West Wimmera Health Service is pleased to announce a partnership with the University of Melbourne to offer free mouth cancer checks at the upcoming Wimmera Field Days, taking place on March 4, 5, and 6, 2025. This important initiative is designed to raise awareness about mouth cancer and provide rural communities with accessible screenings, aiming to detect potential signs of the disease at an early stage.
Mouth cancer is a serious condition that can be difficult to detect on your own. Many mouth cancers do not cause pain or visible symptoms until they reach a more advanced stage, which can make early detection challenging. Additionally, mouth cancers are not caused by sun exposure, further highlighting the need for proactive health checks. The free screenings provided at Wimmera Field Days aim to address this gap by making mouth cancer checks available to all adults in the community.
Mouth cancer can affect anyone, but certain factors may increase risk, including smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and a history of oral diseases. However, anyone can develop mouth cancer, regardless of lifestyle factors. “The free screenings provided by WWHS are part of a broader effort to increase awareness of this disease and encourage people to prioritize their oral health” said Hamid Ghaderi, Oral health promotion officer.
During the event, trained rural health workers will take a comprehensive set of standard photographs of your mouth. These images will be sent to oral medicine experts, who will review them remotely using "MouthMap" software. This software is a powerful tool designed to assist in the early identification of oral abnormalities that may indicate the presence of mouth cancer.
Bookings are recommended to ensure your spot. To book, please call the WWHS Health Promotion team at 03 5391 4313 or email health.promotion@wwhs.net.au.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Ritchie Dodds, Chief Executive Officer on 5391 4222 or email at corporate@wwhs.net.au.