World Head and Neck Cancer Day 2024
Every year, over 1500 New Zealanders face the grim reality of losing their ability to taste, eat or speak, and disfigurement, after being diagnosed with a head and neck cancer - the sixth most common form of cancer globally.
Such cancers still claim the lives of around 300 people every year, yet many are preventable and invasive treatments can be avoided with early diagnosis and some can be prevented by vaccination.
Saturday 27 July is World Head and Neck Cancer Day. This year, Head and Neck Cancer Support Aotearoa (HNCSA) and the Head and Neck Cancer Foundation Aotearoa (HNCFA) have teamed up to raise awareness of these cancers as cases continue to rise and more young people are affected.
For many years, smoking and alcohol were the leading cause of head and neck cancer including throat cancer. Now, over 70 percent of throat cancer cases are attributed to human papillomavirus (HPV), which affects younger individuals. The number of throat cancers have been rising by five percent every year since 2006. This equates to a 70% rise over a 10-year period.
HPV vaccination is effective in preventing HPV infection from strains 6/11/16/18 – those that are responsible for the majority of cervical and other HPV-related cancers. For this strategy to be successful, both males and females must be vaccinated against HPV, and immunisation needs to occur prior to a person becoming sexually active, and there must be a high (>90%) vaccination coverage. The success of this approach can be seen in neighbouring Australia, which is on-track to eliminate cervical cancer by as early as 2028.
Unfortunately, Aotearoa’s HPV vaccination rate remains low, at less than 60 percent, and over 32,000 young people missed out on their HPV vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Swee Tan, Chair of the Head and Neck Cancer Foundation Aotearoa says HPV vaccination is a highly effective way to prevent HPV-related throat cancer.
“Patients diagnosed with HPV-related throat cancer face the prospect of harsh treatment typically involving chemotherapy and radiotherapy that often lead to impaired swallowing and speech, taste of food, and dry mouth.
The life-altering event with potential loss of life and the quality of life can be prevented by ensuring our young people get vaccinated against HPV.
We also want to encourage early diagnosis and intervention when symptoms appear for all head and neck cancer, as well as reminding people of the risk factors such as smoking and alcohol.”
As part of this year’s awareness campaign Head and Neck Cancer Support Aotearoa and the Head and Neck Cancer Foundation Aotearoa are writing to primary health organisations to provide further guidance on recognition of early symptoms of head and neck cancer, and to continue to encourage HPV vaccinations against throat cancer.
Signs and symptoms of head and neck cancer
The symptoms of head and neck cancer vary, depending on where the cancer arises. The most common symptoms are:
A painless lump in the neck or in front of the ear.
A lump or ulcer in the mouth, for example, on the tongue, gum, or inside the cheek.
A persistent white or red patch in the mouth.
A one-sided sore throat which can be associated with earache.
Pain or difficulty with swallowing.
A hoarse voice, especially in a smoker.
Difficult or noisy breathing.
A lump or sore on the face.
Numbness or weakness on one side of the face.
One sided blocked nose with bleeding.
Many less serious conditions can cause these symptoms, but you should consult your doctor if they persist for more than 3 weeks.
About HPV vaccination
The HPV vaccine (Gardasil-9) is FREE in New Zealand for anyone of any gender aged from 9 years up to their 27th birthday.
Gardasil 9 is offered to all year 8 (or sometimes year 7) students through the school-based immunisation programme.
It can also be accessed via your GP, some sexual health clinics and some community pharmacies.
People outside of funded groups can also pay for the HPV vaccine.
For more information, visit https://info.health.nz/immunisations/vaccines-aotearoa/hpv-human-papillomavirus-vaccine
