FEATURED IN JANUARY 2025

The Head & Neck Cancer Alliance mourns the loss of Dr. Itzhak Brook, a cherished member of our Board of Directors and a devoted ambassador for the head and neck cancer community.  After a long battle with esophageal and metastatic pancreatic cancer, Dr. Itzhak Brook passed away on January 10th, 2025, peacefully with his family by his side.  He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy of advocacy, education, and service.

Dr. Terry Day, Chairman of the Alliance Board of Directors, said, “It has been a true honor to work with Dr. Itzhak Brook. I first met him after he had lost his vocal cords, a challenge that, rather than diminishing his impact, amplified it. His voice, now resonating in dozens of languages through his work, continues to inspire patients, caregivers, laryngectomees, physicians, and healthcare professionals across generations. To truly understand the depth of his contribution and hear him speak, I encourage you to read his book”.

It was Dr. Brook’s wish that donations be made in his honor and memory to the Head & Neck Cancer Alliance. 

HOST A SCREENING EVENT

For more than two decades, the Alliance has worked with partners around the world to raise awareness and save lives by hosting community health screenings to promote early detection and education about head and neck cancers.

You could decide to hold your event during April's Head & Neck Cancer Awareness month, or at any point during the year!

We make it easy for your organization to participate by providing promotional and educational materials free of charge, and you organize the staff and volunteers. 

Register your event today!

READY, SET, MOVE-A-THON!

Our annual Move-A-Thon event is "kicking" off this month.  We encourage you to think about how you want to "move" with us (you decide - it could be running, walking, playing with your kids - whatever you want and feel capable of doing).

Consider if you want to start your team, join an existing team, or help us raise funds and awareness on your own.  April is Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month and we would love you to MOVE with us!

All the details are coming soon, but get a "jump" on things and sign up today!

STEVE HOLZER
Executive Television Producer/Journalist and Survivor of HPV-attributed Tongue and Neck Cancer; West Hollywood, CA

On August 1, 2017, Steve received news that a cyst removed four days earlier was HPV-attributed squamous cell carcinoma. He was stunned. What he thought was a fairly routine medical procedure, with earlier tests showing nothing remarkable, turned into seven weeks of radiation treatments and six chemotherapy treatments. 

At the age of 50, Steve was in the best physical shape of his life. He was an executive producer of a nationally syndicated television show recently canceled, and he’d taken the summer off to focus on his fitness. Little did he know, he was literally preparing his body for battle.

Being single and not having family nearby, it was vital for Steve to have a strong support network during treatment and to not be afraid to ask for help. The biggest lesson Steve learned during his cancer treatment was not to dwell on what could happen. “I could have worried, could have lived in fear every single day, if I chose to,” he explained. “I had no idea what the outcome was going to be. But what was going to happen was going to happen, regardless of my worrying or my fear, so why do it?”

Since finishing treatment, he has undergone full body PET/CT scans and has had an endoscopy. All have come back negative. Clear. For now, the cancer is gone. He’s doing everything he can to make sure it stays that way.

HPV PREVENTION WEEK

Mark your calendar for the 2025 HPV Prevention Week webinars!  Events include:

Monday, Jan 27 – 12-1 pm ET
Cultural Competence in HPV Health Education: Inclusive Strategies for Effective Prevention
Tuesday, Jan 28 – 12-1 pm ET
Innovations in HPV Screening: Leveraging Technology for Enhanced Detection
Wednesday, Jan 29 – 10-11:30 am ET
Global Efforts to Eliminate Cervical Cancer: Let’s Make This the First Cancer We Eliminate Together
Thursday, Jan 30 – 12-1 pm ET
HPV Oropharyngeal Cancer – The Past, the Present, and the Future
Friday, Jan 31 – 12-1 pm ET
Empowering Youth Voices to Lead Global Change

REGISTER HERE

MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY

As part of UC Davis Health's ongoing efforts to improve mental health care for head and neck cancer patients, we invite you to participate in an anonymous research survey designed to understand better your experience and preference for receiving mental health care. Your feedback is invaluable and will empower physicians to provide more informed support and recommend more effective treatment options.

The anonymous survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. We invite anyone with a history of head and neck cancer to fill it out.Thank you for your time and consideration.

To participate, please click the link below:

https://tinyurl.com/HNCASurvey

Share your story..

We are proud to support the Externally-Led Patient-Focused Drug Development meeting on dysphagia. They are seeking patients and caregivers to share their personal stories as panelists during this impactful meeting. Interested in volunteering? Click here to learn more and apply.

REVIEW US ON GOOGLE!
If our programs and materials have made a difference to you, please consider reviewing us on Google.

Your review will help make us more visible so other patients, survivors, and caregivers can easily find us while searching online!

To write a review, you'll need to sign up for a free Gmail account.  

PICTURE THIS!

We're looking for pictures of real people to use on our new website (coming soon), brochures, and social media.  We don't want to use boring stock photos! Your photos could provide hope and inspiration to others going through head and neck cancer!

If we use your photo, we'll send you some Alliance "swag" (featuring our new logo that we will unveil soon) and provide photo credit on our website and social media.