Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosis

The South East London Cancer Alliance (SELCA) has developed resources to help improve the awareness and diagnosis of head, neck and oral cancers, and to improve referrals for patients.

Dental care professionals play a pivotal role in the early diagnosis of Head and Neck cancers, in particular oral cavity cancer. Diagnosis of stage 1 oral cancer is associate with an 85% survival rate of 5 years or more after diagnosis, while at stage 4, this is reduced to 35%.

To support early diagnosis, the Southeast London Cancer Alliance have created two bite sized educational modules and highlighted routes to referral into secondary care services.

Educational Resources

These short form (10 minutes) modules support cancer risk factors and symptom awareness, but also referral pathways, case studies and methods of completing oral assessments.

• Introduction to oral cancer for primary care | 10 minute overview
• Introduction to head and neck cancer for primary care | 10 minute overview

Referral Guidance

Ideally referrals onto an Urgent Suspected Cancer Pathway should be made via the e-Referral Service (e-RS). If that is not possible in your practice, the attached Urgent Suspected Cancer Referral Form can be used in its place, or in the case of GSTT the Oral Surgery Referral Form can be used. Please send the form to any of the email addresses below (based on the patient’s choice of hospital). For further detail please see the attached Suspected Head and Neck Cancer Referral Guide.

LDC Confederation