April is Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month

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This month, we'd like to shine a light on a rarer form of cancers that affect the head and neck region of the body. There are about 48,000 head and neck cancers diagnosed each year in the U.S. (~3% of all cancers in the United States) and these cancers may arise in the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, salivary glands, throat, or larynx. The most common types include:

• Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancer. The larynx is commonly called the voice box. It is a tube-shaped organ in the neck that is important for breathing, talking, and swallowing. It is located at the top of the windpipe, or trachea. The hypopharynx is also called the gullet. It is the lower part of the throat that surrounds the larynx.
• Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinus Cancer. The nasal cavity is the space just behind the nose where air passes on the way to the throat. The paranasal sinuses are the air-filled areas that surround the nasal cavity.
• Nasopharyngeal Cancer. The nasopharynx is the air passageway at the upper part of the throat behind the nose.
• Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer. The oral cavity includes the mouth and tongue. The oropharynx includes the middle of the throat from the tonsils to the tip of the voice box.
• Salivary Gland Cancer. The salivary gland is tissue that produces saliva, which is the fluid that is released into the mouth to keep it moist and that contains enzymes that begin breaking down food.

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One challenge in treating head and neck cancers is that surgery involves the very structures or parts of our bodies that make us human (e.g., allow us to speak, talk, chew, make facial expressions). 

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There has been an alarming increase in the prevalence of head and neck cancers in males, particularly those cancers associated with the HPV virus (Scientific American). Additional resources and video links are included below to help you and your loved ones find out more about this complex illness. Help raise awareness for Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month by becoming an informed advocate and spreading the word. 

Resources: 

• Head and neck cancer surgeons at Memorial Sloan Kettering discuss risk factors, treatment options, reconstruction and quality of life after surgery (video)
• Smoking, Drinking Prolong Gastrostomy Tube Use in Head and Neck Cancer
• An Oncologists Advice on Avoiding Head and Neck Cancer