of head and neck cancer". 1 3 Mixed · 2Surgery three years ago removed most of her tongue; her speech after reconstruction was good, but later radiotherapy shrank the tissue. 1 2 Mixed · 2She used speech assistance technology on phone calls, but said people she met in person would look at her "in fear", smile without responding, or guess what she had said. The Standard and the Express add that this caused problems at medical appointments and at work. 3 2

Mixed · 2After researching prosthetic tongues, she asked her clinicians whether she would be a good candidate. She said eight people were in the room at her next appointment and "everyone was willing to try". 2 1 Mixed · 2The Standard and the Express report that speech and language therapist Carolyn Doughty assembled a multi-disciplinary team from restorative dentistry. After months of research and scans, the team made two trial tongues before the final version, which Brooks received last year. 3 2 Mixed · 2The final prosthetic is a U-shaped cobalt chrome frame that clips onto her bottom teeth, with a fixed silicone tongue tailored to her and shaped to allow the maximum number of sounds. 1 2

Mixed · 2Michael Brown, a dental technician at Guy's Hospital, said the team had never made anything like it, and that finding a working shape took a lot of trial and error as she took designs home and returned with notes. 1 2 Mixed · 2Brooks said it took about two weeks to get used to the device, though her speech improved after three days. She said it has made a "massive difference", with people more willing to listen and ask her to repeat herself, and that speaking is less tiring and more fluid. 2 1 Mixed · 2She said she can now hold proper conversations with her grandmother, who is hard of hearing and who told her she needed hand gestures less. 1 2

Centre · 1Brooks said that even immediately after surgery she told her speech therapist she wanted to "fight for every single bit of intelligibility that is possible". 3 Mixed · 2There is no sign of the cancer returning, and Brooks has passed an oral exam for her doctorate in skin disease therapies at King's College London. She hopes her case will inspire other medical professionals to collaborate with patients. 1 2 Mixed · 2The Standard and the Express say Doughty, who has presented the findings at UK conferences, believes this is the first prosthetic of its kind made on the NHS; the claim rests on her belief, not a formal check. 3 2