Head and Neck Cancer

What are Head and Neck Cancers?

Head and neck cancers commonly start in the squamous cells covering the mucosal watery expanse within the head and neck. The squamous bacterium is known as squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. This disease may also open in the salivary glands although salivary gland cancers are not so accepted. There are a number of salivary gland cancers as these glands have different types of cells that may grow into cancerous.

Types of Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck cancer can be categorized into 5 main types that are titled after the body part from where they start. Five main types include –

Nasaopharyngeal Cancer: The nasopharynx is the airway Walkway at the upper part of the nose at the back of the nose.

Salivary Gland Cancer: Saliva produced by the salivary gland is the flowing that is discharged within the mouth in order to keep the mouth moist. Mouth helps in breaking down the food as it contains positive incentive.

Hypopharyngeal and Laryngeal Cancer: A tube shaped organ based in the neck used for swallowing, breathing and talking is the larynx. The hypopharnx, also attribute to as gullet, is the lower part of the throat neighboring the larynx.

Oropharyngeal and Oral Cancer: Both tongue and the mouth is included in the oral crater. The intermediate part of the throat is included in oropharynx.

Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer: The air-filled areas neighboring the nasal crater is known as the paranasal sinuses. The space at the back of the nose from where air passes on the way to the throat is known as the nasal crater.

Symptoms of Head and neck Cancer

A sore on the skin which fails to heal or is ulcerated, changes in a mole or discoloration.

A sore in the mouth that is not healing

Persistent sore throat

Dentures that are no longer fit

Numbness in other areas and in the tongue

Swelling or a lump in the neck

White or red patch in the mouth

Difficulty in swallowing, chewing and also in moving tongue and jaws

Blood in the sputum

Loosening of teeth

Persistent change or hoarseness in the voice

Frequent ongoing nasal congestion, nosebleeds or chronic sinus infections that does not respond to any treatment

Pain in ears, throat and neck

Staging of Head and Neck Cancer

TNM staging is considered as the most common staging for head and neck.

The size of the tumor is described by T

The spread of the cancer to the lymph node and also the involvement of nodes is described by N

The spread of the cancer to another part of the body is described by M

Diagnosis of Head and Neck Cancer

Urine and blood test /Physical observation: Lumps in the cheeks, lips, neck and gums are examined by performing a physical examination of a patient. Abnormalities are also noticed by investigate throat, nose, tongue and mouth. Cancer can be determining by operating urine and blood tests.

Biopsy: A small amount of tissue is removed for examining under a microscope for analyze head and neck cancer.

X-ray: This helps in creating pictures of the architecture within the body by using little emission. The irregularity of the swallowing passage can be described by a barium swallow.

Endoscopy: The inside of the body can be viewed by using soft and light tube known as an endoscope. The head and neck areas are examined by introduce this tube through the nose into the throat.

Ultrasound: The picture of the constitutional organs is created by constitutional an ultrasound that uses sound waves.

Bone Scan: Radioactive tracer is used for consider inside the bones. This tracer is embedding into the vein of a patient. This is distinguishing by a special camera as it gets collected in the bone areas. Gray color develops representing a healthy bone and dark color represents the injured areas due to cancer.

Computed Tomography Scan: A tumor or irregularity of the head and neck are viewed by operating computed tomography (CAT or CT) scan.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan: By the means of this scan, the pictures of tissues and organs within the body are discovering. The injection of a radioactive material is done into the body of a patient. The tissues and organs that use most of the energy consume this radioactive substance. It is the leaning of the cancer to use energy sincerely thereby absorbing more radioactive texture.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): The detailed images of the body that include base of the tongue and the tonsils are produced by performing an MRI that makes use of magnetic fields.

Panorex: The x-ray of lower and upper jawbones is performed for detecting cancer or for evaluating teeth before chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy are the three main types of medication for administrate head and neck cancer. Surgery or radiation therapy is treated as the primary treatments while chemotherapy is usually used as an ancillary or increased treatment. Primary cancer can be comfortably treated with the help of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy can also adequately treat the neck. A neck dissection is also frequently necessary for removing involved lymph nodes in the neck when the amount of cancer in the neck nodes is very wide.

Surgery is treated as a very important treatment that can be done either before or after the radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is given eventually when it is necessary to remove the primary tumor surgically. The tumor is first tried to narrow by using radiotherapy and surgery is followed by radiotherapy. Successive radiation therapy procedures are used for treating head and neck cancer –

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT): The specific areas inside the tumor or cancerous tumors are targeted by this high-precision radiotherapy that makes use of computer-controlled x-ray accelerators that distribute precise radiation doses. The high concentration radiation beam is focused on the tumor so as to damage it without unpleasant any surrounding healthy cells.c

External Beam Therapy (EBT): Through this therapy, a high-energy beam x-rays are delivered at the district of the tumor. The tumor site is the target of this beam and it can damage cancer cells while sparing nearby healthy tissues. There is no placement of radioactive authority in the body of a patient.