Late diagnosis in 6 out of 10 patients with head and neck cancer – Diario Digital Our Country



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"Unfortunately, two-thirds of people are diagnosed with advanced disease," said the oncologist at the National Cancer Institute of Mexico.

According to the WHO, the head and neck is the seventh most common type of cancer and causes about 300,000 deaths a year.

In Mexico, it accounts for 17.6% of tumors and an estimated 6,000 new cases occur each year, while it causes 2,300 deaths a year.

The specialist explained that alcohol, tobacco and human papillomavirus (HPV) are among the major risk factors to suffer.

"Until a few years ago, it was thought that it was produced twice as often in men among women, but consumption of alcohol and tobacco increased among women, in addition to the relationship with HPV, so we can say that she now has the same prevalence in the genera, "he said, explained that this disease comes from the squamous cells that line the Wet and mucous surfaces inside the head and neck

It usually occurs inside the mouth, larynx, pharynx and, to a lesser extent, in the nose and throat. salivary glands

Although the early stage does not produce many symptoms, the specialist said that patients often feel pain to eat, difficulty breathing, talking, hoarseness, feeling of obstruction, shortness of breath [19659008] For the few symptoms, the diagnosis is complicated and patients can take up to four months to be diagnosed.

"The problem is that as many patients are chronic smokers, when they have hoarseness they think it's smoking and not it's kind of like that," he said. said.

Another problem in delaying diagnosis is that patients do not arrive with the right specialist.

"First-clbad doctors, in the initial badessment, they minimize the symptoms, sometimes patients go to dentists and not to specialists who can give them an adequate diagnosis," he said. said Álvarez.

The specialist stated that if there is an injury in the oral cavity and that it does not go away within two months It is necessary to go consult an oncologist. 19659003] He said that to prevent him from becoming aware of the cessation of smoking and alcohol, in addition to improving the suspicion of diagnosis among health professionals, from the same way that a multidisciplinary treatment of the disease.

Alvarez Avitia stated that when this condition is detected in the early stages the treatments are simple, require surgery and radiotherapy, which is also applied to advanced stages. 9659003] Currently Has Innovative Treatments As immunotherapies, which act directly on the immune system, prolong patient survival and improve quality of life, he said [1]. 9659003] "Unfortunately, these are therapies that are not available to the entire population, making it difficult for patients who do not have access to these drugs," lamented the specialist.

On July 27, the World Day was commemorated with Neck Cancer in order to attract the attention of the world and raise awareness about this disease. Window EFE

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