Feist-Weiller Cancer Center in Shreveport will offer free head and neck screenings Friday, April 15. The outreach effort is a 20-year tradition.
The Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Department at LSU Health Shreveport has organized free screenings since 1996.
They coincide with the national Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week. The screening entails a quick and painless physical exam of the head and neck area.
Head and neck cancer accounts for about 5 percent of all new cancers, and many cases are preventable, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Studies have also shown that many people are aware of the risks of cancer caused by smoking, but do not associate chewing tobacco with head and neck cancer.
Persistent sore throat or a neck mass are key symptoms that often get ignored, according to Dr. Cherie-Ann Nathan, director of head & neck surgical oncology and cancer research at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center.
According to a news release, screenings will be held at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, 1405 Kings Highway in Shreveport, on Friday, April 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Appointments are recommended, to schedule appointments call (318) 675-6262.