Eva Grayzel first publicly shared her cancer journey at the 2003 National American Dental Association conference on the main stage to 9,000 dentists. That’s when she knew her story needed to be heard globally. Since then, she has become the voice for oral cancer, speaking internationally at dental/medical and survivorship conferences on the patient perspective. She performed her story as a one-woman show Off-Broadway.
Eva founded Six-Step Screening, an oral cancer awareness campaign. Given a 15% chance of survival, this fueled her passion to prevent what happened to her from happening to others. For the success of the campaign, Eva was given honorary membership to the American Academy of Oral Medicine.
Eva Grayzel, a professional interactive performance artist, was diagnosed with late-stage oral cancer at age 33. A non-smoker, she was bounced among dental professionals while the ulcer on her tongue grew more prominent and painful.
My first biopsy was misread by a general pathologist as hyperkeratosis, when in fact it was moderate dysplasia which had a chance of turning into cancer, explained Eva.
I didn’t know there were specialists in pathology, nor did I know that biopsies are not 100% definitive. It was two years and nine months from the first biopsy until the day I was finally diagnosed with late-stage oral cancer, explained Eva. During that time, bouncing back and forth between my dental practice and oral surgeons, no one EVER mentioned the words ‘oral cancer’ as a possible cause.
Finally, Eva made an appointment with Dr. Mark Urken, the chief of head and neck surgery at Mt. Sinai Hospital. She took a bus into Manhattan the fateful day of April 1, 1998, not having the slightest idea that what was on her tongue was remotely serious.
Eva then endured the removal of 1/3 of her tongue, a partial tongue reconstruction, a modified radical neck dissection, and a maximum dose of radiation therapy.
Through an extraordinarily successful treatment plan, Eva not only survived but also regained her ability to speak clearly. With a second chance at life, Eva couldn’t let the same thing happen to someone else.
I share my personal story hoping it will inspire dental and healthcare professionals to raise the bar on patient education and the early signs of oral cancer. It’s more than my mission to educate. It’s my tribute to all those who came before me and my obligation to those who will follow, added Eva.
Eva celebrated her 25-year cancer-free anniversary in 2023. She founded Talk4Hope, which includes two children’s books to promote dialogue and minimize fear around cancer, and My Story Legacy, a 12-page guide to document personal stories, a gift as valuable as material possessions.
