Cumc’s School Of Dental And Oral Surgery Offers Free Oral Cancer Screenings In Washington Heights And Harlem
WHAT: Dental professionals at Columbia University Medical Center’s School of Dental and Oral Surgery (SDOS) this week will offer free oral cancer screenings in the underserved New York City communities of Washington Heights and Harlem.
WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, April 15, 2004, two locations
SDOS Mobile Dental Unit (corner of 125th Street and St. Nicholas Ave.), 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. SDOS Dental Clinic (622 W. 168th St., Vanderbilt Clinic, 8th Fl.), 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
WHY: According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, 30,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year alone. Only 50 percent of these individuals will be alive in five years. In fact, the death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of many other deadly cancers, including Hodgkin’s disease, malignant melanoma, and cancers of the brain, cervix, liver, testes, kidney, and ovary.
“Many people are at risk for developing oral cancer,” says Dr. Carla Pulse, an oral pathologist, professor of clinical dentistry at SDOS, and the event’s organizer. “Early detection is extremely important. We hope that by offering free screenings, we can broaden our reach and make sure people with the greatest risk receive the appropriate care.”
###
*Located in New York City, Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic and clinical research, medical education, and health care. The medical center includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, and other health professionals from the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the School of Dental & Oral Surgery, the School of Nursing, the Mailman School of Public Health, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University physicians and scientists achieved some of the 20th century's most significant medical breakthroughs, including the first blood test for cancer, the first medical use of the laser, and the first successful transfer of genes from one cell to another. This pioneering tradition continues today through 24 departments and several specialized research centers and institutes acclaimed for work in neuroscience and neurology, emerging infectious diseases, diabetes, community health, and many other areas of expertise.