Green July: Santarém Regional warns about head and neck cancer
In the western state, patients and companions receive guidance on the types of the disease and the best ways to prevent it
Certified by the Ministry of Health as a High Complexity Oncology Assistance Unit (Unacon), the Dr. Waldemar Penna Regional Hospital of Lower Amazon (HRBA), in Santarém, western Pará, offers comprehensive care, ensuring general, specialized, and integral assistance to cancer patients, from diagnosis to treatment.
In addition to excellent care, it also promotes awareness and prevention campaigns for diseases. This month, the oncology outpatient clinic at HRBA was filled with the color green. Patients and companions received guidance and could ask questions about head and neck cancer.
"Green July is a national campaign, and we brought this theme to the hospital. The way to prevent cancer needs to be disseminated. We always emphasize prevention and early diagnosis. Users had the opportunity to clarify doubts with the doctor and the entire team, and it was a very satisfying moment," said nurse Carla Sousa.
Head and neck surgeon Débora Pereira led the information and alert session about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease with patients and companions waiting for consultations and other procedures.
One of them was Karina Santos, 44 years old, who has been receiving care at HRBA since 2022. She approved the guidance and believes that actions like this are very important for all hospital users.
"Information is essential for people to have clarity on what to do, how to avoid it. It was essential. I had no doubts about the subject, but many arose today. And the lecture was enlightening in all aspects," said the entrepreneur.
Head and neck - Head and neck cancer refers to tumors that develop in these regions, such as mouth cancer, thyroid cancer, laryngeal cancer, throat cancer, salivary gland cancer, skin cancer, scalp cancer, among others.
Each type of tumor has specific risk factors and different warning signs. The goal of the oncology team was to disseminate important information to the users of the regional hospital.
"In men, mouth and throat tumors are more common. They are mainly caused by smoking and alcohol consumption, in addition to infection by the HPV virus. Usually, the first sign is a sore in the mouth that does not heal, lasting more than 15 days. In women, thyroid cancer is more common. It is a tumor that usually does not show symptoms at first. When it grows, the person generally experiences choking, difficulty swallowing, or even shortness of breath. Laryngeal tumors appear with a hoarseness that does not go away, difficulty swallowing, and sometimes even coughing up blood," explained surgeon Débora Pereira.
Prevention - The doctor also highlighted the guidelines to prevent the onset of these diseases. "We must avoid these risk factors. Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption. Regarding skin tumors in this region, avoid prolonged sun exposure. Getting the HPV vaccine is very important to prevent cancer in the mouth and oropharynx region. In addition to healthy habits, such as physical activity and a good diet. For older patients who use dentures, good oral hygiene is also important. These are actions we can take to prevent tumors."
"We strongly believe in health education and the dissemination of information as the best way to combat diseases. So, in addition to providing comprehensive treatment in the oncology area, HRBA also works in prevention, with actions like this national Green July campaign. Users will replicate what they learned here to relatives and friends. In this way, more and more people are informed about what to do to have a healthier life," concluded the hospital's general director, Matheus Coutinho.
Service - Located in western Pará, HRBA is a reference in medium and high complexity for a population of 1.4 million people in 29 municipalities in western Pará and provides 100% referenced services, meeting the demand originating from the State Regulation Center. The unit belongs to the Government of Pará, being managed by the Social Institute Mais Saúde, in partnership with the State Department of Public Health (Sespa), and is located at Avenida Sérgio Henn, nº 1100, Diamantino neighborhood, in Santarém.
