The Feist-Weiller Cancer Center will offer free head and neck cancer screenings April 27 in recognition of Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Week. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 52,610 new cases of head and neck cancers will be diagnosed in 2012 with an estimated 11,500 of those cases resulting in death.
Screenings will be available at FWCC Friday, April 27 from 9 am to 2 pm. Appointments are recommended but not required. Call 318-675-6262 to make an appointment or for more information. Feist-Weiller Cancer Center is located on Kings Highway, between Shriners' Hospital and the Biomedical Research Institute.
Free screenings will also be offered in Monroe April 27 from 9 am to 2 pm at First United Methodist Church, located at 3900 Loop Road. Appointments are not necessary.
About Oral, Head and Neck Cancer
Oral, head and neck cancer refers to a variety of cancers that develop in the head and neck region, such as the tongue, tonsils, sinuses, the larynx (voice box), thyroid and salivary glands, the skin of the face and neck, and the lymph nodes in the neck.
Common warning signs are:
• Red or white patch in the mouth that lasts more than two weeks
• Change in voice or hoarseness that lasts more than two weeks
• Sore throat that does not subside
• Pain or swelling in the mouth or neck that does not subside
• Lump in the neck
Other warning signs that occur during later stages of the disease include:
• Ear pain
• Difficulty speaking or swallowing
• Difficulty breathing
The most effective prevention strategy continues to be the cessation of behaviors such as smoking, use of chewing tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption. Eighty-five percent of head and neck cancers are related to tobacco use. Research has linked the increase of tongue and tonsil cancer incidence in young adults, a population traditionally at low risk, to the rise of human papillomavirus (HPV), a cancer-causing virus that can be transmitted through oral sex.
Information from: Head & Neck Cancer Alliance.