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MUSC to offer free head, neck cancer screenings Baseball star and cancer survivor Brett Butler and the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation (YBF) are urging Americans to get screened for cancer during Oral and Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW), April 19-25, which is highlighted by a nationwide day of free screenings on Friday, April 23.  According to the American Cancer Society, more than 60,000 Americans will be diagnosed with cancers of the head and neck region this year, and 12,000 will die.  Butler played Major League Baseball for 17 years, starting with the Atlanta Braves in 1979 and moved on to the Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. The popular center fielder retired in 1997, as one of only 26 players in Major League history to compile at least 550 stolen bases and 2,000 hits for a career.  The Lou Gehrig Award winner was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer of the tonsil in 1996 after undergoing a tonsillectomy. He was treated with both surgery and radiation and credits his early diagnosis and prompt treatment with saving his life.  “I’m living proof that early diagnosis and treatment can improve your chances of surviving oral, head and neck cancer,” said Butler, a father of four who manages the New York Mets' Minor League in Port St. Lucie, Fla. “That’s why I’m encouraging everyone who is at risk for this potentially deadly disease, especially tobacco and alcohol users, to take advantage of the free screenings throughout the country on April 23. You owe it to your family and loved ones to get yourself checked.”  “Oral, head and neck cancer is usually very treatable when caught in its early stages giving patients a good chance for survival,” said Terry Day, M.D., president of the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation (YBF), associate professor, Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, and director, Division of Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery, Hollings Cancer Center. “However, many Americans do not recognize the symptoms of these cancers, which makes screening very important, especially for those who engage in risky behavior such as smoking, use of chewing tobacco, and excessive alcohol consumption.” About OHNC Oral and head and neck cancer (OHNC) refers to a variety of cancers that develop in the head and neck region, such as the oral cavity; the pharynx (throat); paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity; the larynx; thyroid and salivary glands; the skin of the face and neck; and the lymph nodes in the neck.  Treatment of OHNC varies depending upon the extent of disease at the initial diagnosis.  Most patients are managed primarily with surgery, but radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy may also be utilized.   After undergoing radiation, Butler experienced severe dry mouth caused by damage to his salivary glands.   Dry mouth, a common side effect of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, can affect one’s ability to taste, swallow and even speak, and be life-long in duration.    Butler still lives with the condition on a daily basis: “I have to wash everything down, and I take a water bottle with me wherever I go.” Fortunately, there are now newer advances in therapy, like the agent Ethyol® (amifostine), which is used to reduce the incidence of dry mouth in patients undergoing radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.  Surgery can leave patients with scarring and disfigurement of the face and neck, as well as alterations in speech, sight, smell, chewing, swallowing, and taste perception. Recent advances in reconstructive surgery have minimized some of these problems. The most effective prevention strategy remains the cessation of risky behaviors such as smoking, use of chewing tobacco, and excessive alcohol consumption.  Butler credits his personal physician, Bob Gadlage, M.D., of Eastside Medical Center in Snellville, Ga., and William Grist, M.D., director of the Head and Neck Cancer Surgery Department at Emory University in Atlanta, for his positive outcome.  Butler, who has chronicled both his baseball career and battle with cancer in his book, “Field of Hope,” was honored by the American Cancer Society in a ceremony at the White House.  Common warning signs of oral head and neck cancer are: Red or white patch in the mouth that lasts more than two weeks Change in voice or hoarseness that lasts more than two weeks Sore throat that does not subside Pain or swelling in the mouth or neck that does not subside Lump in the neck Other warning signs that occur during later stages of the disease include: Ear pain; numbness of tongue; and difficulty breathing. About the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation The YBF is dedicated to providing support to head and neck cancer patients throughout the year, educating children and adults in the prevention of head and neck cancer, supporting ongoing research in head and neck oncology, and assisting those interested in sponsoring a free screening in communities nationwide by providing templates to facilitate this effort.  For more information, call 792-6624 or visit the Yul Brynner Foundation at http://www.headandneck.org. Free Head and Neck Cancer Screening 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 23 MUSC Hollings Cancer Center 96 Jonathan Lucas Street MUSC Medical Center Rutledge Tower Clinic University ENT Associates (East Cooper) 12 to 4 p.m. 792-1414 or (800) 424-MUSC   Friday, April 16, 2004 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.