Medication
Recovery from head and neck cancer is not always possible. If the cancer cannot be cured or controlled, the disease may be called advanced or terminal. This diagnosis is stressful, and for most people, advanced cancer is difficult to discuss.
Procedures
How are Head and Neck Cancers Treated? The treatment plan for an individual patient depends on a number of factors, including the exact location of the tumor, the stage of the cancer, and the person’s age and general health.
Therapy
Regular follow-up care is very important after treatment for head and neck cancer to make sure that the cancer has not returned, or that a second primary (new) cancer has not developed. Depending on the type of cancer, medical checkups could include exams of the stoma, if one has been created, and of the mouth, neck, and throat.
Self-care
Speech therapy usually continues after the patient returns home. Eating may be difficult after treatment for head and neck cancer. Some patients receive nutrients directly into a vein after surgery or need a feeding tube until they can eat on their own.
Nutrition
Is recovery from head and neck cancer possible?
How are head and neck cancers treated?
What follow-up care is necessary after treatment for head and neck cancer?
What happens after speech therapy for head and neck cancer?
How long does it take to recover from head and neck radiation?
Your skin will gradually heal after you finish treatment, but this often takes 3 to 4 weeks. Sometimes, skin reactions get worse during the week after you finish treatment. If this happens, call your doctor or nurse. Your nurse will apply special dressings (bandages) or creams, if needed.
What happens after head and neck cancer treatment?
Common side effects from head and neck surgery include temporary or permanent loss of normal voice, impaired speech, and hearing loss. People often have difficulty chewing or swallowing after cancer surgery, which may require a tube inserted in the stomach for feeding purposes.
How long does it take to recover from throat radiation?
Your Throat You may notice throat changes in 2–3 weeks after starting radiation. These will likely get better 4–6 weeks after you have finished treatment.
Can you recover from head and neck cancer?
Advanced stage patients (stage 3 and 4) receive more aggressive treatment and have lower cure rates, with the exception of patients with HPV-related head-and-neck cancers. Their 5-year cure rates are close to 90 percent.
How long can you live with head and neck cancer?
For all head and neck cancer subtypes, one-year survival falls between 1 and 5 years after diagnosis, though the gradient of the fall varies between subtypes. For most head and neck cancer subtypes, one-year survival falls between 5 and 10 years after diagnosis.
How long can you live with cancer in lymph nodes?
A patient with widespread metastasis or with metastasis to the lymph nodes has a life expectancy of less than six weeks. A patient with metastasis to the brain has a more variable life expectancy (one to 16 months) depending on the number and location of lesions and the specifics of treatment.
How long can you live after radiation therapy?
Median follow-up time for this report was 41 months (range=14.6-59.0). Following treatment with stereotactic radiation, more than eight in ten patients (84%) survived at least 1 year, and four in ten (43%) survived 5 years or longer. The median overall survival (OS) time was 42.3 months.
How long does chemo continue to work after treatment?
The chemotherapy itself stays in the body within 2 -3 days of treatment but there are short-term and long-term side effects that patients may experience.
Can you drive after radiation treatment?
Will I be able to drive after my radiotherapy treatment? Almost all patients are able to drive while receiving radiotherapy treatment. However, with some types of cancer, driving may NOT be recommended due to fatigue or strong pain medication. Your physician will be able to address your specific case.
What are the long term side effects of head and neck radiation?
Long term and late effects. ... A dry mouth and changes to your saliva. ... Changes to the way you eat and drink. ... Effects on speech and voice. ... Stiffness or pain in the jaw. ... Effects on hearing. ... Effects on the neck and shoulders. ... Changes in how you look.More items...
Can you live a normal life after throat cancer?
With treatment, many people live a long life after throat cancer, especially when it's caught early.
What is the success rate of radiation therapy for neck cancer?
Elective neck irradiation can be avoided in patients with early-stage disease and a clinically negative neck, whereas patients with advanced or recurrent diseases should have neck irradiation. Local control rates with irradiation exceed 80%, and the 5-year survival rate is in excess of 95%.
What are cancers of the head and neck?
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...
What causes cancers of the head and neck?
Alcohol and tobacco use (including secondhand smoke and smokeless tobacco , sometimes called “chewing tobacco” or “snuff”) are the two most imp...
What are head and neck cancer symptoms?
Head and neck cancer symptoms may include a lump in the neck or a sore in the mouth or the throat that does not heal and may be painful, a sore thr...
How common are head and neck cancers?
Head and neck cancers account for nearly 4% of all cancers in the United States ( 31 ). These cancers are more than twice as common among men as t...
How can I reduce my risk of developing head and neck cancers?
People who are at risk of head and neck cancers―particularly those who use tobacco―should talk with their doctor about ways to stop using tobacco t...
How are head and neck cancers treated?
Head and neck cancer treatment can include surgery, radiation therapy , chemotherapy , targeted therapy , immunotherapy , or a combination of t...
What are the side effects of head and neck cancer treatment?
Surgery for head and neck cancers may affect the patient’s ability to chew, swallow, or talk. The patient may look different after surgery, and the...
What rehabilitation or support options are available for patients with head and neck cancers?
The goal of treatment for head and neck cancers is to control the disease. But doctors are also concerned about preserving the function of the affe...
Is follow-up care necessary? What does it involve?
Regular follow-up care is very important after treatment for head and neck cancer to make sure that the cancer has not returned and that a second p...
Quality of Life after Head and Neck Cancer Treatment
Speech and swallow therapy is an integral part of the care we offer to people with head and neck cancer. Shown here: Speech pathologist Katherine Kougentakis
Why choose Memorial Sloan Kettering for head and neck cancer care?
We’re always improving the treatments available to people with head and neck cancer. In fact, our experts were involved with many of the modern approaches used to treat head and neck cancer.
What is the treatment for head and neck cancer?
For head and neck cancer, treatment may involve a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. Experts in surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology and pathology meet regularly in a head and neck tumor board conference to carefully review cases and work together to develop the best care plan for each patient.
Why is a multidisciplinary team important for head and neck cancer?
The treatment-- the reason why a multidisciplinary team is so important for head and neck cancer is that our treatment sometimes involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery, and/or some mix of all of those over potentially months long periods of time. Correct.
Does UChicago Medicine treat head and neck cancer?
UChicago Medicine physicians pioneered an innovative first-line combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy approach that effectively shrinks some head and neck tumors, reducing the need for surgery. Patients with any type of head and neck cancer may be candidates for this approach.
Can head and neck cancer die from radiation?
Many of the treatments are available for a number of different indications, whether the cancer is curable, which we hope, or incurable. And so we-- mostly it's whether or not cancers-- head and neck cancer cell will die if we give say a radiation dose or a chemotherapy treatment course. Or pluck it out.
How to contact NCI about head and neck cancer?
Alternatively, call NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) for information about clinical trials for individuals with head and neck cancer, or chat with a cancer information specialist online through LiveHelp. People interested in taking part in a clinical trial should talk with their doctor.
Where does head and neck cancer start?
Cancers that are known collectively as head and neck cancers usually begin in the squamous cells that line the moist, mucosal surfaces inside the head and neck (for example, inside the mouth, the nose, and the throat). These squamous cell cancers are often referred to as squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.
What are the most common causes of head and neck cancer?
At least 75% of head and neck cancers are caused by tobacco and alcohol use ( 6 ).
Can salivary gland cancer cause head and neck cancer?
Head and neck cancers can also begin in the salivary glands, but salivary gland cancers are relatively uncommon. Salivary glands contain many different types of cells that can become cancerous, so there are many different types of salivary gland cancer. Cancers of the head and neck are further categorized by the area of ...
Is head and neck cancer a squamous cell?
Credit: Terese Winslow. Cancers of the brain, the eye, the esophagus, and the thyroid gland, as well as those of the scalp, skin, muscles, and bones of the head and neck, are not usually classified as head and neck cancers. Sometimes, cancerous squamous cells can be found in the lymph nodes of the upper neck when there is no evidence ...
How long does it take for head and neck cancer to go away?
The patient may look different after surgery, and the face and neck may be swollen. The swelling usually goes away within a few weeks.
What is the treatment for head and neck cancer?
Treatment for head and neck cancer can include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of treatments.
How long does swelling last after lymph node removal?
The swelling usually goes away within a few weeks. However, if lymph nodes are removed, the flow of lymph in the area where they were removed may be slower and lymph could collect in the tissues, causing additional swelling; this swelling may last for a long time.
What happens if you get radiation on your head?
Patients who receive radiation to the head and neck may experience redness, irritation, and sores in the mouth; a dry mouth or thickened saliva; difficulty in swallowing; changes in taste; or nausea. Other problems that may occur during treatment are loss of taste, which may decrease appetite and affect nutrition, ...
Why does my neck feel numb after a laryngectomy?
After a laryngectomy (surgery to remove the larynx) or other surgery in the neck, parts of the neck and throat may feel numb because nerves have been cut. If lymph nodes in the neck were removed, the shoulder and neck may become weak and stiff.
Can you open your mouth wide after a chin surgery?
The jaw may feel stiff, and patients may not be able to open their mouth as wide as before treatment.
What is the goal of head and neck cancer treatment?
The goal of treatment for head and neck cancers is to control the disease, but doctors are also concerned about preserving the function of the affected areas as much as they can and helping the patient return to normal activities as soon as possible after treatment.
What is the importance of regular follow up after head and neck cancer?
What Does it Involve? Regular follow-up care is very important after treatment for head and neck cancer to make sure that the cancer has not returned, or that a second primary (new) cancer has not developed. Depending on the type of cancer, medical checkups could include exams of the stoma, if one has been created, and of the mouth, neck, ...
Why do you need reconstructive surgery?
However, reconstructive surgery may not always be possible because of damage to the remaining tissue from the original surgery or from radiation therapy.
Can you get a second primary cancer in your neck?
People who have been treated for head and neck cancers have an increased chance of developing a new cancer, usually in the head, neck, esophagus, or lungs. The chance of a second primary cancer varies depending on the site of the original cancer, but it is higher for people who use tobacco and drink alcohol.
Can you eat after neck cancer surgery?
Eating may be difficult after treatment for head and neck cancer. Some patients receive nutrients directly into a vein after surgery or need a feeding tube until they can eat on their own. A feeding tube is a flexible plastic tube that is passed into the stomach through the nose or an incision in the abdomen.
Is there a free patient page for head and neck cancer?
The American Cancer Society has developed a Free Patient Page for head and neck cancer patients, who are finished with treatments, and need guidance on how to best manage issues that can occur after treatment.
How does head and neck cancer affect your body?
Self-Esteem and Body Image. Head and neck cancer treatments might affect the way you feel about yourself. Surgery, as well as complications like lymphedema and weight loss, can change the way you look. It might be hard to handle having trouble with the way you eat, hear, and talk because of treatment complications.
What are the complications of head and neck cancer?
Head and neck cancers start in or near your lips, tongue, tonsils, mouth, nose, sinuses, throat, salivary glands, or voice box. Surgery, radiation, and other treatments can fight the cancer in these areas and protect the important jobs they do. But some therapies can also cause long-term health ...
How to keep your jaw working?
A speech language therapist can teach you exercises that can help. But you need to do them every day. Stretching exercises and devices that open your mouth can also help keep your jaw working the way it should. For some people, plastic surgery can rebuild bones or tissues to make swallowing easier.
How to keep your mouth clean after cancer treatment?
Ask your dentist what you can do to keep your mouth clean and healthy during and after treatment. Regular brushing and flossing can help. You may also get a fluoride rinse or gel to put on your teeth. After cancer treatment, it’s important to see your dentist regularly so they can treat any problems that come up ASAP.
Can radiation in the neck cause weight gain?
If you get radiation in your neck, it could damage your thyroid gland, affecting how well it can make thyroid hormones. Low levels of these can lead to weight gain and can make you feel tired. If you need radiation in this area, your doctor will keep an eye on your thyroid hormone levels after treatment.
Can lymphedema cause neck pain?
It also can change the way you look. Swelling inside your head and neck can also affect how well you hear, breathe, talk, and eat. Ask your doctor what you can do to prevent lymphedema.
Can head and neck cancer cause mouth problems?
But cancer treatments also can cause mouth issues and trouble swallowing. For example, surgery to remove a tumor may also damage nerves, muscles, and other tissues that help you chew and swallow.