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(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071130/CLF030 )
Zenk Pinter's first stop was CBS's The Early Show. In an interview withco-anchor Hannah Storm, Zenk Pinter revealed how a seemingly stubborn cankersore turned out to be a stage-two malignant oral cancer, requiring severalsurgeries to reconstruct her tongue, and months of radiation treatments. ZenkPinter explained to Storm that she believes that her cancer was caused by thehuman papillomavirus. "I had absolutely none of the historic risk factors forthis cancer, I never used tobacco and only drank socially," she said,referring to the two other common causes of the disease.
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"In fact, young Americans who have none of the historic risk factors arethe fastest growing segment of oral cancer patients in the country," BrianHill, executive director of the Oral Cancer Foundation says, "and we believethe culprit behind the surge in cases is HPV16, the same virus that causescervical cancer."
Dr. Mark Lingen, Professor of Pathology at the University of ChicagoSchool of Medicine says, "Colleen was very typical of most Americans in theirlack of knowledge of oral cancer. Awareness and routine screening isparticularly important, since early discovery is directly correlated topositive outcomes from treatment." HPV is the most common sexually transmitteddisease in the United States. At least 50 percent of American adults willacquire the virus at some point in their lives. HPV16, one of the mostdestructive strains of the virus, was definitively linked to oral cancer in2001. Research has also established that the virus, which can easily betransferred, may even be a more significant risk factor than tobacco in theyounger portion of the population.
"Colleen is an amazing woman", said Hill. "Even BEFORE she had begun hertreatments for the cancer, she contacted me and wanted to become an advocatefor early detection and increased awareness. She was clearly taken by surpriseto have developed this cancer. Most people at that point in the process areonly thinking of themselves, and getting through the really tough treatmentssuccessfully. Her willingness to talk publicly about her very personal andpainful battle with oral cancer is certainly courageous, and the desire tohelp others is palpable when you speak with her. Her story and high profilecelebrity as a well-known TV actress will have enormous impact educating thepublic about this deadly and disfiguring disease. This is one of the purestexamples of altruistic, celebrity power being used to better other people'slives. We are lucky to have this partnership with Colleen."
Now cancer-free, Zenk Pinter urged viewers of The Early Show to getregular oral cancer screenings. "Your dentist should be doing an oral cancerexam at every visit," Zenk Pinter said. "It's a simple 5 minute, painless examthat may save your life."
The Early Show was only the first of what is on the public awarenessschedule for Zenk Pinter. A recent interview with Soap Opera Digest is alreadyon the newsstands, and interviews with other magazines have been scheduled. InDecember she will film a TV Public Service Announcement on the need for earlydetection through annual screenings. OCF will distribute the PSA to TVstations across the country at the beginning of 2008.
About Colleen Zenk Pinter
Ms. Zenk Pinter has worked professionally since the age of nine as anactress. Besides her long time association with As the World Turns, in whichshe has appeared in over 250 episodes, Colleen
