Dr. Imogen Brooks, a 30-year-old scientist and medical writer, has regained her ability to speak clearly after receiving the United Kingdom's first prosthetic tongue provided by the National Health Service (NHS). The pioneering device was created after cancer surgery and subsequent radiotherapy significantly impacted her speech.
Dr. Brooks was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a common form of head and neck cancer, at the age of 26. Surgeons removed a substantial portion of her tongue, reconstructing it with tissue from another part of her body. While initially able to speak with some clarity, the reconstructed tissue shrank due to radiotherapy, progressively worsening her speech and making it difficult for others to understand her.
This communication barrier led to social isolation, with friends and colleagues sometimes avoiding conversations and strangers reacting with fear. The difficulty also affected her professional life and medical appointments.
Determined to find a solution, Dr. Brooks researched prosthetic tongue options and approached specialists at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. A team of eight experts collaborated to develop a bespoke prosthetic. Michael Brown, a dental technician at the trust, described it as a challenging but welcome project, stating that the team had never created such a device before.
After months of research, scans, and testing, the team produced two trial versions before finalizing the design with Dr. Brooks. The prosthetic features a U-shaped cobalt chrome frame that attaches to her lower teeth. A custom-molded silicone tongue rests on this frame, replacing the lost tissue's bulk and shape. This provides a surface against which she can form sounds more clearly, though it does not move independently like a natural tongue.
Speech and language therapist Carolyn Doughty believes this to be the first prosthetic tongue fitted on the NHS. Dr. Brooks experienced an improvement in her speech within three days of receiving the device. She reported a significant positive impact on her life, including the ability to speak more easily and for longer durations without fatigue. The prosthetic even aided her in passing an oral examination for her doctorate.
Dr. Brooks noted that people are now more willing to listen and have less difficulty understanding her, and are more inclined to ask for clarification when needed. A particularly meaningful improvement has been in her communication with her hard-of-hearing grandmother, with whom she previously had to rely on written notes and gestures.
More than 12,000 people are diagnosed with head and neck cancers in the UK annually. Dr. Brooks, who had mild symptoms before her diagnosis, hopes her experience will encourage medical professionals to collaborate with patients on innovations that enhance quality of life.