Guest post by Brett A. Miles, DDS, MD, FACS, Co-Chief of the Division Head and Neck Oncology at the Mount Sinai Health System.

April marks Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month with a dedicated week, April 12-18, highlighted by the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance. As part of the organization’s educational and preventive components of its mission, the Department of Otolaryngology (ENT)-Head and Neck Surgery at Mount Sinai will be hosting its annual Oral, Head and Neck Cancer free screening event on April 16th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at:

The Mount Sinai Hospital
Guggenheim Pavilion Atrium
1468 Madison Avenue (at 100th St.)
212-241-9410 (for questions – no registration required)

This event aims to raise community awareness regarding head and neck cancer by offering a free cancer screening examination and informational materials related to head and neck cancer. The Department of Otolaryngology has partnered with the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance and participated in this event since 2012.

About Oral Cancer Prevalence and Prevention

More than 100,000 cases of head and neck cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2015, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. This includes cancers of the tongue, throat, voice box, jaws, salivary glands, or neck such as thyroid cancer. Many oral, head and neck cancers are preventable by avoiding known risk factors. The most important risk factors related to head and neck cancer are tobacco, alcohol, and human papilloma virus (HPV). Cigarette smoking increases your risk of head and neck cancer by 15 times, and people who smoke and drink are at even greater risk than those who do one or the other.

The importance of oral cancer screening and awareness is early diagnosis. The majority of head and neck cancer if discovered at an early stage are curable with modern therapies. Unfortunately, many patients present later in the disease with more advanced stage cancers, which can be life threatening. Ignoring common symptoms or lack of awareness regarding these symptoms decreases survival for advanced head and neck cancer.

Symptoms such as a sore in your mouth that does not heal, persistent pain, new growths or lumps which do not resolve, numbness, difficulty moving your tongue, or swallowing, hoarseness of your voice that does not resolve, or lumps in your neck may all be signs of head and neck cancer. Theses signs and symptoms should not be ignored and you should seek advice from your physician or dentist if you notice any of these types of symptoms lasting longer than two or three weeks.

We hope that you are able to participate in our free screening event and learn about the signs and symptoms of head and neck cancer.