Head and Neck Cancer
April is Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month. Head and neck cancers are a group of cancers of the mouth, sinuses, nose, or throat.
Cancers that are known collectively as head and neck cancers usually begin in the squamous cells that line the mucosal surfaces of the head and neck (for example, those inside the mouth, throat, and voice box). These cancers are referred to as squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. Head and neck cancers can also begin in the salivary glands, sinuses, or muscles or nerves in the head and neck, but these types of cancer are much less common than squamous cell carcinomas. - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute.
Cancers of the head and neck can form in the oral cavity, the throat (pharynx), the voice box (larynx), the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity, and the salivary glands. Cancers of the esophagus are not included in this group.
Here are some basics:
Tobacco use, heavy alcohol use, and infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) increase the risk of head and neck cancers.
Symptoms can occur in mouth, sinuses, nose, or throat and include a sore or lump that doesn't heal, a persistent sore throat, trouble swallowing, and changes in the voice.
Treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Head and neck cancers account for nearly 4% of all cancers in the United States.
These cancers are more than twice as common among men as they are among women.
Head and neck cancers are also diagnosed more often among people over age 50 than they are among younger people.
Contact your local doctor for more information about your risk factors for head and neck cancers.