Patient Voices: John King

Overview

Ask any football coach the key to a successful season, and they’ll likely tell you some variation of “showing up” — especially John King. He lives and breathes that motto in everything he does as head football coach and athletic director of Longview High School and as a father supporting his kids’ athletic careers. But his own advice was put to the test when he was diagnosed with mouth and tongue cancer

Mouth and tongue cancer — also known as oral cavity cancer — occurs when abnormal cells in the mouth or throat grow uncontrollably. While several types of cancers can affect the tongue, the most common is squamous cell carcinoma. It often appears as a non-healing sore or spot on the tongue.

Though generally considered uncommon, “oral cavity cancer is something that is certainly on the rise,” said Chip Hodges, M.D., MBA, a board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director forTexas Oncology-Longview Cancer Center.

As a former football player himself, Dr. Hodges understood Coach King’s treatment goals. “He wanted to be cured, but he also wanted to keep coaching,” Dr. Hodges shared. Most importantly, Coach King wanted to be there for his kids.

“There’s things I still want to do. I’ve got a daughter I gotta walk down the aisle — she’s engaged, getting married, and I’m going to be there for that,” said Coach King. “I have a son I wanted to see play college football, go in the NFL draft, and I’ve still got some coaching left in me. So, my mindset was going to find a way to win.”

That shared understanding served as fuel to help get Coach King across the end zone.

The Diagnosis

While some cancers don’t always present symptoms — especially in their early stages —mouth and neck cancers do have common warning signs. These include persistent sores that don’t heal, white or red patches on the tongue, and painful lumps.

It was symptoms that prompted Coach King to get checked. “I noticed I had a spot on my tongue that I thought was associated with a cracked tooth,” he said.

Coach King visited his primary care doctor, who recommended he see a dentist. The dentist then referred him to a specialist for a biopsy. “That was probably the first time I realized this is reality. You’ve been flirting with disaster long enough, and it caught up to you,” said Coach King.

During a Thursday scrimmage, Coach King received his biopsy results, confirming squamous cell carcinoma — cancer of the mouth and tongue that affects squamous cells, which make up the outer layer of the skin.

“Right then and there is when reality hit, and I knew the seriousness of my diagnosis,” said Coach King.

The Game Plan

Given his doctor’s concern about potential growth, Coach King was encouraged to immediately schedule his surgery.

“They talked me through the whole thing about what to expect, the size of the tumor in my tongue, what they might have to do — and just walked me through the whole thing, from surgery to recovery, and even the possibilities of grafting to rebuild my tongue back if it came to that,” explained Coach King. “We were ready to move on it as quickly as we could because I wanted to beat this. I knew that I made some bad choices, and it was time to answer up for them.”

The game plan was a tongue glossectomy, a surgical procedure that removes part or all of the tongue. During surgery, part of Coach King’s tongue was removed until surgeons achieved clear margins with no remaining cancer.

“I was fortunate to keep most of my tongue,” Coach King shared.

Support Systems

Although Coach King had to miss part of the football season, his team and the community showed up to support him throughout treatment and recovery.

“I had an outpour of support from Lobo Nation, our players, our coaches, opposing coaches, and friends I have across the state,” Coach King shared. “There were t-shirts being sold by our booster club to honor me during this time and recognize my situation. It made me feel good knowing that people cared and understood the struggles that I was going through.”

When Coach King returned to the football field, his team made sure he had transportation to and from practice, regularly checked on him, ensured he stayed hydrated, and listened carefully whenever he spoke.  

“You’ve gotta make the most of whatever the situation is, and that’s been my mindset the whole time,” explained Coach King. “The fight to beat cancer is very similar to the fight to compete and win games. Whatever competition you’re in, you’re going to face difficult situations.”

He was thankful to have the football community behind him.

It Takes a Team

One of the biggest benefits of seeking care at Texas Oncology was receiving high-quality care close to home. Coach King didn’t have to travel to Houston or Dallas. Staying in Longview allowed him to fight cancer alongside his support system.

Each morning, Coach King met with his coaching staff to discuss the game plan before his wife picked him up and took him to treatment. Getting up and moving played a key role in his recovery.

Since Coach King’s goal was to not miss any of his son’s football games, Dr. Hodges developed a care plan designed to minimize disruption when Coach King traveled to Georgia Tech for his son’s senior night on November 29.

“We set our calendar around that date,” Coach King shared. “Dr. Hodges planned everything around it. He made sure that I was set up with whatever I needed to be able to make the flight to Georgia and back, to be able to spend the weekend there to watch my son play. Then we resumed our treatment schedule the following week and found a way to get this radiation treatment finished.”

Dr. Hodges timed treatment so that the worst side effects occurred after the trip. “He laid out a plan. Everything he told me was pretty much spot on from day one to day 30,” said Coach King.

Though radiation treatment was difficult, Coach King appreciated that he and Dr. Hodges shared a deep understanding of the importance of being there for his family and football team.

“He understood the importance of me wanting to be there for my family,” Coach King said.  “And in setting that treatment, he understood the rigors that go along with not only my job, but being able to travel through airports and on airplanes to see my son.”

“Texas Oncology-Longview really had to come together as a team,” said Dr. Hodges. “Working as a team is what allowed us to get coach through this treatment without missing any of those Georgia Tech games.”

Where’s Coach King Today

Coach King successfully completed radiation treatment and now follows up regularly with Dr. Hodges every three months for CT scans.

He hopes to share his story to raise awareness about the risk factors for mouth and tongue cancer, including tobacco and alcohol use. 

“That’s what I try to tell our players — it’s about the choices you make,” said Coach King. “Day to day can determine how you’re going to live your life and hopefully they decide to make better choices than I did and learn from the mistakes that I made.”

Cancer may have altered Coach King’s game plan, but football — and community — is what helped him win. Today, Coach King is coaching a different team.

“My identity’s always going to be Coach King. My identity’s always going to be the guy that coaches the Lobos, but now I’m a cancer survivor,” he said.

The information included in this testimonial is based on one patient’s unique experience and is not intended to represent all patient outcomes or expectations.