May 9, 2006, ST. LOUIS – In April, the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, the St. Louis Men''s Group Against Cancer and FOX2 partnered on a head & neck cancer awareness campaign. The campaign led to over 200 people screened at an April 26 screening at Siteman.

FOX2''s Tom O''Neal aired a series of reports in support of the campaign.

Part 1

Many are aware of the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. But tobacco use is also high on the list of risk factors for other cancers around the head and neck.

Albert Watkins was diagnosed with cancer in his tonsil three years ago, after being urged by his wife to go to a doctor. "I had no symptoms whatsoever except for a small nodule under my chin, basically a swollen gland not unlike that you''d get when you had a cold," says Watkins.

Dr. Bruce Haughey, chief of head and neck cancer at Siteman Cancer Center, treated Albert.

"Tumors occur on the tongue, in the pallet, on the side walls of the throat around the tonsils," says Haughey. "And they''re very important malignancies because they affect a very visible area and function-sensitive area of the human body."

Symptoms often include persistent hoarseness, persistent pain in the throat, a visible lump or growth in the mouth or neck or difficulty swallowing.

"Some of the common causes include smoking and alcohol, certain viruses and we''re beginning to be suspicious of gastroesophogeal reflux as a cause as well," says Haughey.

Albert had surgery, followed by a combination of radiation and chemotherapy. Dr. Haughey used a minimally invasive surgery that made recovery easier.

"Without opening up into the throat from the outside, we were able to remove the tumor with a laser completely and then form a dissection of the lymph nodes and removal of the malignancy in the neck," says Haughey.

Albert considers himself lucky. "There have been moments of reflection where I recognize that if I had been left to my own devices, I would never have gone to a doctor and I wouldn''t be here today," he says.

To schedule a screening at Siteman Cancer Center, call 1-800-600-3606.

Part 2

Have you noticed a constant hoarseness in your voice, a lump in your mouth or neck, trouble swallowing? They could be symptoms of a head or neck cancer that should be checked out.

"The only symptoms I had was a little acorn sized knot in my neck. Never hurt, never bothered me, I just knew it wasn''t normal," says Mark Prager.

So last fall, Prager, 37, decided to get it checked out. A CT-scan found cancer in a tonsil and lymph nodes. He was stunned. "I mean being young you just don''t know what to expect, it just hits you blindside," he says.

Smoking is a major risk factor for head and neck cancer, but Mark has never smoked. Dr. Simon Powell, chief of radiation oncology at Siteman Cancer Center says doctors don''t always know the cause of the cancer.

"Outside of the known risk factors of smoking and various other dietary factors, there are some people who develop these cancers where we really have no good explanation," says Powell.

Treatment started with surgery. "We went in with, first of all, in the mouth with a laser, removed my left tonsil, removed part of my soft pallet, then went in and opened the side of my neck here and removed lymph nodes," says Prager.

Now Mark is receiving chemotherapy and a new type of radiation therapy called tomotherapy. A mask holds his head perfectly still while technicians line up the image of his initial CT scan with his latest scan. "It means that we''re on target with the radiation that targets the tumor precisely and it also makes sure that we can miss the areas that we don''t want to treat," says Powell.

Mark''s doctor says the outlook is very promising. "If you catch head and neck cancer early, the probability of cure is very high," says Prager.

To schedule a screening at Siteman Cancer Center, call 1-800-600-3606.