Free Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Screenings

In observance of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week, otorhinolaryngologists (ENT surgeons) with McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and UT Physicians are offering no-cost oral, head and neck cancer screenings at three locations, Thursday, April 11, 2-4 p.m.:

UT Physicians Otorhinolaryngology – Texas Medical Center
6400 Fannin St., Suite 2700

UT Physicians Otorhinolaryngology – The Woodlands
9200 Pinecroft Drive, Suite 425, The Woodlands

UT Physicians Otorhinolaryngology – Southeast Houston
11914 Astoria Blvd., Suite 670

No appointments are necessary for the screenings and walk-in patients are welcome. The screenings, which are painless, take about 10 minutes.

Oral, head and neck cancers claim approximately 13,000 lives per year, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. But if diagnosed early, these cancers can be more easily treated without significant complications and the chances of survival greatly increase.

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

• A lump in your neck
• 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 (hoarseness)

If you have any of the above warning signs, do not wait for the no-cost screenings. Seek medical attention immediately. To schedule an appointment with a physician, call 888-4UT-DOCS.