Free oral, head and neck cancer screenings slated in Derby

DERBY - Griffin Hospital will offer free oral, head and neck cancer screenings from 4 - 7 p.m. Tuesday, 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.