National Programme for Prevention and Early Detection of Head and Neck Cancer

Abstract

550,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx and 160,000 of larynx are diagnosed each year worldwide. It is estimated that each year because of head and neck cancer 400,000 of patients will die. Head and neck neoplasms are the tumors which, because of their location, secretly develop and produce uncharacteristic symptoms identical to those that accompany the banal infections of the upper respiratory tract. Results of treatment of patients with head and neck cancer in Poland are highly unsatisfactory. This is due to significant advancement of tumor at the moment of diagnosis. Therefore, raising awareness and improving knowledge of health care workers on head and neck cancers by creating access to prevention research is a priority that will ensure improvement in treatment outcomes in this group of tumors in Poland and abroad.