Media Contact: Michael Schwartzberg, GBMC Media Relations Manager

(O): 443-849-2126/Cell: 410-258-3465eMarch 2:]

Westminster Man On Road To Recovery From Tongue Cancer

BALTIMORE, Md. –  August 24, 2007 – John Schneehagen, a 45-year-old construction worker from Westminster, is on the road to recovery after being diagnosed with tongue cancer, likely resulting from more than two decades of chewing smokeless tobacco.  A study by researchers at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center and published this month by the American Association for Cancer Research showed that users of smokeless tobacco are exposed to higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals than traditional smokers.

More than 55,000 Americans will develop cancer of the head and neck this year and 13,000 will die as a result, according to The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), which notes that many of these cancer-related deaths are a result of using smokeless tobacco.

“Most of these cancer cases are preventable,” said John Saunders Jr., M.D., medical director of Greater Baltimore Head & Neck Associates and the surgeon who operated on Schneehagen in March 2005 to remove the tumor on his tongue and lymph nodes where the cancer had spread in his neck.

Schneehagen had noticed a sore on his tongue that didn’t go away but chose to ignore it for a few years, “which was a big mistake.”  His family physician advised a biopsy, which was done and the next physician recommended Schneehagen see an otolaryngologist, a physician who specializes in treating conditions of the ears, nose, and throat.  He was referred to Dr. Saunders, who performed the surgery at GBMC’s Milton J. Dance, Jr. Head & Neck Center.

“It could have been a lot worse if I had ignored it any longer, but would have been a lot better and maybe taken care of in just a few office visits if I didn’t wait,” said Schneehagen, who has been cancer-free for 2½ years and returns every four months for a check-up with Dr. Saunders.  “The worst thing that happened was I lost part of my tongue but I’ve gotten used to that.  I was lucky.”

Schneehagen works in construction and often advises co-workers about the dangers of using smokeless tobacco.  “I’ll show them pictures of my tongue before the surgery, and the scars on my neck,” he said, noting at least one co-worker quit using the products as a result.

Smokeless tobacco, also known as oral snuff, is a variant on chewing tobacco that users suck on by slipping it between their cheeks and gums. The study compared 182 oral snuff users with 420 cigarette smokers and found that snuff users were exposed to higher levels of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) than smokers. NNK is a human carcinogen known to produce lung cancer as well as cancers of the pancreas, nasal mucosa and liver in laboratory animals. The study was funded by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, the National Cancer Institute, and the American Cancer Society.

According to the AAO-HNS, most head and neck cancers produce early symptoms. Knowing and recognizing the signs of head and neck cancer can save lives. Symptoms can include a mouth sore that bleeds easily and doesn’t heal; a lump or thickening anywhere in your mouth or neck; soreness or swelling in the mouth that doesn’t go away; a red or white patch that doesn’t go away; and trouble chewing, swallowing, or moving your tongue or jaw.

To review the research results, visit the American Academy of Cancer Research’s website at http://www.aacr.org/home/public--media/news-releases.aspx?d=808. For more information on head and neck cancer and the use of smokeless tobacco, visit the AAO-HNS website http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/index.cfm.

GBMC includes Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), Central Maryland’s leading community hospital; Hospice of Baltimore, which provides comfort and care to patients with life-limiting illnesses; and the GBMC Foundation, which supports the GBMC mission by managing fundraising efforts.  The 292-bed Medical Center, located on a beautiful suburban campus, serves nearly 22,000 inpatients annually and provides approximately 60,000 emergency room visits. For more information, go to www.gbmc.org

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