Life after tongue cancer doesn't end when treatment finishes and neither do the challenges. In this honest and wide-ranging conversation, Barbara and Stef reflect on the realities of long-term survivorship that often go unspoken. From heat sensitivity, lymphedema and swallowing difficulties to chronic fatigue, brain fog and the daily balancing act of self-care, they explore what it really means to live beyond a cancer diagnosis.

The episode also takes a deeper look at the emotional side of survivorship, discussing delayed grief, burnout within patient advocacy, and how supporting others while living with your own diagnosis can take an invisible toll. Barbara and Stef share their own experiences of navigating identity, finding balance, and learning that healing is rarely a straight line. They also pay tribute to beloved Young Tongues community member Mus, reflecting on his extraordinary resilience, the impact of clinical trials, and the legacy he leaves behind. Along the way, Barbara shares exciting updates on the future of Young Tongues, the Patient Hub, and her new role as Interim Chair of the Head and Neck Cancer Coalition UK.

This episode is a reminder that survivorship is about far more than being cancer-free—it's about learning to live, grieve, grow and keep moving forward together.

If you’ve been diagnosed with tongue cancer (or are supporting someone who has), you can find help here:

🌍 Website

🤝 Join support groups & mailing list: via the website

💌 Contact us: podcast@youngtonguesglobal.com

We’re building this with our community — and you can be part of it:

✨ Volunteer & share your experience

🎙️ Apply to appear on the podcast

🧠 Take part in research opportunities

We’re a small charity with a big mission — and we rely on community support to keep going.

👉 Find out more how to make a donation or fundraise for us here

📲 Follow & Connect

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nine years after her tongue cancer diagnosis, Sinead Keane joins Barbara for an honest conversation about what happens after treatment ends.

From months of being told she was "too young and too healthy" to have cancer, through major surgery and radiation, Sinéad shares the realities of diagnosis, recovery, and learning to live in a body that has changed forever.

Together, they explore the long-term impact of tongue cancer on speech, eating, friendships, work, relationships, fitness, and mental health. They discuss the loneliness that can follow treatment, navigating the workplace with a speech difference, adapting to fatigue, and why healing is measured in years - bnot months.

Despite the challenges, this is ultimately a conversation filled with hope. Sinead reflects on rediscovering joy, rebuilding confidence, returning to the gym, and embracing a new version of herself.

If you’ve been diagnosed with tongue cancer (or are supporting someone who has), you can find help here:

🌍 Website

🤝 Join support groups & mailing list: via the website

💌 Contact us: podcast@youngtonguesglobal.com

We’re building this with our community — and you can be part of it:

✨ Volunteer & share your experience

🎙️ Apply to appear on the podcast

🧠 Take part in research opportunities

We’re a small charity with a big mission — and we rely on community support to keep going.

👉 Find out more how to make a donation or fundraise for us here

📲 Follow & Connect

Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Mailing List

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a brief podcast hiatus, Barbara, Steph and Jamie reunite to catch up on a busy month filled with advocacy, conferences, research collaborations and growing awareness of tongue cancer around the world. The episode begins with updates from all three hosts, including Steph’s attendance at ASCO, one of the world’s largest oncology conferences, where she represented the patient voice alongside researchers, clinicians and industry partners. The hosts also reflect on recent developments in head and neck cancer research, discussing the excitement surrounding emerging treatment approaches while exploring the challenges of interpreting scientific breakthroughs through media headlines. They highlight the importance of balancing hope with realism and explain why even incremental improvements in treatment can have a meaningful impact on future patient outcomes.

If you’ve been diagnosed with tongue cancer (or are supporting someone who has), you can find help here:

🌍 Website

🤝 Join support groups & mailing list: via the website

💌 Contact us: podcast@youngtonguesglobal.com

We’re building this with our community — and you can be part of it:

✨ Volunteer & share your experience

🎙️ Apply to appear on the podcast

🧠 Take part in research opportunities

We’re a small charity with a big mission — and we rely on community support to keep going.

👉 Find out more how to make a donation or fundraise for us here

📲 Follow & Connect

Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Mailing List

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.