Charlotte Webster-Salter, 27, started getting recurring mouth ulcers in 2018, but thought she was feeling ‘run down' due to stress and her long shifts working as a flight attendant. The ulcers came and went for the next couple of years, with Charlotte’s dentist suspecting they were caused by her wisdom teeth coming in.

After her tongue developed sore, white patches, and several trips to the dentist and GP, Charlotte was eventually referred to a specialist.  Following a  biopsy, the doctors realised the real problem was a cancerous tumour called squamous cell carcinoma.  Charlotte then underwent a nine-and-a-half-hour operation to remove the cancerous part of her tongue and replace it with muscle from her thigh called a ‘skin flap’.

Charlotte says ‘In some ways, I feel exceptionally lucky because it was caught in time.  ‘I’m a rare case because I’m so young – it was a mystery to the doctors, but I think it’s so important to look out for the symptoms at any age.

‘There needs to be more awareness out there.

‘If just one person reads my story and recognises the symptoms, I’ll be happy.’