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Writer's pictureAudrey Wright

Wear it Wednesday

It’s “Wear it Wednesday”, and SAC’s Physical & Mental Health Committee​​​ is bringing awareness to Head and Neck Cancer by wearing red and white. Here are the facts about Head and Neck Cancer, statistics, testing and treatment, risk factors, and signs and symptoms.


𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑺

• Cancers that are known collectively as head

and neck cancers usually begin in the

squamous cells that line the mucosal surfaces

of the head and neck.

• Cancers of the head and neck can form in the:

oral cavity, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx),

paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity, and

salivary glands.

𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑪𝑺

• Head and neck cancers account for nearly 4%

of all cancers in the United States.

• These cancers are more than twice as

common among men as they are among

women.

• Head and neck cancers are also diagnosed

more often among people over age 50 than

they are among younger people.

• Researchers estimated that more than 68,000

men and women in the United States would

be diagnosed with head and neck cancers in

2021.

𝑻𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮 & 𝑻𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑻𝑴𝑬𝑵𝑻

Head and Neck Cancer treatment can include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy.


𝑹𝑰𝑺𝑲 𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑶𝑹𝑺

• Alcohol and tobacco use

• Exposure to wood dust

• Radiation exposure

• HPV, especially HPV type 16

• Epstein-Barr virus infection

• Chinese ancestry

• Underlying genetic disorders


𝑺𝑰𝑮𝑵𝑺 & 𝑺𝒀𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑶𝑴𝑺

Head and neck cancer symptoms may include:


• a lump in the neck or a sore in the mouth or

the throat that does not heal and may be

painful

• a sore throat or pain in neck that does not go

away

• difficulty in swallowing

• ringing in the ears or trouble hearing

• a change or hoarseness in the voice

• trouble breathing or speaking

• a white or red patch on the gums, the tongue,

or the lining of the mouth

• unusual bleeding or pain in the mouth

• bleeding through the nose

• frequent headaches

• pain in the upper teeth or problems with

dentures

• paralysis of the muscles or pain in the face,

chin, or

the neck that does not go away


Source: American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org)



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