Free head and neck cancer screenings April 26 at Park Avenue Medical Center in Trumbull

BRIDGEPORT, CT (April 5, 2018) – Yale New Haven Health’s Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center will sponsor free head and neck cancer screenings 4:30 - 6:30 pm Thursday, April 26, at Park Avenue Medical Center, 5520 Park Avenue, Trumbull. To register for a screening, call 888-357-2396. Walk-ins are welcome. Free parking is available.

The brief screening, in the Level One Specialty Physicians Area, consists of a visual exam of the mouth, head and neck. Screening staff will also provide information and follow-up recommendations if needed. Ear, nose and throat specialists from Bridgeport Hospital and Yale Medical Group will take part in the screenings this year, including Heather Osborn, MD, Sara Richer, MD and Harold Tara, MD, and Wendell Yarbrough, MD.

More than 50,000 people are diagnosed with oral, head and neck cancers in the U.S. annually. Symptoms include sore throat, persistent hoarse voice and mouth sores that won’t heal. Risk factors include smoking or other use of tobacco products, drinking alcohol, poor oral hygiene and transmission of the HPV virus through sexual activity.

Smilow Cancer Hospital recently opened a multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Clinic at Park Avenue Medical Center which coordinates and streamlines care for the convenience of patients. A head and neck surgeon, radiation oncologist and medical oncologist meet with patients during a single visit to create a personalized treatment plan for each patient.

Other resources through the clinic include physical and speech therapists, nutritionists and social workers. A dedicated nurse navigator helps patients through their appointment process.

Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org