Oncology specialist Dr. Eugenio Galindo offers a closer look at Oral Cancer Awareness Month in the United States.
eugenio galindo
Backed by organizations including the Oral Cancer Foundation, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the American Dental Association, in addition to well-known brands such as Colgate, April marks ‘Oral Cancer Awareness Month’ in the United States. An oncologist serving the Rio Grande Valley area of southernmost Texas, Dr. Eugenio Galindo reveals more about oral cancer as this year’s month of awareness draws to a close.
“Lead by the Oral Cancer Foundation, individuals across the United States are invited to join the organization in its national screening campaign, with the ultimate goal of putting an end to oral cancer,” Dr. Galindo explains.
According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, awareness of oral cancer among the American public is low, and more than 50,000 individuals in the U.S. will be newly diagnosed with a form of the disease this year alone. “Figures published by the Oral Cancer Foundation reveal that an average of more than 130 people per day in the U.S. are being newly diagnosed with a form of oral cancer,” adds Dr. Galindo, “and that one person every hour of every day, year-round, will lose their life as a result.”
The foundation, he goes on to explain, is an IRS registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) public service charity designed for advocacy and service, created to proactively promote change among both the public and the medical and dental professional sectors.
In addition to the Oral Cancer Foundation, Oral Cancer Awareness Month is further backed and supported by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the American Dental Association. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons is another nonprofit organization and professional association serving the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery, headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois.
The American Dental Association, meanwhile, commonly known as the ADA, exists to power the profession of dentistry, and to assist its more than 160,000 members in advancing the overall oral health of their patients. “A significant advocate for oral cancer awareness and prevention, the ADA has now been driving dentistry and wider oral health forward for 160 years,” reveals Dr. Galindo.
With cases of oral cancer on the rise in the United States, it’s vital, he says, that patients of all ages remain vigilant for symptoms. “These include a persistent sore throat or hoarseness, enlarged lymph nodes of the neck, recurring earaches, and difficulty swallowing, as well as unexplained weight loss,” Dr. Galindo adds, wrapping up, “and it’s vital that, where symptoms are apparent, or should they have any other concerns, patients approach their doctor at the first possible convenience.”
Dr. Eugenio Galindo is an experienced physician specializing in hematology and oncology. Certified in medical oncology through the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Galindo has served in the Rio Grande Valley for almost 30 years. The medical director for McAllen Oncology, he completed his fellowship at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and is an active participant in bringing the latest in cancer treatment and screening to the southernmost tip of South Texas. Fluent in English and Spanish, Dr. Galindo has also authored several influential medical publications on the subject of oncology.
For more information about Oral Cancer Awareness Month, which also addresses associated head and neck cancers, head to the Oral Cancer Foundation website at https://oralcancerfoundation.org/events/oral-head-neck-cancer-awareness-month/.
