Griffin offers free oral, head, neck screenings

DERBY - For the second year, Griffin Hospital will offer free oral, head and neck cancer screenings from 4 - 7 p.m. April 9.
The event, held during the 16th annual Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Awareness Week®, will be held at the Center for Cancer Care, 350 Seymour Ave.

“Unfortunately, many Americans do not recognize the symptoms of these life-threatening diseases, which include cancers of the oral cavity, larynx and pharynx, and by the time they are diagnosed, for some, it’s too late,” said Ken Yanagisawa, M.D., an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist and president elect of the CT ENT Society. 

Oral, head and neck cancer can arise in the the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, thyroid glands, salivary glands, throat or larynx (voice box).

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 41,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and throat are expected in 2013. 

Last year, Griffin screened 73 individuals and potentially saved the lives of 11 individuals by referring them for additional screening and, in one case, giving an immediate referral for an abnormal growth.

The screening is painless and takes about 10 minutes. Participating physicians include Dr. Yanagisawa, Ronald H. Hirokawa, M.D., Maria N. Byrne, M.D., Joseph Cardinale, M.D., and members of Huntington Family Dental Group in Shelton, Sensitive Care Dentistry in Milford, Southern Connecticut Dental Group in Ansonia and Dental Associates of Connecticut in Shelton.

Oral cancer screenings are recommended for every adult, Yanagisawa said, especially for tobacco and alcohol users who are traditionally at the greatest risk. However, oral cancer cases are on the rise in younger adults who do not smoke, and recent research indicates this development is due partly to the increase of the human papillomavirus (HPV) virus.

Symptoms associated with oral cancer include:

• A sore in your mouth that doesn't heal or that increases in size
• Persistent pain in your mouth
• Lumps or white or red patches inside your mouth
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing or moving your tongue
• Soreness in your throat or feeling that something is caught in your throat
• Changes in your voice
• A lump in your neck

(Note:  If you have any of these warning signs, do not wait for the free screenings. Contact your physician or call the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital, 203-732-1280.)

Space for the free screenings is limited; early registration is encouraged. 

To register, call the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital, 203-732-1280.

This information is taken from a press release.