Ten Minutes That Could Save Your Life

Dr. Christopher Fundakowski, Dr. James Helstrom, and Barbara Ebersole are a few of the team members from the Temple Head and Neck Institute that will be performing screenings.
Dr. Christopher Fundakowski, Dr. James Helstrom, and Barbara Ebersole are a few of the team members from the Temple Head and Neck Institute that will be performing screenings.

An estimated 120,000 Americans will be diagnosed with cancers of the head and neck (including thyroid) this year. Unfortunately, many 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.

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

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 mouth sore that doesn't heal or that increases in size
  • Persistent pain in the mouth
  • Lumps or white or red patches inside the mouth
  • Difficulty chewing or swallowing or moving the tongue
  • Persistent sore throat or the feeling of having something stuck in the throat
  • Changes in voice
  • A lump in the neck

Anyone experiencing any of the above warning signs should seek medical attention immediately and not wait for the free screening events.

How to Get Screened Locally

Free screenings will be offered at more than 400 participating institutions worldwide as part of OHANCAW. Visit www.OHANCAW.com for the full list of participating sites and for more information. OHANCAW is sponsored nationally by the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance. Specialists from Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Temple Head & Neck Institute (THNI) will offer free oral cancer screenings in observance of the 21st annual Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Awareness Week® (OHANCAW®) taking place April 8-15, 2018. The screening is painless and only takes about 10 minutes.

April 9, 2018
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Temple University Hospital
Rooms C & D, B106 (near cafeteria)
3401 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19140

April 11, 2018
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Young Pavilion, Desk 1
333 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, A 19111

April 13, 2018
1:00 - 4:00 PM
Jeanes Hospital
Department of Rehabilitation
2nd Floor Patient Care Pavilion
7604 Central Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19111

To Make an Appointment

Walk-ins are not only welcomed, but encouraged! If you prefer to contact us with a specified time and location, please call the H&N screening hotline at 215-728-0574.

What is involved in a H&N Cancer Screening?

Each person will fill out a brief health history form to help identify risk factors. The screening examination will include a careful examination of the mouth, face, and neck.

Curious about how a head and neck cancer screening really works? Watch as Fox Chase director of speech pathology, Barbara Ebersole performs a head and neck cancer screening on Dr. Christopher Fundakowski.

About the Temple Head & Neck Institute

The Temple Head & Neck Institute features a multidisciplinary team of specialists from both the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and Fox Chase Cancer Center who offer advanced testing and treatments for benign and malignant conditions of the ear, nose, throat, head and neck – including voice and swallowing disorders, thyroid abnormalities, hearing and balance disorders, allergies and sinus disorders, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, and head/neck cancers. By combining these services of Temple’s ear, nose, throat and cancer specialists, audiologists and speech pathologists into one program, the Institute enhances collaboration and care among the clinical teams and provides truly integrated specialty services – from the simplest to the most complex and from benign to pre-cancerous to cancerous.

Fox Chase Cancer Center (Fox Chase), which includes the Institute for Cancer Research and the American Oncologic Hospital and is a part of Temple Health, is one of the leading comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase is also one of just 10 members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has received the Magnet recognition for excellence six consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. It is the policy of Fox Chase Cancer Center that there shall be no exclusion from, or participation in, and no one denied the benefits of, the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

For more information, call 888-369-2427

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About Temple University Health System

Temple University Health System (TUHS) is a $1.6 billion academic health system dedicated to providing access to quality patient care and supporting excellence in medical education and research.   The Health System consists of Temple University Hospital (TUH); TUH – Jeanes Campus; TUH-Episcopal Campus; TUH-Northeastern Campus; Fox Chase Cancer Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center;  Temple Transport Team, a ground and air-ambulance company; and Temple Physicians, Inc., a network of community-based specialty and primary-care physician practices. 

TUHS is affiliated with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. The Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM), established in 1901, is one of the nation’s leading medical schools.  Each year, the School of Medicine educates approximately 840 medical students and 140 graduate students. Based on its level of funding from the National Institutes of Health, Temple University School of Medicine is the second-highest ranked medical school in Philadelphia and the third-highest in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Temple Health refers to the health, education and research activities carried out by the affiliates of Temple University Health System (TUHS) and by the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.  TUHS neither provides nor controls the provision of health care. All health care is provided by its member organizations or independent health care providers affiliated with TUHS member organizations. Each TUHS member organization is owned and operated pursuant to its governing documents.