Unfortunately there are no formal screening tests or national screening programs for head and neck cancer.
What can you do to look for early signs of head and neck cancer?
The following signs and symptoms are common for many types of head and neck cancer. These are not always due to cancer, but if they last more than four weeks you should see doctor.
In Australia, two out of three people with fair skin will develop skin cancer before they are 70 years old. Some of these skin cancers will be in the head and neck region. If you are over 40 years old and have pale skin, it is a good idea to have your skin checked by a skin specialist (dermatologist) every 12 months, or more often if you have had a skin cancer already.
One cause of mouth or throat (oropharyngeal) cancer is the human papilloma virus (HPV), the same virus that causes cervical cancer. Australia has a vaccination program for boys and girls to protect them from HPV. You can find more information about this here.
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