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Head and Neck Cancer
View Oral Cancer Information from the National Cancer Institute
My Fox Chase Experience Second to None
Lee Varallo O'Hagan came to Fox Chase contemplating an unsure future. Now, 14 years later, she's cured and helping others with cancer.
What is Head and Neck Cancer?
Head and neck cancer refers to tumors that occur in the lining of the nose, mouth (oral cancer) or throat as well as cancers of the thyroid and salivary glands. Doctors also include advanced skin cancers of the head and neck (scalp, ears, face and neck) under the category of "head and neck cancer."
Head and Neck Cancer Symptoms
Possible signs of laryngeal cancer include a sore throat and ear pain. Laryngeal cancer is a disease in which cancer forms in the tissues of the larynx (voice box). Your risk of laryngeal cancer is directly related to tobacco use and alcohol consumption. Causes of oral cavity and pharynx cancer also include extensive use of tobacco and alcohol. You should alert your doctor at the first suspected sign of throat cancer.
Latest Head and Neck Cancer Treatment Options
Surgical Oncologist
John A Ridge, MD, PhD
Head and neck cancer treatment is quite complex because of the importance of the head and neck region for appearance, eating and speaking. For this reason, head and neck cancer treatment is done best by teams of individuals working together to manage all aspects of the illness. Fox Chase Cancer Center's head and neck cancer team provides the complex multispecialty treatment needed to achieve the best outcome for patients with this type of cancer.
At Philadelphia's Fox Chase Cancer Center, we offer our patients:
- World-class doctors in surgical, medical and radiation oncology, many of whom have helped define and continue to set the standard of care for head and neck cancer treatment.
- Depth of experience in evaluating and treating patients with head and neck cancer because our doctors specialize in this disease.
- Doctors who regularly work together and see patients with their colleagues in the same clinic. In some cases, a patient can see multiple specialists in the same clinic visit.
- Unique depth in key ancillary services such as social work, nutrition, speech therapy, pain management and rehabilitation medicine as well as patient support groups. All of these are crucial to make head and neck cancer treatment easier and promote recovery.
- Clinical trials for each stage and type of disease, many of them designed and led by Fox Chase doctors.
- Access to novel agents, especially targeted therapies such as monoclonal antibodies and signaling inhibitors as well as the latest in radiation treatment techniques.
- A cancer prevention program doing research on prevention and early detection of head and neck cancer.
Rehabilitation and Support Along With Your Treatment
Fox Chase hosts a twice-monthly laryngectomy support group for patients who have had this procedure.
For information on brain tumors, please see our Neuro-Oncology Program.
MyBiopsy.org
Cancer diagnosis information for patients from the College of American Pathologists
Fox Chase's head and neck cancer team has worked together for years to give outstanding care to patients with this complex but often curable illness.
As one of the nation's ten best head and neck cancer centers, Fox Chase Cancer Center combines advances in technology with specialized rehabilitation services to meet the specific needs of our head and neck cancer patients. Our team focuses not only on treating your cancer, but also on helping you retain function and physical appearance. We also offer care for healthy, high-risk individuals, such as those with precancerous changes in the mouth and throat.
For more information about head and neck cancer treatment and prevention at Fox Chase Cancer Center or to make an appointment, call 1-888-FOX CHASE (1-888-369-2427).