Stewart’s Head & Neck Cancer Success Story

Our Head & Neck Cancer Screening Event

At UTHSC ENT, caring for our community is not only our priority, it’s our privilege. That’s why we recently hosted a day-long event at Crosstown Concourse, providing *FREE* head and neck cancer screenings to anyone interested.

Cancer screenings like these are an invaluable resource and can be life-saving for patients.

One of the providers giving screenings that day was first year medical student Stewart Nichols. Stewart knows first-hand how important screenings are to detection and treatment: her mother Stephanie was diagnosed with head and neck cancer several years ago.

Thanks to early detection, her mother received proper care and is in great health today!

Success Story: Stephanie Nichols, Memphis, TN

Years ago, Stewart Nichols’ mother Stephanie mentioned discomfort and swelling in her throat. Initially thought to be a lingering viral infection, her doctor recommended having her tonsils removed.

Stephanie had a gut feeling, however, that the source of her discomfort was something more serious: cancer. Before the tonsillectomy, she shared this suspicion with her doctor: “I think I have cancer,” she said. “Take out as much as you need to once I’m under.”

Sure enough, her left tonsil was cancerous. Stephanie’s intuition and permission meant that the doctor removed the affected area without further delay.

This operation started her cancer treatment: Stewart’s parents temporarily moved to Houston to receive proton radiation treatment at M.D. Anderson.

Today, several years later, Stephanie reports 100% health!

Early detection is critical to saving lives. Stewart shares why this issue is close to hear heart, and why UTHSC ENT’s cancer screenings are invaluable;

“As a UTHSC medical student and the daughter of a head and neck cancer survivor, volunteering at this screening event made perfect sense to me. Through my mom’s treatment experience, I learned that most of these cancers have preventable causes, so this event is a great opportunity for not only disease detection but also education and prevention.”
–Stewart Nichols, first year medical student at UTHSC ENT

Interested in a screening? We can help

If you’ve noticed an uncommon mass, pain, or inflammation in your head and neck, we recommend scheduling an appointment with one of our specialists: 901-272-6051

What makes UTHSC ENT different?

That’s one thing that makes UTHSC ENT’s Dream Team different: we offer personalized, collaborative treatment from world class specialiasts. If you’ve seen several doctors but your problem persists, it’s time you reached out!