Barbara Fountain, a Norwich-based cancer advocate and CEO of the charity Young Tongues, has just been awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by a Swiss foundation dedicated to global cancer prevention. Here, Barbara explains what it means to her
Norwich-based charity CEO and Founder Barbara Fountain has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Cancer Prevention Institute (ICPI), a Swiss foundation that promotes international cooperation, education and research to reduce the global cancer burden. The award recognizes Barbara’s outstanding global impact in supporting young patients with tongue cancer and her dedication to public health.
Barbara was presented with the award while delivering a lecture on “Including the Patient Voice in Research” at the CancerPrev Summer School in Pollone, Italy. The award was personally presented by Prof Dr Gian-Paolo Dotto, ICPI President, and Prof Dr Cathrin Brisken, ICPI Vice-President, both leaders in international cancer research and prevention.
“Barbara Fountain represents exactly the kind of leadership we need in cancer advocacy—driven, compassionate, and grounded in real-world experience”, said Prof Dr Gian-Paolo Dotto. “Her work has brought vital attention to a group of patients who were too often overlooked, and she’s helped push the entire field to do better by listening to those directly affected.”
After being diagnosed with tongue cancer at the age of 32, Barbara quickly identified a critical lack of support for younger patients. Her response was to create what would become Young Tongues, a peer-led support charity which developed into a registered charity in 2023. Today, it serves a fast-growing global community of over 800 patients.
“I feel incredibly honoured to be recognised with this award,” Barbara said. “It’s a reflection of the courage and resilience of our entire community. But we are just at the start, there is so much more to do to make sure no young person faces this diagnosis alone or unheard.”
Her charity addresses diagnostic delays often face the young patients and works with clinicians, policy makers and researchers to improve standards of care. Research shows tongue cancer in young people, especially women under 45, has increased by 385% in the last 35 years (Oral Oncology), despite no link to traditional risk factors like smoking, alcohol and HPV infections.
Visit Cancer Prev Institute and YoungTongues
Featured image of (left to right): Gian-Paolo Dotto, Barbara Fountain and Cathrin Brisken – copyright Barbara Fountain)
Leave a Reply