The tenth edition of the Make Sense Campaign, the European awareness campaign for the early diagnosis of head and neck cancers, will end on Friday 23 September. Several activities are also planned in our area: the Civilian of Brescia, to name one, offered free diagnostic visits to 40 people. Despite its widespread diffusion, not many people know that head and neck cancer is the seventh most common cancer in Europe, with an incidence of about half that of lung cancer but twice that of the neck. ‘uterus.
As reported by AIOM, the Italian Association of Media Oncology, in Italy alone, in 2020, almost 10 thousand people received a diagnosis of head and neck cancer and more than 4 thousand did not survive the disease.
Do you have your head right?
“Are you in your head?” is the motto of the Italian edition 2022 of the Make Sense Campaign, a warning to pay attention to the symptoms of cervico-cephalic carcinomas, often ignored or associated with seasonal diseases such as a common sore throat or a cold. Experts agree that a quick understanding of the symptoms of the disease is crucial for early diagnosis, in the presence of which the survival rate rises to 80-90%, compared to a life expectancy of only 5 years for those who discover. advanced disease.
Symptoms to watch out for
“1per3” is the rule to always keep in mind. If you have any of these symptoms for three weeks or more, you should see your doctor: pain in the tongue, ulcers that do not heal and / or red or white patches in the mouth; pain in the throat; persistent hoarseness; pain and / or difficulty swallowing; swelling of the neck; stuffy nose on one side and / or nosebleed.
No alarmism, therefore, but adequate awareness of the alarm bells, combined with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle, are fundamental elements for safeguarding one’s health and those around us. Further information on makesensecampaign.eu.