Silent No More: Tongue Cancer Surgery and Rehabilitation Restore a Voice

For three months, Cynthia Zamora was left speechless after a team of surgeons removed a tumor that took up more than half of her tongue. To save her life, a multidisciplinary team of head and neck cancer experts at UC San Diego Health, led by Joseph A. Califano, MD, designed a comprehensive plan to: eradicate an aggressive squamous cell carcinoma; create a new tongue using tissue from her thigh; and teach her how to speak, eat and walk again. Today, Zamora speaks slowly with a raspy voice, but she is thankful that she has a voice and can eat fried chicken again.