 Overview
Coping
Head and Neck cancer encompasses a wide range of conditions. Included are tumors that occur in several areas of the head and neck region, including the nasal passages, mouth, throat, larynx (voice box), swallowing passages, salivary glands, and the thyroid gland. Skin cancer that develops on the scalp, face, or neck is also considered a head and neck cancer.
Eighty-five percent of head and neck cancers are linked to tobacco use. People who use both tobacco and alcohol are at greater risk for developing these cancers than people who use either tobacco or alcohol alone.
Head and neck cancers account for 3 percent of all cancers in the United States. These cancers are more common in men and in people over age 50. It is estimated that almost 38,000 men and women in this country will develop head and neck cancers in 2002.
Surgery. The surgeon may remove the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around it. Lymph nodes in the neck may also be removed (lymph node dissection), if the doctor suspects that the cancer has spread. Surgery may be followed by radiation treatment.
Radiation therapy. This treatment involves the use of high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy). It can also come from radioactive materials placed directly into or near the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).
For information about side effects, see What you should know about radiation to the head and neck.
Chemotherapy. Anticancer drugs are used to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Drugs used to treat head and neck cancers are usually given by injection into the bloodstream (intravenous, or IV). Chemotherapy is widely used to treat certain stages of cancer of the nasopharynx, hypopharynx, and salivary glands. Its use in treating other head and neck cancers is being tested in clinical trials (research studies). Chemotherapy may be combined with radiation therapy to treat cancer of the nasopharynx.
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Chemotherapy and You
Information about what to expect during chemotherapy and what patients can do to take care of themselves during and after treatment.
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Radiation Therapy and You
Information about what to expect during radiation therapy, including the general effects of treatment and how to deal with specific side effects.
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