Head & Neck Cancer Screening to Be Hosted by South Nassau, Senator Skelos

OCEANSIDE, N.Y. - April 5, 2013 - PRLog -- According to the Prevention Committee of the American Head and Neck Society, an annual screening for head and neck cancers assists in the early diagnosis and successful treatment of them.

Unfortunately, nearly 13,000 of the 55,000 Americans diagnosed with a head or neck cancer this year will die despite the fact that head and neck cancers are highly treatable and the cure rate is good when they are detected in the early stages.

The Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center at South Nassau Communities Hospital in collaboration with New York State Senator Dean Skelos will hold a Free Head and Neck Cancer Screening Day on Friday, April 19, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. in the Hewlett – Woodmere Public Library (1125 Broadway, Hewlett, NY).

Risk factors for head and neck cancers include habitual smoking or use of smokeless tobacco; frequent alcohol consumption; or excessive exposure to the sun.  Tumors most often occur in the nasal passages, sinuses, mouth, throat, larynx (voice box), swallowing passages, salivary glands, and the thyroid gland.

“Our mission is to safeguard the quality of life of the residents of the communities we serve by providing services and programs that prevent or detect debilitating or life-threatening diseases or illnesses,” said Rajiv Datta, MD, medical director of The Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center and chairman of the Department of Surgery at South Nassau.  “If you are at risk or are experiencing symptoms, I strongly encourage you to visit the Hewlett – Woodmere Public Library on April 19 for a free screening.”

For more information, call (516) 632-3350 or (516) 377-5333.  Information may also be obtained by sending an email to oncology@snch.org.

South Nassau Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 435 beds, more than 900 physicians and 3,000 employees.  Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services.  In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau provides emergency and elective angioplasty and is the only hospital on Long Island with the Novalis Tx™ and Gamma Knife® Perfexion radiosurgery technologies.  South Nassau is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons and is recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.