Thai woman's face deformed due to rare cancer 'that started as gum disease'

A Thai woman's face has been deformed due to a tumour growing in her mouth, which started as the gum disease gingivitis.

Jidapha Wongkraso, 33, was working as a market vendor in Rayong province, Thailand, in 2021 when she noticed a small swollen wound above her teeth.

She tried to cure it with mouthwash and other home remedies, thinking it was a simple infection. But when she visited medics after the mass kept growing bigger, she was diagnosed with rare thyroid cancer in the mouth in its final stages.

Footage shows Jidapha talking outside her home, despite being severely sick.

She can no longer chew due to the tumour distorting the inside of her mouth, so Jidapha only eats soft meals like instant noodles and soup.

She said: ‘I had gingivitis three years ago when I was selling vegetables and fruits in the market. I did not think it was that serious. The wound was so small back then.

‘When the pain was too much, I was forced to see the doctors as I could no longer work.'

Her aunt Somjit, 46, said Sidapha had survived kidney cancer when she was only 14.

She said: ‘She was a cancer survivor, but at 31 she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. My niece struggles to accept her circumstances, but as a family, we try to support her with what we can.'

While Sidapha was surrounded by family who love her, the piling medical bills made it harder for her to cope with the disease.

Jidapha said: ‘Sometimes there are people who donate to me. We also sell school supplies and vegetables online to help with my treatment.'

Due to her financial struggles, Jidapha had to stop her dialysis treatment as she could not afford the fees and transportation.

She said: ‘I saw my grandmother eating only rice every day, and I felt bad that all their money went to my treatment. It was a choice I made.'

However, good Samaritans are reaching out to Jidapha to help her battle her rare cancer.

She said: ‘They give me rice, food, and mouthwash.'

Thyroid cancer spreading to the mouth area is very uncommon. If it does spread there, it usually affects the tongue, gums, or jawbone. Finding thyroid cancer in the mouth typically means the cancer is advanced and hard to treat.