The official head and neck cancer week runs from September 18 -23. The Make Sense Campaign, organised by the European Head and Neck Society, started in 2013.
It is estimated that there will be 560,000 new cases of Head and Neck Cancer diagnosed globally every year, with the numbers rising. This phenomenon is repeated in the UK. There were over 12,000 cases diagnosed in the UK last year, which is an increase of over 10% within the last 5 years.
It is widely acknowledged that early diagnosis saves lives but Head and Neck Cancer is very often diagnosed at a late stage which results in less positive outcomes for patients. The campaign highlights the 1for 3 rule, if a person has had any one of the following symptoms for more than 3 weeks, they are strongly advised to seek medical advice. Symptoms include: – painful or difficulty swallowing, pain in the throat, persistent hoarseness, sore tongue, non-healing mouth ulcers, red or white patches in the mouth, blocked nose or bloody discharge from the nose, lumps in the neck.
The campaign is designed to educate and raise awareness to result in early diagnosis. To this end, there are a number of initiatives taking place worldwide including walk-in clinics in Hungary, quizzes in Belgium, screening in Brazil, conferences and presentations to both professionals and the general public throughout Europe. Head and Neck Cancer is the 7th most common cancer in Europe (6th most common in the UK) but has one of the worst survival rates.
