Critical Role star Sam Riegel has revealed he's been absent from the Dungeons & Dragons-based channel lately due to a diagnosis of and recovery from cancer. A video published on X/Twitter, below, featured what Critical Role called its "fearless leader, bard extraordinaire, and true inspiration." In it Riegel explained his diagnosis of oropharyngeal carcinoma, which is a "fancy word for tonsil cancer," as he put it.
Riegel is currently on the road to recovery following surgery to remove his tonsil, part of his tongue, and part of his soft palate. "Guys, it sucked," he said. "I spent four days in the hospital, I ate from a feeding tube, I had to relearn how to speak and swallow, which is why you may notice my diction is a bit slurry.
But they got the cancer." He then underwent six weeks of radiation treatments to ensure the cancer didn't spread. "And guys, that sucked even worse," Riegel said.
"I lost 20 pounds, I couldn't taste, I got radiation burns, I could barely eat, and I cried a lot. But, I'm happy to report that today I am on the road to recovery." Riegel said he wanted to share his story because oropharyngeal carcinoma is now 100% preventable through a vaccine, as it is initially caused by a common viral infection called human papillomavirus (HPV) which can, in rare cases, develop into a cancer later in life.
"Nearly everyone will get HPV at some point in their lives," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) .
"Most HPV infections (9 out .