Some of the symptoms that reveal head and neck cancers are commonplace and can go unnoticed. Here’s how to recognize them.
- The Corasso patient association is launching a new communication campaign around head and neck cancers.
- “Aimed at the general public but also health professionals, this campaign focuses on highlighting symptoms which may appear benign but which should be a warning if they persist for more than 3 weeks,” explain the activists.
- 15,000 people are affected each year in France by head and neck cancer, 70% of them being diagnosed at an advanced stage.
This year again, from November 7 to 11, the Corasso patient association continues its mission to raise awareness around head and neck cancers by designing a communication campaign which aims to meet a triple objective: to challenge, alert and promote early detection of these still little-known pathologies.
Head and neck cancers: what does the prevention campaign consist of?
“Aimed at the general public but also health professionals, this campaign focuses on highlighting symptoms which may appear benign but which should be a warning if they persist for more than 3 weeks”explain the activists in a press release. “This campaign will be deployed through impactful displays in train stations throughout France, accompanied by video testimonials from patients, caregivers and doctors. they continue.
Head and neck cancers: symptoms that should alert you
Some of the symptoms that reveal head and neck cancers may go unnoticed. These include, for example, local discomfort or pain resembling that of angina, pharyngitis or laryngitis. Other symptoms may also occur: blocked or bleeding nose, lump in the neck (lymph nodes), pain in the tongue, sore throat or hoarseness, difficulty and/or pain when chewing or swallowing.
In the case of a trivial disease, these symptoms are often diffuse whereas in cancer, they are very localized. “One of the main signs which should encourage the patient to consult is the duration of the symptoms: after 3 weeks, medical advice is essential. General practitioners are well aware of the symptoms of classic head and neck cancers and refer their patients , if necessary, to an ENT specialist or to large cancer care centers. The problem arises for rare head and neck cancers whose symptoms are little known to doctors.”explains Dr. Temam.
15,000 people affected each year by head and neck cancer
As soon as the general practitioner suspects head and neck cancer, he or she prescribes a CT scan with injection of an iodine-based product to highlight possible cancerous tissues.
15,000 people are affected each year in France by head cancer and neck, 70% of them being diagnosed at an advanced stage. In 9 out of 10 cases, ENT cancers can be cured if caught in time.