Medical Center To Offer Free Cancer Screenings

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Local physicians will provide free oral, head and neck cancer screenings next month in Cartersville.

The screenings will take place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 3 at The Hope Center at Cartersville Medical Center.

Oral, head and neck cancers claim approximately 14,000 lives per year. If diagnosed early, these cancers can be more easily treated without significant complications, and the chances of survival greatly increase.

Just because you can’t feel it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Just ask the more than 100,000 Americans who were diagnosed with cancers of the head and neck (including thyroid) last year. Unfortunately, many Americans do not recognize the symptoms of these life-threatening diseases, which include cancers of the oral cavity, thyroid, larynx and pharynx, and by the time they are diagnosed, for some, it’s too late.

Dr. William Thoms, Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Madhurima Uppalapati and Dr. Satyen Mehta, Medical Oncologists/Hematologists and Dr. Sanjay Athavale, Otolaryngologist will conduct the simple 10 minute test to determine the risk or presence of oral, head and neck cancers.

Residents can call MedLine at 800-242-5662 to register for their free oral cancer screening today.

Who should get tested?

Every adult. Tobacco and alcohol users traditionally have been considered the populations at greatest risk for these cancers. However, oral cancer cases are on the rise in younger adults who do not smoke, and recent research indicates this development is due partly to the increase of the human papillomavirus (HPV) virus, a cancer-causing infection that can be transmitted by oral sex.

HPV-related oral cancers are more difficult to detect because these cancers usually occur on the back of the tongue or on the tonsils, providing even more reason to get screened regularly.

What are the potential warning signs of oral cancers?

The signs and symptoms of oral cancer often go unnoticed. However, there are a few visible signs associated with these cancers that require immediate attention, including:

• A sore in your mouth that doesn’t heal or that increases in size
• Persistent pain in your mouth
• Lumps or white or red patches inside your mouth
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing or moving your tongue
• Soreness in your throat or feeling that something is caught in your throat
• Changes in your voice
• A lump in your neck

If you have any of the above warning signs, do not wait for the free screenings; seek medical attention immediately.

The medical center is at 100 Market Place Boulevard Suite 102 in Cartersville.

Image via Shutterstock