Why You Should Pay Attention to Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week -- April 10-16

Some may think another cancer awareness week is like Hallmark's Friendship Day -- nice, but not necessary. National Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Awareness Week will take place April 10-16, 2016, and it's more important than ever because there actually is a big lack of awareness. Did you know that HPV-related throat cancer is on the rise at an alarming rate? According to the National Cancer Institute, the three most common cancers are breast, lung, and prostate cancer. But there will be an estimated 61,000 oral and throat cancer cases in 2016; an estimated 13,000 cases will result in death. Of those, some 9,000 people are diagnosed with cancers of the oropharynx that may be caused by HPV. The oropharynx is the middle area of the throat that includes the base of the tongue and tonsils. Furthermore, a new study found that the human papillomavirus (HPV) raises the chances someone will get head and neck cancer by at least sevenfold. And here's the biggest takeaway of all. By 2020, if the trend continues, the annual number of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer cases in non-smoking, middle-age men is expected to surpass the annual number of cervical cancer cases, says the American Society of Clinical Oncologists. Oropharyngeal cancer is about four times more common in men than women. We shouldn't wait four more years to watch the prediction come true, at least not without educating more people about the early symptoms of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer and HPV prevention. T...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news