Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

The standard treatments for laryngeal cancer include:

• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy uses radiation, like high-energy X-rays, to destroy cancer cells or prevent them from growing. Hyperfractionated radiation therapy is often used to treat laryngeal cancer. Hyperfractionated radiation therapy uses the same amount of radiation as traditional methods, divided into two daily doses.
• Surgery: Surgery to remove the tumor is common for all stages of laryngeal cancer. The surgeon may use one of the following techniques:
  • Cordectomy: An operation to remove the vocal cords.
  • Supraglottic laryngectomy: A procedure that removes only the supraglottis (the area above the vocal cords).
  • Hemilaryngectomy: Surgery to remove half of the voice box (larynx). This procedure doesn’t cause voice loss.
  • Partial laryngectomy: Surgery to remove part of the voice box (larynx). This procedure doesn’t cause voice loss.
  • Total laryngectomy: Surgery to remove the entire voice box (larynx). During the procedure, the surgeon makes a hole in the front of the neck (tracheostomy) to help with breathing.
  • Thyroidectomy: Surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid gland.
  • Laser surgery: Surgery that uses a laser beam instead of a scalpel to cut and remove cancerous tissue or lesions in the voice box.
• Chemotherapy: A treatment using drugs that destroy cancer cells or stop them from dividing. Chemotherapy is generally given by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle. The treatment may be used to shrink the tumor before radiation therapy or surgery.
• Immunotherapy: Treatments that use the immune system to fight cancer.

Another treatment option may be a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies designed to help improve current cancer treatments or study new cancer treatments. Clinical trials provide the standard of care or better. They have made possible many of the treatments available today.

The standard treatments for lip and oral cavity cancer include:

• Surgery: Surgery to remove the tumor is common for all stages of lip and oral cavity cancer. The surgeon may use one of the following techniques:
  • Wide local excision: An operation to remove the tumor and some nearby healthy tissue. If the cancer cells have spread to the bone, some bone tissue may be removed.
  • Neck dissection: Surgery to remove tissues and lymph nodes in the neck. This procedure is typically used when cancer cells may have spread beyond the lip and oral cavity.
  • Plastic surgery: Surgery to improve or restore the appearance and function of the neck, throat and mouth.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is sometimes given after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses radiation, like high-energy X-rays, to destroy cancer cells or prevent them from growing. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to deliver radiation to the tumor site. Internal radiation uses seeds, wires or needles placed directly into or near the tumor.
• Chemotherapy: A treatment using drugs that destroy cancer cells or stop them from dividing. Chemotherapy is generally given by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle. The treatment may be used to shrink the tumor before radiation therapy or surgery. Chemotherapy may be recommended after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.

Another treatment option may be a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies designed to help improve current cancer treatments or study new cancer treatments. Clinical trials provide the standard of care or better. Clinical trials have made possible many of the treatments available today. 

The standard treatments for metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary include: 

• Surgery: The surgeon may use one of the following techniques:
  • Radical neck dissection: An operation to remove tissues in one or both sides of the neck between the collarbone and jawbone. This includes the jugular vein, all lymph nodes, and nerves and muscles used for swallowing, speech, and face, neck and shoulder movement. This procedure is most common when cancer has spread throughout the neck. Physical therapy may be needed after surgery.
  • Modified radical neck dissection: A surgical procedure to remove all lymph nodes without removing the neck muscles. The jugular vein and/or some nerves may also be removed.
  • Partial neck dissection: Surgery to remove some lymph nodes.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is sometimes given after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses radiation, like high-energy X-rays, to destroy cancer cells or prevent them from growing. 

Another treatment option may be a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies designed to help improve current cancer treatments or study new cancer treatments. Clinical trials provide the standard of care or better. They have made possible many of the treatments available today.

The standard treatments for nasopharyngeal cancer include: 

• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is sometimes given after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses radiation, like high-energy X-rays, to destroy cancer cells or prevent them from growing.
• Chemotherapy: A treatment using drugs that destroy cancer cells or stop them from dividing. Chemotherapy is generally given by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle. The treatment may be used to shrink the tumor before radiation therapy or surgery.
• Surgery: Surgery may be recommended if the tumor doesn’t respond to radiation therapy or if it has spread to the lymph nodes or elsewhere in the neck.

Another treatment option may be a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies designed to help improve current cancer treatments or study new cancer treatments. Clinical trials provide the standard of care or better. They have made possible many of the treatments available today.

The standard treatments for oropharyngeal cancer include:

• Surgery: Surgery to remove the tumor and some surrounding tissue is common for all stages of oropharyngeal cancer.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is sometimes given after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses radiation, like high-energy X-rays, to destroy cancer cells or prevent them from growing. 
  • Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): A type of 3-D radiation therapy.
  • Stereotactic body radiation therapy: A high-dose form of external radiation therapy that precisely targets tumors.
  • Hyperfractionated radiation therapy: Treatment that uses the same amount of radiation as traditional methods, divided into two daily doses.
• Chemotherapy: A treatment using drugs that destroy cancer cells or stop them from dividing. Chemotherapy is generally given by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle. The treatment may be used to shrink the tumor before radiation therapy or surgery.
• Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy uses drugs to identify and kill specific cancer cells, causing less harm to normal, healthy cells than radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

Another treatment option may be a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies designed to help improve current cancer treatments or study new cancer treatments. Clinical trials provide the standard of care or better. They have made possible many of the treatments available today.

The standard treatments for paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer include: 

• Surgery: Surgery to remove the tumor is common for all stages of paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer treatment. The surgeon may remove the tumor, surrounding healthy bone and tissue, and the affected lymph nodes and other tissues in the neck if needed.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is sometimes given after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses radiation, like high-energy X-rays, to destroy cancer cells or prevent them from growing. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to deliver radiation to the tumor site. Internal radiation uses seeds, wires or needles placed directly into or near the tumor.
• Chemotherapy: A treatment using drugs that destroy cancer cells or stop them from dividing. Chemotherapy is generally given by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle. The treatment may be used to shrink the tumor before radiation therapy or surgery.

Another treatment option may be a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies designed to help improve current cancer treatments or study new cancer treatments. Clinical trials provide the standard of care or better. They have made possible many of the treatments available today.

The standard treatments for salivary gland cancer include:

• Surgery: Surgery to remove the tumor is common for salivary gland cancer treatment. The surgeon may remove the tumor, some surrounding healthy tissue and lymph nodes if needed.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is sometimes given after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses radiation, like high-energy X-rays, to destroy cancer cells or prevent them from growing. Special types of external radiation therapy for salivary gland cancer include fast neutron radiation therapy (using higher-energy radiation rather than X-ray radiation therapy) and photon-beam radiation therapy (external radiation therapy that targets deep tumors using a linear accelerator machine).
• Chemotherapy: A treatment using drugs that destroy cancer cells or stop them from dividing. Chemotherapy is generally given by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle. The treatment may be used to shrink the tumor before radiation therapy or surgery.

Another treatment option may be a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies designed to help improve current cancer treatments or study new cancer treatments. Clinical trials provide the standard of care or better. They have made possible many of the treatments available today.