Head and neck cancer
Head and Neck cancer encompasses cancers that arise within the head and neck region excluding the brain and eyes. It is the 7th commonest cancer worldwide and requires very specialist knowledge for assessment, investigation and treatment. It has become more common in the last two decades due to a rise in skin cancers spreading to lymph glands, a rise in oropharyngeal cancers from the HPV virus and a rise in Thyroid cancers.
Oral Cancer
Oral cancers usually present with an ulcer or painful growth on the tongue, under the tongue, lip or inside of the cheek. They are usually caused by smoking, alcohol and betel nut chewing. Most cancers in this area are Squamous Cell Cancers and are usually treated with surgery sometimes followed by radiotherapy. Often the lymph glands in the neck need to be treated also with surgery (Neck dissection). Most tumours are treated with the aim of curing the patient.
Oropharyngeal Cancer
Oropharyngeal cancer is usually squamous cell cancer by type. It occurs on the tonsils, or base of the tongue, soft palate or back of the throat. It is often caused by either smoking or alcohol or from a virus.
Laryngeal Cancer
Laryngeal Cancer is usually Squamous Cell cancer by type. It occurs in the tissues of the larynx (voice box). The voice box has 3 areas – the supraglottis (above the vocal cords), the glottis (the vocal cords) and the subglottis (below the vocal cords).
Hypopharyngeal Cancer
Hypopharyngeal cancer is usually squamous cell cancer by type. It occurs in the tissues below the throat you can see through an open mouth and often just at the opening of the oesophagus (gullet or swallowing tube). The Hypopharynx has 3 areas – the piriform fossa, the post cricoid region and posterior pharyngeal.
Salivary Cancer
Most salivary tumours are actually benign. A few are however malignant. There are many different types of cancer affecting the salivary glands.
Skull Base Cancer
Skull base cancers are rare. These tumours of numerous different types at the base of the skull are located in the middle of the head. They tend to be treated either in surgical centres joint with neurosurgery followed by radiotherapy or with radiotherapy and sometime chemotherapy.
Unknown Primary Cancer
Neck lump that arise that are proven to be cancerous sometimes have no obvious source (or primary). Some neck lumps (especially those high up in the neck) will have arisen from another area somewhere in the Head and Neck region.
To book a consultation
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna