Each year, approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with head and neck cancer. This includes cancers of the oral cavity, throat, larynx, paranasal sinuses and salivary glands. Early detection can improve a patient’s likelihood of survival and reduce the treatment side effects, which can include impairment of breathing, speech and swallow function.
Screenings aid in early detection, which is why UW Health physicians offered free head and neck cancer screenings on April 12 as part of Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.
Risk factors for oral and neck cancers include a history of significant alcohol and tobacco use, exposure to the human papilloma virus (HPV) and long-term acid reflux. Some potential cancer signs are:
- Lump in the neck
- Pain the neck or throat
- Sore in the mouth or lip
- Pain in the ear
- Unusual bleeding, pain or numbness in the mouth or nose
- Pain or difficulty when swallowing
- Feeling of something caught in the throat
- Swelling or trouble opening jaw
- Hoarseness or change in the voice
- Numbness in face
- Blocked sinuses/sinus pain
The event was hosted by the University of Wisconsin Departments of Human Oncology and Surgery-Otolaryngology.