LSU Health New Orleans Offers Free Oral Cancer Screening

LSU Health New Orleans ENT surgeons, residents and medical students are conducting a free oral cancer screening open to the public on Friday, December 2, from 1 – 4 pm at Zuppardo's Family Supermarket, 5010 Veterans Memorial Blvd in Metairie. Offered on a first come, first served basis, the screening involves an examination of the mouth and neck, as well as counseling about risk factors for oral cancer. Participants will be referred for follow-up where warranted.

When caught early, the survival rate ranges between 75 and 93%. When detected very early, treatment may only require minor surgery to remove the cancer.

The major risk factors for oral cancer are smoking and the use of tobacco products, drinking alcohol, especially together, and prior cancer in the region. Signs and symptoms of oral cancer include a sore in the mouth that doesn’t go away, sore throat or the feeling that something is caught in your throat, difficulty chewing or swallowing, difficulty moving or swelling in your jaw, a change in the voice, thickening of your cheek, or a growth or swelling in the neck.

In previous screenings, LSU Health New Orleans ENT faculty have found oral cancers and referred participants for treatment, saving lives.