OCRI Hosts “Lunch & Learn” to mark World Head and Neck Cancer Day
The Oral Cancer Research Initiative (OCRI) hosted a “Lunch & Learn” on July 27, 2015, to mark World Head and Neck Cancer Day. This event aimed to raise awareness about head and neck cancer among members of the Boston University community. Students, residents, clinicians, and researchers were invited to attend to learn about the latest developments and best practices in head and neck cancer research and therapy. Dr. Vikki Noonan, Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Oral Pathology in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Division of Oral Pathology, and Dr. Andrew Salama, Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Director of the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, gave presentations at this event. Both Dr. Noonan and Dr. Salama participate in the OCRI and are members of the Center for Oral Diseases at the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine of which Dr. Salama is Director.
Following an introduction from OCRI Director, Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska, Dr. Noonan began the event with a presentation on Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Her presentation discussed the identification of oral lesions which may be precursors to cancer. After differentiating non-keratinized from keratinized mucosal lesions, Dr. Noonan discussed “benign hyperkeratosis” and a number of warning signs that may indicate future malignancy. Building from this, she addressed the decision-making process surrounding treatment, and what factors should be considered. Near the conclusion of her presentation, Dr. Noonan talked about HPV vaccines and their role in potentially preventing HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers.
Dr. Salama presented “Pathology Pitfalls: Cautionary Tales and Near Misses.” He discussed several cases of uncommon clinical presentations of common pathological entities, including squamous cell carcinoma and benign lesions, which may be overlooked. Dr. Salama showed images and offered descriptions of a variety of cases as he discussed the symptoms and steps taken, as well as the reasoning behind his decision-making process. Throughout his presentation, he pointed out potential biases in clinical decision making that could hinder diagnosis and treatment in these unusual situations. In conclusion, he reminded the audience that most mistakes in diagnosis are not ones that are noticed right away and that learning from mistakes is invaluable.
Information on other events that took place worldwide on July 27 to mark Word Head and Neck Cancer Day can be found at http://whncd.ifhnos.org/Blog/blog_list.aspx.