IFHNOS and AHNS to Proclaim July 27th “World Head and Neck Cancer Day”
New York, NY (PRWEB) July 11, 2014 -- The International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS), as part of the opening ceremonies of its 5th World Congress and in collaboration with the annual meeting of the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS), will proclaim July 27th “World Head and Neck Cancer Day.” World Head and Neck Cancer Day will promote awareness and education by encouraging collaboration from government agencies, NGOs, health care professionals, academia, industry and the general public in an effort to control the global burden of head and neck cancers. As part of the awareness raising effort, organizers are collecting petition signatures at [http://www.ahns2014.org/petition/.
The announcement will take place on Sunday, July 27th, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the Broadway Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, and will kick off the largest ever world congress of head and neck cancer, held jointly by IFHNOS and AHNS in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the establishment of the first head and neck cancer surgery service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. This opening session will include remarks from former President Bill Clinton, actor and producer Michael Douglas, and the world’s leading experts in head and neck cancer. The full congress program is available at http://www.ahns2014.org/program/.
“Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (head and neck cancer) is the leading cause of death and disability in many parts of the world,” said Dr. Jatin Shah, IFHNOS Congress Chairman, Chief of the Head and Neck Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and AHNS Past President. “The vast majority of these cancers can be prevented or can be cured if detected early; however, millions suffer from delayed diagnosis, inadequate treatment, inappropriate rehabilitation and palliation,” Dr. Shah said. The collaborative effort will call upon the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to also recognize July 27th as World Head and Neck Cancer Day, and to join the international movement to increase awareness and promote education and training in the diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, and research in head and neck cancer.
According to a recent study published in the Journal of American Medical Association - Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, few American adults know about the risk factors and symptoms of head and neck cancer. Sixty-six percent of respondents reported that they had little or no knowledge about these types of cancer. Study authors suggest that increased public education may decrease the disease burden of these cancers. “Providing patient education has always been an integral part of our mission at AHNS,” said AHNS President Terry Day, M.D. “Through our education initiatives, we aim to promote and advance the knowledge of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of diseases of the head and neck,” said Dr. Day.
For more information, visit http://www.ahns2014.org/, or follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AHNSInfo or on Twitter at @AHNSinfo to view our growing list of supporters for World Head and Neck Cancer Day, including Michael Douglas; Louis Gerstner, Former CEO of IBM; John Federspiel, President, Hudson Valley Hospitals.
About IFHNOS:
IFHNOS is a global organization established through cooperation of national and regional Societies and Organizations in the Specialty of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, with membership from national and regional multidisciplinary organizations representing 65 countries. The purpose of the Federation is to provide a common platform for Specialists in the field of Head and Neck Cancer to interact in professional matters of mutual interest. For more information, visit http://www.IFHNOS.ORG.
About AHNS:
The mission of the American Head and Neck Society is: to promote and advance the knowledge of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of neoplasms and other diseases of the head and neck; to promote and advance research in diseases of the head and neck, and; to promote and advance the highest professional and ethical standards. For more information, visit http://www.AHNS.INFO.
Mary Cohen, AHNS, http://www.ahns2014.org/proclamation/, (310) 437-0559 Ext: 116, [email protected]
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