When Awareness Helped Break the Silence Around Oral Cancer

A woman who had been silently living with troubling symptoms found the courage to seek care through community awareness, counselling, and timely support.

Silent symptoms, growing concern

On 2 December 2025, the Tinsukia COP team conducted an awareness session on oral, breast, and cervical cancer at Deohal Tea Estate. Among those indirectly reached through this initiative was a 42-year-old woman, Phul Kumari Nayak (name changed).

For some time, she had been experiencing difficulty in opening her mouth, a persistent burning sensation while eating, and occasional bleeding from her oral cavity. These symptoms had begun affecting her daily life, but fear and financial uncertainty kept her from seeking timely medical attention.

Like many others in vulnerable circumstances, she was caught between the fear of a serious diagnosis and the worry of how treatment expenses would be managed. As a result, her symptoms remained unaddressed.

A trusted local link made the difference

The awareness efforts conducted at Deohal Tea Estate helped sensitise local health touchpoints in the community. A local pharmacist at Deohal Tea Estate Hospital, guided by the COP team, encouraged Phul Kumari to visit the Screening Kiosk at LGB District Hospital, Tinsukia.

On 8 December 2025, she gathered the courage to visit the kiosk. During screening, an ulceroproliferative growth was detected in the right gingivobuccal sulcus area. The finding required urgent further evaluation, and she was promptly referred to Dibrugarh Cancer Centre.

Counselling, financial support, and continued care

At this stage, her fear deepened. She was not only worried about the diagnosis, but also about the cost of investigations and treatment.

Recognising her vulnerable situation, the ACCF COP team stepped in with continued counselling and reassurance. The team helped her understand that early diagnosis and timely treatment could lead to better outcomes. They also facilitated support for her diagnostic investigations under CSR funds, ensuring that cost did not become a barrier to moving ahead with care.

Her histopathological report confirmed Squamous Cell Carcinoma, conventional keratinizing, Grade I. While the diagnosis was difficult to process, Phul Kumari was no longer facing the journey alone. With emotional support, financial assistance, and a clear treatment pathway, she proceeded with consultation at Dibrugarh Cancer Centre under a Medical Oncologist.

She was advised chemotherapy and has completed three cycles as per protocol. She currently remains under evaluation and continues her treatment journey with courage and resilience.

A reminder on bridging the gap to care

Phul Kumari’s journey reflects the importance of taking cancer awareness beyond hospital walls and into communities where people may be silently living with symptoms but unable to come forward.

Her story also highlights the role of trusted local networks. Sometimes, a person may not respond to symptoms immediately, but a familiar voice — a pharmacist, a health worker, or a community-level care team — can help them take the first step.

Across many communities, fear, lack of information, financial concerns, and delayed help-seeking can prevent people from accessing timely cancer care. By strengthening awareness, counselling, referral support, and financial facilitation, community-based health initiatives can help bridge these gaps.

A screening kiosk, a counselling conversation, or timely financial support may seem like one part of the larger healthcare system. But for someone living in fear and uncertainty, it can become the difference between continued silence and the beginning of treatment.

If you or someone you know experiences difficulty in opening the mouth, persistent burning while eating, bleeding from the oral cavity, a non-healing ulcer, or any unusual oral symptom, do not delay seeking medical advice.

For cancer-related queries, call the free helpline number 18003454225