The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn has introduced a new Rapid Access Neck Lump Clinic to its Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Department which will prove vital in the early detection of head and neck cancer.
Head and neck cancer is the 8th most common cancer in the UK with over 12,000 new cases recorded every year. One of the initial symptoms is a neck lump which while extremely common can be either a completely benign symptom or indicate the presence of head and neck cancer.
Sharon Cotton, Macmillan Head & Neck Cancer Nurse Specialist at QEH, said: “This life-saving clinic targets the early signs of cancer and reduces the time from referral to treatment plan. There is good evidence that early detection of head and neck cancer improves the chances of surviving this disease.”
In this one-stop clinic patients will have a full assessment of their neck lump, which requires a complete examination by specialist ENT Consultant. During the clinic patients can also have the necessary tests required to determine if a benign or malignant neck lump is present. In cases of the latter patients are able to benefit from being fast-tracked for further tests to be swiftly diagnosed and appropriate treatment can commence.
Mr Alfiky, the lead consultant for the clinic said: “We’re so pleased to finally be able to offer this service. The one stop clinic can provide early diagnosis and reduce waiting times by an average of three weeks, which is crucial when investigating cancer.”
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