Milwaukee VA to offer free oral cancer screenings for local Veterans

Screenings take about 15 minutes and include examination inside the mouth, head and neck. No appointment is needed, and Veterans do not need to be enrolled in VA health care or VA dental care to participate. Milwaukee VA employees may also choose to be screened.

Dietary, nutrition and lifestyle experts will be on hand, along with tobacco cessation counselors, to answer questions about oral cancer risks like HPV and excessive sun exposure.

“We’ll be looking for any signs of oral cancer, skin cancer or anything out of the ordinary,” said Dr. Kandace Klepper, Milwaukee VA periodontist. “We’re teaming up with other departments to help identify risk factors and provide more information to participants.”

Veterans are at higher risk of oral cancer than the general population, and with oral cancer rates rising nationwide, early detection is more important than ever. “While incidence of oral cancer is rising, so too are survival numbers,” Klepper said. “We want to do whatever we can to have an earlier diagnosis, which leads to better treatment outcomes.”

This is the third annual screening event. Last year, more than 200 Veterans and staff participated, and a handful of those screenings identified concerns warranting referrals for further testing.

WHO: Veterans and Milwaukee VA staff members. Media is invited to cover the event.

WHEN: Thursday, April 2, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

WHERE: Matousek Auditorium, Milwaukee VA Medical Center, 5000 W. National Ave., Milwaukee.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: For more information, to ask questions or to RSVP to cover the event, please contact Milwaukee VA Public Affairs at or email vhamiwpublicaffairs@va.gov.