The Make Sense campaign is an international, multidisciplinary, multi-sponsored initiative run by the European Head and Neck Society (EHNS), a healthcare organization uniting more than 3,000 head and neck specialists across Europe. We have held the position of Campaign Secretariat since its inception.

Spearheaded by an annual awareness week, Make Sense aims to improve awareness of head and neck cancer, and ultimately improve outcomes for patients with the disease through driving awareness and education, encouraging earlier presentation, diagnosis and referral, and improving patient care.

Head and neck cancer is one the most common cancers worldwide and has a devastating impact on those affected. There are significant and specific roadblocks for patients to achieving best care practices. For patients, this includes timely diagnosis, quality of care, limited survivorship care provision and burden of the disease. For primary care physicians, there is a limited knowledge of the signs and symptoms of the disease, while there is a need to promote the importance of a multidisciplinary care approach among specialists.

As the Secretariat for Make Sense, we have worked to address these issues for the past 10 years, with the ultimate mission to improve outcomes for people living with the disease and save lives.

Our work has included everything from website development and social media campaigns to educational webinars for health care professionals and events at European Parliament.

  • 23 participating countries across Europe
  • Participation of 40+ healthcare professionals
  • More than 30 patient and patient advocacy groups involved
  • >9,400 pieces of original coverage and press release syndications generated from 2013 to 2021
  • >20 meetings with EU patient organizations and policy makers
  • 5 meetings held at European Parliament and dialogue opened with European Commission
  • More than 112,800 patients screened in >1,570 clinics open to the public across Europe
  • >365,000 educational leaflets distributed that communicate signs and symptoms
  • Make Sense campaign website available in 14 languages