The conference invited prominent international as well as local speakers to discuss the latest in the field of head and neck cancer, the causes of the disease, how to diagnose it, and how to treat it today. Smoking remains the number one cause of this fatal disease in the Kingdom, and the number of smokers is still increasing in Saudi Arabia, while it is decreasing in the Western world.

Head and neck cancer experts recommend all people to quit smoking. We recommend early doctor's visit for any unusual symptoms, like difficulty or painful swallowing or breathing, a mass or ulcer in the head and neck area, or voice change longer than two weeks.

This is especially important among smokers, because the earlier the disease is diagnosed the better will be the response to treatment, which consists of surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or a combination of two or all three depending on the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis.