Hello world.So this week is for awareness on oral,head and neck cancers

Oral, head and neck cancers refer to many types of cancers, including those that arise in the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, thyroid glands, salivary glands, throat or larynx (voice box).

Most oral cancers arise on the lips, tongue or the floor of the mouth. They also may occur inside your cheeks, on your gums or on the roof of your mouth. Oropharyngeal cancers related to HPV are often found in the tonsil or base of tongue. Other head and neck cancers arise from the voice box or throat, or from salivary (spit) glands or the thyroid gland.

Risk Factors include:

*Tobacco (including smokeless tobacco)

*Alcohol use

People who use both tobacco and alcohol are at greater risk for developing these cancers than people who use either tobacco or alcohol alone. (Source: National Cancer Institute).

*Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Throat Cancer
-Researchers have correlated the increase of head and neck cancer incidence in young adults, a group traditionally at low risk, to the human-papillomavirus (HPV); a cancer-causing virus that can be transmitted through oral sex. Many studies support that oropharyngeal cancers – those affecting the tonsils, back of the mouth (throat) and base of the tongue – have been on the rise since the mid-1980s, and currently 50-70 percent of these cases are caused by HPV infections.(Source:OHANCAW 2018 fact sheet)

look out for:
• A red or white spot in your mouth that doesn't heal or that increases in size
• Sore throat or swollen tonsil
• Changes in your voice
• A lump in your neck
• Earache
• Difficulty swallowing

Above all,avoid the risk factors and go for a screening at the nearest facility.

Stay Healthy!!!