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INTEGRIS Health Promotes Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week
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April 21, 2008
Head and neck cancers account for approximately 6 percent of all cancers in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 40,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed this year with cancers of the head and neck. Of those cases 7,500 will be fatal.
April 21 – 27 has been designated as Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week. The 11th annual campaign is designed to educate the public on this common but often misunderstood disease.
Most head and neck cancers begin in the cells that line the mucosal surfaces in the head and neck area, e.g., mouth, nose and throat. Cancers of the brain, eye and thyroid as well as those of the scalp, skin, muscles and bones are not usually grouped with cancers of the head and neck.
Tobacco (including smokeless tobacco, sometimes called “chewing tobacco” or “snuff”) and alcohol use are the most important risk factors for head and neck cancers. Eighty-five percent of head and neck cancers are linked to tobacco use.
One in four, or about 650,000, Oklahoma adults are current smokers. Oklahoma has one of the highest percentages of smoking-related deaths in the nation. Tobacco use causes the premature death of about 5,800 Oklahomans each year, or an average of 16 each day, more than from any other cause.
People who use both tobacco and alcohol are at greater risk for developing these cancers than people who use either tobacco or alcohol alone. People who are at risk for head and neck cancers should talk with their doctor about ways they can reduce their risk. They should also discuss how often to have checkups.
Symptoms of several head and neck cancers include a lump or sore that does not heal, a sore throat that does not go away, difficulty swallowing, and a change or hoarseness in the voice. Head and neck cancers are usually discovered by primary care physicians or dentists.
The treatment plan for an individual patient depends on a number of factors, including the exact location of the tumor, the stage of the cancer, and the person’s age and general health. The patient and the doctor should consider treatment options carefully. They should discuss each type of treatment and how it might change the way the patient looks, talks, eats or breathes. Like all cancers, early detection results in better outcomes and higher cure rates.
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INTEGRIS Health Corporate Communications
3030 N.W. Expressway
Suite 1620
Oklahoma City, 73112
(405) 951-4826 |
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