Sabrina Gauer, a New York-based singer was 27 when she was diagnosed with stage-4 mouth cancer. The singer underwent intensive surgery in October 2015 to have part of her tongue removed and reconstructed to eliminate the aggressive oral squamous cell carcinoma tumor at the side of her tongue. The surgeons also removed 41 lymph nodes on the right side of her neck during the surgery that lasted six hours.

Gauer refused to undergo radiation therapy, as the intervention was associated with adverse short-term and long-term side effects such as hoarseness, difficulties in eating and drinking, dental problems and damage to the collar bone. Instead, the singer opted for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a more natural approach in order to expel the remnants of the cancer. She underwent the procedure for six weeks, and was able to preserve her voice. Now at 28 years old, Gauer has been declared cancer-free since February of 2016, 20 months after the intervention.