Head and neck cancer is a group of different cancers. The area of the head and neck where cancer occurs determines the cancer type.
Symptoms of head and neck cancer can include:
- Bleeding
- Coughing a lot
- Fluid in your ear
- Headaches
- Hoarse voice
- Lumps (particularly on the face or roof of the mouth, neck, ear, cheek, throat or jaw)
- Nosebleeds
- Pain in the face, teeth, throat, or ears
- Ringing in the ears
- Runny nose
- Sinus blockages or pressure
- Sores that don't heal
- Sore throat
- Swelling
- Trouble with breathing, speaking or swallowing
- White or red patches
Sentara cancer specialists design personalized treatment plans for all head and cancer types. We treat:
Laryngeal cancer
Your voice box (larynx) helps you speak and swallow. The larynx is a short tube that connects your throat to your windpipe (trachea).Mucous membrane tissues line the larynx, which also includes muscles and connective tissue that keep the tube flexible. Most laryngeal cancer occurs in the cells that line the larynx.
Oral cancer
Oral cancer, also known as oral cavity cancer, includes cancers that occur in the:
- Area behind the wisdom teeth (retromolar trigone)
- Cheeks
- Gums
- Lips
- Roof of the mouth (hard palate)
- Tongue and under the tongue
Most oral cancers begin in cells that line any part of the oral cavity. These cancers can spread into deeper tissues when cancer advances.
Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer
Your nasal cavity is a hollow area above your mouth. This cavity curves down at the back to meet your throat. Your para sinuses are hollow spaces around the bones in your nose.
Cancer can form in cells lining these areas, as well as in connective tissues and muscles in the nose and face.
Not all sinus and nasal cavity cancers cause symptoms at the beginning. Symptoms may develop as cancer grows or spreads.
Salivary gland cancer
The salivary glands create spit (saliva), which helps keep your mouth moist and begins the digestion process. Cancer can occur when cells grow in ways that aren’t typical in any of the three salivary glands:
- Parotid glands: Large glands located in front of your ears
- Submandibular glands: Smaller glands located below your jaw
Sublingual glands: Small glands located under and beside your tongue
Throat cancer
Your throat (pharynx) moves food to your esophagus after you swallow and moves air to your windpipe. This tube-like structure contains three parts:
- Hypopharynx: The bottom part of your throat
- Nasopharynx: The upper part of your throat behind your nose that connects to the nasal cavity
- Oropharynx: The middle part of your throat behind your mouth (including the back of your tongue and tonsils)
Our cancer experts diagnose head and neck cancer with different tests. We begin with a physical examination and talking with you about your symptoms.
Our experts might also do a neurological exam to test your thinking, muscles and reflexes. This exam tells us how your brain, spinal cord and nerves are functioning.
After examining you, we might recommend:
- Biopsy
- Exfoliative cytology
- Fine needle aspiration biopsy
- Surgery
- Blood tests
- Imaging tests
- Specialized examinations
- Barium swallow
- Bronchoscopy
- Endoscopy
- Laryngoscopy
Your care team designs a personalized treatment plan for head and neck cancer. Depending on the cancer type, we may recommend:
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Surgery
- Targeted therapy
Our experts and partners also research new ways to treat cancer. Please read about our work at Sentara Health Research Center.