With World Oral Health Day coming up on 20 March, Professor David Wiesenfeld, VCCC Alliance Research and Education Lead for Head and Neck Cancer recently joined 3RRR’s Sunday morning Radiotherapy program to raise awareness of head and neck cancers.
Professor Wiesenfeld is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon with appointments at Peter Mac and the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He joined Dr Mal Practice and the Radiotherapy team to talk about current approaches to oral and oropharyngeal cancers, with some interesting insights relating to younger women and tongue cancer.
“Dental and medical practitioners have a major role to play in the diagnosis, care and management of patients with head and neck cancer,” said Professor Wiesenfeld. “Around 60 per cent of people will receive a diagnosis from their dentist and around 40 percent from their GP.
"The clear message is that if you have an ulcer, soreness, or lump that doesn't resolve in two weeks, it is time to speak to a professional."
Professor Wiesenfeld spoke about beginning his career as a dentist in the mid-1970s before switching to oral and maxillofacial surgery.
He said that there is a growing incidence of young women who haven’t smoked and don’t consume a lot of alcohol presenting to clinics with tongue cancer. “We have an expectation that the generation that has smoked – and perhaps more males, may develop tongue cancer but this increased incidence in young women is as yet unexplained.”
Professor Wiesenfeld also talked about how cases are managed and that a range of therapies and treatments may be offered from radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. In some cases, robotic surgery is delivering good outcomes, particularly for early oropharyngeal cancer.
“These days,” Professor Wiesenfeld explained, “It is well understood that multidisciplinary teams are the way to really tackle cancer.
“At Peter Mac and Royal Melbourne, optimal patient support reflects that an individual cannot provide all the care that is required,” he said.
“Surgeons, ear nose and throat, oral and maxillofacial, and reconstructive plastic surgeons all bring rich, diverse opinions to treatment options. Then there are physicians - pathologists, radiologists, medical and radiation oncologists – all experts in their field, and their expertise is combined with a major contribution from allied health, speech therapists, dieticians, and prosthetists,” said Professor Wiesenfeld. Expert nurses through the whole continuum of care including care coordination, wards, theatres and clinics are essential for quality care.
Make sure you listen to the whole episode of Radiotherapy … to learn more about reconstructive surgery and how outcomes are improving for challenging cases.
The episode also strays toward actor Stanley Tucci’s book Taste, about growing up in an Italian household with a love of good food…and the importance of taste.
For patient resources, see the Head and Neck Cancer Australia and Cancer Council Australia websites.
For more information on the VCCC Alliance R&E Lead, Head and Neck Cancer program, contact
Dr Jasper De Boer.
