Prisma Health offers free screenings for Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– To raise awareness for Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month, Prisma Health is offering free screenings.

South Carolina is estimated to have about 1,400 new cases of oral, head and neck cancers diagnoses, according to Prisma Health.

“Early detection is crucial in achieving the best possible outcomes,” says Dr. Mariangela Rivera, a Prisma Health general surgeon who specializes in cancers of the head and neck.

This includes cancers of the voice box, throat, mouth, nose, sinuses and salivary glands.

Health experts say these types of cancers account for 4% of all cancers in the U.S. and are most likely to be diagnosed in individuals over the age of 50.

Prisma Health is recommending that shows up for a screening to schedule an appointment but walk-ins are welcomed.

Columbia Screening Event:

• Date: April 19, 2024
• Time: 8 a.m.–1 p.m.
• Location: Prisma Health Baptist Hospital, 1501 Sumter St., Beaman Auditorium on the ground floor
• To register for Columbia: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/head-and-neck-cancer-screenings-tickets-849427419277?aff=oddtdtcreator

Some possible indicators of these cancers are:

• A red or white spot in your mouth that doesn’t heal or increases in size
• Sore throat or swollen tonsil
• Changes in your voice
• A lump in your neck
• Earache
• Difficulty or painful swallowing
• Unintentional weight loss