In recognition of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month, Prisma Health will offer free head and neck cancer screenings on April 17 from 8 a.m. to noon at Prisma Health Baptist Hospital, located at 1501 Sumter Street. Screenings will take place in Beaman Auditorium on the ground floor.
Appointments are not required but are encouraged to assist with staffing. Walk-ins are welcome, and parking is available in the adjoining garage. Registration is available online.
The event is sponsored by Prisma Health in partnership with the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance as part of a nationwide initiative to raise awareness, promote early detection, and provide screenings to the community.
Screenings include a brief medical history followed by oral and neck exams and are painless, noninvasive, and take approximately 10 minutes.
Screenings will be conducted by:
- Mariangela Rivera, MD
- James Frederick Littles Jr., MD
- Cindy Barnett Nichols, DMD
The exams check for cancers affecting the mouth, throat, voice box, sinuses, nasal cavity, and salivary glands.
“These cancers are readily accessible by screening,” Rivera said. “It is free, quick, painless, and noninvasive—and it can catch cancer early.”
She emphasized that early detection significantly improves outcomes.
“Once these tumors grow past a certain size, there’s a higher chance of more intensive surgery and complications,” Rivera said. “Early detection leads to a higher probability of successful, less invasive treatment.”
According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 72,680 people in the United States are diagnosed annually with major head and neck cancers, including cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx, with approximately 16,680 deaths each year.
In addition to routine screenings, individuals should be aware of possible warning signs. The Head and Neck Cancer Alliance notes symptoms may include:
- A red or white spot in the mouth that does not heal or grows
- Persistent sore throat or swollen tonsil
- Changes in voice
- A lump in the neck
- Ear pain
- Difficulty or painful swallowing
- Unexplained weight loss
