Young population awareness of head and neck cancer's (HNC) risk factors, symptoms and prognosis – a pilot survey

Background HNC is the sixth most common type of cancer in Europe, with over 150,000 new cases in 2012. It is usually recognized at an advanced clinical stage, when the survival rate is remarkably lower, compared to patients diagnosed early. Main risk factors, tobacco and alcohol use, are usually present in young people, thus health education in this group is crucial. The aim of our study was to evaluate the level of HNC awareness among young population in NorthEastern Poland.