Head and Neck Cancer Explained
Cancers of the head and neck generally originate in the squamous cells of mucosal surfaces like the inside of your mouth, throat or nose.
Tumors we treat in the Baptist Cancer Center's Head and Neck Center include but are not limited to those of the:
- Oral cavity (mouth, lips, gums, cheeks, tongue, palate and mouth floor)
- Pharynx or throat (including the oropharynx (behind the mouth), nasopharynx (behind the nasal passage) and hypopharynx (behind the voice box)
- Larynx
- Thyroid and Parathyroid
- Salivary glands
- Skin of the head and neck, including melanoma
- Nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses
- Skull base
- Ear and temporal bone
- Eye cancer
- Neck
In addition, the Head and Neck Center treats:
- Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma)
- Sarcomas of the head and neck
- Head and neck issues in patients with tumors elsewhere in the body
Head and Neck Cancer Treatment Options
When you are treated for a head and neck tumor at BCC, you receive the undivided focus of a team of physicians and scientists that may include medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, neuroradiologists and plastic surgeons. They are joined by dentists, nurses, speech pathologists, audiologists, nutritionists, psychologists and social workers with special training in head and neck cancers. Working together, they prepare a customized plan of care just for you. Treatments available may include proton therapy, gamma knife and targeted therapies, as well as innovative, minimally invasive surgical techniques, including robotic surgery.
We take a team approach to be sure you receive the most-advanced treatment with the least impact on your body. And we have special expertise and highly skilled therapists to help you maintain speech, swallowing and/or hearing.
