Head and neck cancer encompasses a wide range of tumors categorized as:

• Oral and oropharyngeal tumors (mouth, throat, tongue, and tonsils)
• Salivary gland tumors (most often in the large parotid glands in front of your ears)
• Nasopharyngeal tumors (upper part of your throat)
• Nasal cavity and paranasal sinus tumors (in the tissues lining your nose and sinuses)
• Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal tumors (in the voice box and surrounding structures)

Other cancers associated with this region but not considered to be head and neck include brain tumors, eye cancer, and esophageal and thyroid cancers.

These cancers cause a range of symptoms, including:

• Lump in your neck, mouth, or lips
• Sores in your mouth or lips
• Red or white patches in your mouth
• Bleeding or a sore inside your nose
• Hoarseness
• Chronic sore throat
• Chronic sinus infections
• Nasal congestion
• Coughing
• Pain in your face, neck, or throat
• Pain when swallowing

You won’t have all these symptoms. Your individual symptoms depend on the type of cancer.

Surgery to remove the tumor is the first treatment option. With head and neck cancers, the focus is on removing the cancer while also preserving the nearby nerves and organs.

If you can’t have surgery, your oncologist recommends radiation therapy, alone or combined with chemotherapy or other medical oncology treatments.

Medical oncologists treat head and neck cancers with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy (biological therapy). If you need an intravenous (IV) infusion, you can relax and receive your treatment in the comfort of the Hematology and Oncology Associates of Northern California office. The practice also manages an on-site dispensary where you can conveniently get oral medications.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is an option for all head and neck cancers, whether as a primary treatment or combined with other therapies.

Targeted drug therapy

This treatment uses specialized medications to target and attack parts of the cancer cells. The drug most often used for head and neck cancers destroys a protein needed for cancer cell growth.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy drugs improve the immune system’s ability to fight cancer, slowing the cancer’s growth, and shrinking the tumor.

To learn more about your treatment options for head and neck cancers, call Hematology and Oncology Associates of Northern California or request an appointment online today.