Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness (OHANCA®) Program

Featuring Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW®), awareness-raising from April 11-17, 2021 and screenings from November 7 -13, 2021

Hosting Head and Neck Cancer Screenings During the Covid-19 Pandemic

We understand many sites may have challenges with hosting a screening event in the early part of 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions, so we are encouraging sites to: 

  • Work with their respective institutions’ public health teams to determine the appropriate timing and venue to optimize the safety of your head and neck cancer screening event.
  • Plan for a screening in the latter part of 2021 when a vaccine is available. HNCA is pleased to offer the same educational and promotional support—free of charge—for all screenings offered in 2021.
  • Share this email with dental offices in your local community, who are currently seeing patients, and can serve as the first line of defense in detecting head and neck cancer.

Our partners can also get involved in other ways, such as participating in our online awareness-raising campaign, hosting a virtual educational activity, or sharing OHANCAW print and digital materials in their waiting and exam rooms. More information will be shared later about these and other activities for Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week 2021!

What We Do

With our OHANCA® Program, we work closely with local hospitals, clinics and medical centers each year to provide free head and neck cancer screenings for community members in hundreds of locations throughout the US and abroad. In 2019, there were 219 screenings hosted in 41 U.S. States and 32 screenings in 17 additional countries.

Why We Do It

The goal of this initiative is to encourage adults who are at high risk for oral, head and neck cancer to take advantage of nationwide and international free screenings. A key message of the campaign is that early diagnosis is key to successful treatment of these types of cancers.

2021 Dates

As in past years, free screenings will occur all over the US and abroad throughout the year. The majority of screenings will take place during Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week®, awareness-raising from April 11-17, 2021 and screenings from November 7 -13, 2021.  This pinnacle week features the highest volume of free screenings all over the world, plus educational talks and other awareness programs. 

How to Get Involved

There are many ways to get involved with OHANCA®. If you are a patient, caregiver, or someone affected by head and neck cancer and are interested in educating others about this disease, please talk to your doctor, a local dental clinic, or medical institution about the importance of early detection. Once you have a medical clinic or institution interested in joining this cause, sign up is easy. For more information on how to host a screening, go to Host a Screening.

If you simply want to find a screening site near you, or participate in head and neck cancer awareness events in your region, please go to Screening Locations. There, you can search for events and screenings in your area.

Other events to support head and neck cancer awareness include:

  • runs/walks
  • survivor workshops
  • basketball/golf/tennis tournaments
  • silent auctions and galas
  • and more…

1-866-792-4622 (HNCA)



I had no idea that HPV could cause head and neck cancer. I am an advocate for everyone I know. I don’t want them to experience what I and my family experienced because we did not know about this sexually transmitted virus.Tina O’Dell
Survivor of HPV-Attributed Stage III Squamous Cell

Thank You to Our Corporate and Community Partners