Actor discovered he contracted cancer from oral sex after noticing bizarre symptom
An actor has shared how he got cancer after contracting a virus from oral sex.
Sam Riegel is a voice actor known for his roles in TV show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2003, and more recently in the Dungeons and Dragons show Critical Role.
“I was a happy, healthy father of two kids and husband to an incredible wife, just going about my life,” Sam said about how he had been prior to his diagnosis in 2024. “I was honestly feeling great.”
In March 2024 Sam noticed that he had lost the ability to be able to taste anything sweet, telling the I'm Happy You're Here podcast that he began noticing that his morning oatmeal had tasted bitter despite him eating it with honey and berries.
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At first Sam had assumed that he had covid as his taste had been affected, but sadly after some tests Sam found that he had tonsil cancer, in a variety called oropharyngeal carcinoma, Keck Medicine wrote.
Even assuming that his prognosis would be good, the fact that the cancer was in his tonsils was particularly alarming for Sam as well as he is a voice actor, so anything affecting his voice could have life altering consequences even if he was okay.
“As a voice actor, I was particularly anxious about regaining my voice and diction,” said Sam.
“My salivary glands were damaged. My mouth was constantly dry. Scar tissue was tight in my throat, and neck muscles were raw.”
Explaining how he found out about the cancer, Sam said that he had felt that something wasn't right, as he couldn't taste sweet things, and also found that he had a tickle in his throat.
After examining him, Sam said that the doctor had poked a finger into his tonsils and told him right there that he had cancer, though he said that she ordered further tests as he had literally sat in his car after the first appointment and got a call confirming that he had a CT scan the following morning.
Fortunately, he revealed that when his surgeon called him for the first time he told Sam that 'good news - you don't die from this'.
As for how he contracted the cancer, Sam revealed that the cancer was as a result of contracting Human Papillomavirus, or HPV.
HPV is most commonly associated with cervical cancer, however the virus can be passed by physical contact, so it is possible for someone to contract HPV in their mouth if they perform oral sex on someone who has the virus.
So while someone who doesn't have a cervix obviously can't get cervical cancer from HPV, they could get cancer in their mouth or throat.
Despite his worries about his job, Sam said that he has managed to regain his voice.
“Thanks to daily vocal, jaw, neck and tongue exercises, I regained my voice,” he said.
“After months of physical therapy, my mouth strength and flexibility improved. And about a year after radiation, my taste and saliva came back.”
And now he has made a full recovery, saying: “I wake up each day happy and healthy, without anxiety about the grim spectre of mortality.
“When it does come up, I’m able to laugh about my experiences and share tips with other folks going through it.”
Topics: US News, Entertainment, Cancer
Kit Roberts
