UKZN’s Otorhinolaryngology Discipline collaborated with the South African Head and Neck Oncology Society (SAHNOS) and Department of Health officials to offer free head and neck cancer screening to members of the public attending Victoria Mxenge Hospital (formally known as King Edward VIII Hospital) in commemoration of the World Head and Neck Cancer Day on 27 July – an effort by the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS) and driven by SAHNOS.
The quick and painless examinations were all done to advance early diagnosis which can lead to better outcomes with over 550 000 new cases currently diagnosed globally each year.
Otorhinolaryngology involves the assessment, diagnosis, and management of ear, nose and throat (ENT) diseases and conditions, and UKZN – a proud associate of SAHNOS – prides itself in training world-class specialists to offer these scarce services to ordinary citizens, especially in the local context.
Members of the public at different age groups were sensitised to head and neck cancers, which include those that arise in the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, thyroid glands, salivary glands, throat, or larynx (voice box).
UKZN’s ENT Master of Medicine candidate and Consultant at Victoria Mxenge Hospital (VMH), Dr Sibusiso Gumede, said it breaks his heart to see patients coming to hospital with advanced stages of cancer that are difficult to treat, landing them in palliative care.
Gumede said he was concerned about risk factors associated with today’s lifestyle, where people consume a lot of alcohol, smoke tobacco (including smokeless tobacco) and engage in risky sexual behaviour with multiple partners. He said oral sex with multiple partners increased the risk of exposure to cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV), and people who use both tobacco and alcohol were at greater risk of developing these cancers than people who use either tobacco or alcohol alone.
Gumede said other cancer-associated risks included sun and radiation exposure, and he felt that while society is increasingly informed about the likes of breast and cervical cancers, they are underexposed to the prevalence of head and neck cancers.
UKZN alumnus and ENT specialist at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH), Dr Sibahle Sithole, said SAHNOS presented an invaluable opportunity to reach out to as many ordinary citizens as possible to inform and educate them about the importance of screening and early intervention.
Having worked at a rural hospital in Mpumalanga, she was exposed to several patients who were either hard of hearing or having lost senses such as smell, compromising their overall quality of life. One of the concerns raised was that ordinary healthcare workers might not possess the specialised skill of identifying the onset of cancer.
‘Plastic surgery is an important member of the head and neck team,’ said IALCH Plastic Surgery Medical Officer, Dr Murray Paulsen, who explained that the profession is involved in the reconstruction of head and neck tumours. His team was happy to participate in the screening where they found five patients with suspicious lesions that needed further investigation.
Gumede said treating head and neck cancers often required a multidisciplinary team including dentists, general surgeon, maxillofacial, plastic surgery, and oncologists.
Words: Lunga Memela
Photographs: Supplied