By The Survivors Club Staff
February 17, 2010

Famed movie critic Roger Ebert has been battling various forms of cancer for the last several years, and the disease has robbed him of the ability to speak. However, a new interview has revealed the iconic journalist's resilience and showed how his famous pen allows him to continue to communicate so effectively with the world.

In fact, for the piece slated to appear in the March issue of Esquire magazine, Ebert used special text-to-speech software as well as pen and paper to share his experiences and talk about a form of sign language he developed, where he traces letters with his finger on the palm of his hand, according to People magazine.

The 67-year-old also showed a sense of humor when - after describing the multiple surgeries, including those to remove his thyroid, salivary glands and parts of his jaw that left his face substantially disfigured - he jokingly asked "what else can go wrong?" the news provider revealed.

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, approximately 35,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer each year and about 7,600 die from the disease.

The majority of cases are due to smoking, tobacco chewing and excessive alcohol consumption, so individuals can significantly diminish their risk by reducing their use of those products.

Experts also stress that as early detection is associated with more than an 80 percent chance of survival, regular screening and dental checkups are key to catching the disease early.

Affected individuals and their families may consult the resources of the Oral Cancer Foundation, which also accepts donations.