CHARLESTON, S.C. (PRWEB)
March 09, 2023

Rob Paulsen, voice-over actor, and Jason White, Green Day guitarist, – both neck cancer survivors – are joining forces with the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA) to promote the benefits of screenings and early detection during HNCA’s 25th annual nationwide campaign – “Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Week” – to be held April 16 – 22, 2023.

During “Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week,” HNCA promotes a high volume of free oral, head and neck cancer screenings all over the world, plus educational talks, and other awareness programs. From April 16 – 22, 2023, more than 300 sites throughout the country will offer free screenings. Information about local free screenings around the U.S. can be found at headandneck.org/events/map.

Head and neck cancer is a group of cancers affecting the oral cavity (mouth), larynx (voice box), pharynx (throat), sinuses, nasal cavity, or salivary glands. More than 65,000 Americans are diagnosed with head and neck cancer every year, with 14,600 lives lost. Of those who do survive, many suffer long-term problems, such as severe facial disfigurement or difficulties with eating and speaking. The death rate associated with oral and oropharyngeal cancers remains particularly high because the cancers routinely are discovered late in their development. The Head & Neck Cancer Alliance’s mission is to advance prevention, detection, treatment and rehabilitation of oral, head and neck cancer through public awareness, research and advocacy.

The fastest rising types of head and neck cancers are cancers of the throat caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV, which account for over 13,000 cases per year in the U.S., an incidence that represents over a 200% increase over the past three decades. Currently, head and neck cancers account for approximately 4% of all diagnosed cancers in the country.

HNCA also works closely with local hospitals, clinics, and medical centers year-round to provide free screenings in the U.S. and abroad. Early detection of oral cancer greatly increases long term survival and emphasizes the significance of routine oral cancer screening (once every three years in adults over the age of 20 and yearly in adults over 40). Every dental appointment is an opportunity to be screened.

Voice-Over Actor Rob Paulsen

Rob Paulsen is known for voicing some of the most iconic cartoon characters of all-time. His voice has been featured in series such as Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

Diagnosed with HPV-attributed stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the throat in 2016, Paulsen faced terrifying uncertainty as a voice actor confronting throat cancer. “The doctors said, ‘We’re pretty sure we can cure you, but first, we almost have to kill you.’ The treatment is brutal,” explained Paulsen. “They could cure me, but they couldn’t guarantee that my voice would survive. They said I’d be able to speak, but they couldn’t guarantee I’d still be able to make a living as a voice actor. Their job, they said, was to save me, not my career.”

Paulsen battled through an aggressive treatment regimen and is now cancer free—and still doing the voice work he loves so much. As a throat cancer survivor, his role as HNCA’s spokesperson is deeply personal. “I’m so fortunate because I can not only continue to make a living, but I can make a difference, and I can’t wait to use that on the biggest scale that I can.”

Paulsen will now use his famous voice to help raise awareness of oral, head and neck cancer, encourage those at risk to get screened for oral cancer, and promote the importance of early detection and prevention via HPV vaccination.

Green Day Guitarist Jason White

HNCA is honored to announce that Jason White of Green Day will be performing virtually for our Inaugural Move-a-Thon celebration event on April 29, 2023, from 1:00 -3:00 p.m. EST. Jason White has been the touring guitarist in the Grammy Award winning, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Green Day for over two decades. White was diagnosed with tonsil cancer in 2014, but thanks to early detection, he was able to make a full and speedy recovery. Move-a-Thon celebration performance tickets can be “purchased” through charitable donations to Head and Neck Cancer Alliance.

Jason White is an American guitar player, singer, songwriter, motivational dancer, and tambourine man. Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, he began playing and performing at the age of 9. Growing up in the local punk scene of the late 80s/early 90s, he played in many bands (THE NUMBSKULZ, CHINO HORDE, etc.) throughout junior high and high school. After which he heeded the call out west to Oakland, California and was baptized into the bastion of the East Bay scene. Since then, he has played in, toured with, and made records with bands such as MONSULA, SIXTEEN BULLETS, HUNDRED HOLIDAY, THE INFLUENTS, CALIFORNIA and PINHEAD GUNPOWDER. Also, during this time, he briefly returned to Little Rock in the late 90s to play with his childhood friends in THE BIG CATS, which sporadically continues to this day. He also lived in the Mississippi Delta for a couple years while touring in the early 2000s and immersed himself in the blues, but that’s a story for a different time. Most notably he has been the touring guitarist for GREEN DAY since 2000. This includes many world tours, television performances, awards shows, radio shows, festivals, short sets, three hour odysseys, the Uno Dos Tre album trilogy, the FOXBORO HOTTUBS, and more. In addition to his work as a touring musician, he occasionally haunts local Bay Area dives with THE COVERUPS or THE UPSIDE DOWNERS and continues to write, record, perform and release solo material under his own name.

“Like with all cancers, early detection is key, and I urge everyone to get screened for oral, head and neck cancers by taking advantage of the free screenings offered during Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week at hundreds of local facilities throughout the country listed on the http://www.headandneck.org website,” says White. “The good news is that new medical advances, such as recent development in immunotherapy, are improving the chances for full recovery but early detection is still critical. It’s easy and worth your time to get yourself screened!”

About Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week

Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week, coordinated by the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance, is a week dedicated to promoting education, prevention, screening and early detection of mouth and throat cancers. Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week is highlighted by free screenings held at participating medical centers across the country. The 25th annual Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week will be held April 16 – 22, 2023. For more information, please visit headandneck.org/ohancaw.

About the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance

The Head and Neck Cancer Alliance is a non-profit organization that works with health professionals and organizations, celebrities and survivors to enhance the overall effort in prevention, treatment, and detection of cancers of the head and neck region. Established in 2008, the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance hopes to save lives, reduce incidence and increase survival through these efforts. Its mission is to advance prevention, detection, treatment and rehabilitation of oral, head and neck cancer through public awareness, research, advocacy and survivorship. Through united and collaborative efforts, HNCA provides support to head and neck cancer patients throughout the year, supports ongoing research in head and neck oncology and educates children and adults in the disease process, treatment and prevention of oral, head and neck cancer. For more information, visit http://www.headandneck.org.