April 9, 2010

Head and neck cancer screening set

Head and neck cancer screening set

Vanderbilt will hold its annual head and neck cancer screening and education event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, April 16, during Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences are partnering with the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance to provide the screening.

The exams, which take only a few minutes, include inspection of the mouth and throat as well as palpation of the neck to detect abnormalities in lymph nodes, the thyroid or salivary glands. In addition to the exams, the educational event will include booths with information and medical personnel discussing topics related to head and neck cancer.

The free screening sessions will be held in two locations: Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, Odess Head & Neck Surgery Clinic, Medical Center East, South Tower, and at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Surgical Clinic No. 1 — ENT Clinic, First Floor.

No appointments are necessary. For more information contact Michelle Pham 936-4896.

Approximately 80,000 Americans are diagnosed with head and neck cancer (including thyroid cancer) every year, according to the National Cancer Institute.