F.A.Q.
Cancers can affect any structures in head and neck. But most commonly affected lips, gums, lining inside cheeks, tongue, pharynx(throat) and larynx(voice box).It rarely affects sinuses and salivary glands.
The symptoms of head and neck cancers are ulcer or lump that does not heal, change in voice or difficulty in swallowing food. These symptoms can be caused by various other illnesses which are less serious. So proper examination with endoscope like video laryngopharyngoscopy is needed to exclude other causes. Foreign body sensation in throat ,lump like feeling in throat usually non cancerous symptom, which is generally caused by acid reflex.
Head and neck cancers are most common type of cancers affecting Indian population because of high incidence of eating tobacco and smoking.
When a patient presents with non healing ulcer mouth or growth in larynx or pharynx, it is necessary to take biopsy from representive area. This tissue examined under microscope to confirm diagnosis of cancer and type of cancer. CT scan or MRI scan, PET-CT are necessary to stage the cancer and plan the surgery.
Treatment depends on location for cancer, type of cancer, stage of cancer and age and general condition of patient. Head neck cancers are usually better treated with surgery. But surgery for removing cancer can involve resection of jaw bone, parts of tongue which give rise to swallowing and speech issues. So these areas needs to reconstructed from free flaps.