Head Neck and Throat Cancer Symptoms and Treatment

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Head Neck and Throat Cancer Symptoms and Treatment
By Sally Rider

Head and Neck Carcinoma includes those cancers that arise in the head or neck region.

Head and neck cancers are a group of biologically similar cancers originating from the upper aerodigestive tract, including the lip, mouth, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, pharynx and larynx that affect more than 45,000 individuals in the U.S. each year.

Head and neck cancers are strongly associated with environmental and lifestyle risk factors, including tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and certain strains of the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus. Using tobacco or alcohol increases your risk. In fact, 85 percent of head and neck cancers are linked to tobacco use, including smoking and smokeless tobacco.

Alternate Names:

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, nose, tonsils, tongue, throat, or larynx (voice box)

Adenocarcinoma of the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, nose, tonsils, tongue, throat, or larynx (voice box)

Squamous Cell Cancer of the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, nose, tonsils, tongue, throat, or larynx (voice box)

Metastatic Squamous Cell Neck Cancer; Metastatic Squamous Cell Neck Carcinoma; Head and Neck Carcinomas.

Head and neck cancers symptoms include:

Ear ache
Neck pain
Bad breath
Sore tongue
Mass in the neck
Bleeding from the mouth
Difficulty swallowing food
Change in diet or weight loss
Lump in the lip, mouth or gums
Enlarged lymph glands in the neck
Unusual bleeding or numbness in the mouth
Sore throat which persists for more than six weeks
Hoarse voice which persists for more than six weeks
Painless ulcer or sores in the mouth that do not heal
Slurring of speech (if the cancer is affecting the tongue)
White, red or dark patches in the mouth that will not go away
Sinus congestion, especially with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The following may be used to diagnose the disease: physical exam and history, endoscopy, laboratory tests including blood and urine analysis, x-rays, CT scan, biopsy, MRI, and/or PET scan.

Head and neck cancer is highly curable if detected early, usually with some form of surgery although chemotherapy and radiation therapy may also play an important role.

Treatment may include surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy. These treatments may affect eating, speaking, or even breathing.

When cancer of any of the sites is advanced, the prognosis is very poor.

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