Man speaks ‘sans’ tongue

Staff Reporter MADURAI: Fifty two-year-old Muneeswaran (name changed) from Bodinaickanur looks like a normal person, till he tries to open his mouth and speak. Muneeswaran can speak, sing and swallow food even after excision of the whole tongue which was affected by tongue cancer! The patient, who was admitted to Government Rajaji hospital here, was diagnosed for non-healing ulcer of the tongue for which surgery was performed by a team led by B. K. C. Mohan Prasad, Head, Department of Surgical Oncology, and assisted by Mohammed Musthafa, Balamurugan and Ramesh. The surgery did cure him of the disease. “It is possible to speak if the person has the willpower and confidence,” said Dr. Mohan Prasad, who did total glossectomy on the patient since it was unavoidable as the cancer had already reached the posterior of the tongue,... [read full story]