Info all Articles

The Joan Karnell Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital is offering a free screening for oral, head and neck cancer from 11 am to 3 pm on Friday, April 19, 2013.

Oral, head and neck cancer refers to a variety of cancers that develop in the head and neck region, such as the oral cavity (mouth), the pharynx (throat), paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity, the larynx (voice box), thyroid and salivary glands, the skin of the face and neck, and the lymph nodes in the neck.

Common symptoms of oral, head and neck cancer

• 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

Later symptoms of oral, head and neck cancer

• 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 oral 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.

Date: Friday, April 19 2013
Time: 11 am to 3pm
Location: Pennsylvania Hospital, Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (adjacent to the Spruce Building) 811 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

To register for this free event, call 800-789-PENN (7366).

For more information, call 215-829-6466