275 people received a free oral cancer screening at the Newcastle Supercars 500.
Delivered by an innovative medical business, Throat Scope, launched by a local entrepreneur, the screenings were designed to detect and raise awareness about the presence of oral cancer worldwide.
It’s believed 450,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer worldwide each year. Three people in Australia are diagnosed with oral cancer every day. Some of these people (fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers) will die because the cancer wasn’t detected early enough.
Another innovation from the Hunter region, Throat Scope is an illuminated tongue depressor that is modernising oral cavity examinations worldwide.
In 2016, Throat Scope was endorsed by the United States Oral Cancer Foundation as the number one tool to detect the disease in its early stages at home. Currently, the five-year survival rate for oral cancer is around 57%. With early detection, this would increase to 80-90%.
Throat Scope has been on a mission to introduce free oral cancer screenings in
Australia. At the Supercars in Newcastle, volunteers performing free oral cancer screenings couldn’t keep up with the demand and Throat Scope Founder and Entrepreneur, Jennifer Holland couldn’t be happier.
“Dentists and dental hygienists screened around 275 people in the tent. They referred 22 people on for further investigation. We also gave away around 300
Throat Scopes,” Jennifer said.
“We are encouraging people to self-examine at home every month”.
Throat Scope and partners Beyond 5, the Oral Cancer Foundation, Senior Smiles,
Team Medical Supplies, the Australian Dental Association and the University of
Newcastle, took advantage of the Supercars opportunity to launch the national oral cancer screening campaign.
Throat Scope will again partner with the Australian Dental Association to offer further pop-up oral cancer screenings early in 2018.
IMAGE | Locals received a free oral cancer screening at the Newcastle Supercars 500.