Detroit cancer center to conduct free oral, head and neck cancer screenings

Karmanos Cancer InstituteApr 3 2010

Ten Minutes of Preventative Cancer Screening that can Save Lives

On Friday, April 16, from 2 - 5 p.m., the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit will be conducting free oral, head and neck cancer screenings in conjunction with National Oral Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (April 12 – 18.)  Some of the symptoms of oral cancer go unnoticed. A simple 10-minute screening exam can determine if there are problems and can help diagnose this disease in its early stage.  

Some of the warning signs of oral cancers include:

• Red or white patches in the mouth that last 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
• Ear pain
• Difficulty speaking or swallowing
• Difficulty breathing

According to the American Cancer Society, there were more than 40,000 Americans who were diagnosed with cancers of the head and neck last year alone and approximately 7,600 died from the disease. If diagnosed early, oral, head and neck cancers can be more easily treated and the chances of survival increase greatly.