Richard Paul, M.D., was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue in the summer of 2006. As a urologist on Beebe Medical Center’s medical staff, he was familiar with cancer.

“I deal with patients who have bladder, prostate, and kidney cancers. Since our practice rarely loses patients to cancer, it was not as scary for me as it is for most patients.”

Dr. Paul took a leave of absence from his medical practice and received chemotherapy and radiation. His treatments were finished before Christmas and he was back to work by April.

“It is important not to focus on being afraid,” he says. “For me the worst part was dumping so much work on my practice. It was difficult for me to be out of work for so long.”

Dr. Paul urges people to have screenings for cancer and to go to the doctor if they have any suspicious lumps.

Click here to read more stories from survivors