[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2015\/06\/head-neck-cancer-treatment\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2015\/06\/head-neck-cancer-treatment\/","headline":"Head and Neck Cancer Treatment: New Approaches","name":"Head and Neck Cancer Treatment: New Approaches","description":"There are multiple treatment options available for patients with head and neck cancer. Find out how we determine the right treatment approach for you.","datePublished":"2015-06-20","dateModified":"2021-03-10","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/hillman.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC Hillman Cancer Center","url":"https:\/\/hillman.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc-hillman-cancer-center\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/What-Are-Thyroid-Nodules.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/What-Are-Thyroid-Nodules.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2015\/06\/head-neck-cancer-treatment\/","about":["Cancer Care","Health Topics A-Z"],"wordCount":532,"keywords":["cancer","chemotherapy","head and neck cancer","head and neck cancer treatment","immune therapy","immunotherapy","medical mondays","radiation","surgery","thyroid cancer","thyroid cancer treatment"],"articleBody":"Updated March 2021Head and neck cancers are challenging to treat. Fortunately, scientists have had many successes in developing new treatments for this group of cancers.The term head and neck cancer refers to several related types of disease.Types of Head and Neck CancerHow your doctor treats your head or neck cancer depends on the specific type of disease you have. Doctors identify cancers by where in the body they start, including these areas of the head and neck:Mouth:\u00a0Mouth, or oral, cancer refers to cancer that starts anywhere within the oral cavity. This includes the gums, tongue, cheek linings, and roof or floor of the mouth.Throat: These cancers can affect the voice box (laryngeal cancer) or the back of the throat (oropharyngeal cancer). Cancer also can grow where your throat connects your mouth to your esophagus (hypopharyngeal cancer).Nose:\u00a0When cancer forms at the back of the nasal cavity, doctors call it nasopharyngeal cancer.Sinus:\u00a0With sinus cancer, tumors grow in the skull’s hollow spaces near the nose.Salivary glands:\u00a0This rare cancer can form in any of the salivary glands in the mouth, neck, or jaw.Thyroid:\u00a0This form of cancers grows in the thyroid, a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the front of the neck.What to Expect: Head and Neck Cancer TreatmentThe type of treatment you receive will depend on the location of your cancer. How advanced the cancer is also plays a role, as well as how quickly it’s growing. Other important factors include your overall health and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.Your UPMC medical team has the full range of treatments for head and neck cancer available. These include:Chemotherapy\u00a0uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. Your team can give chemotherapy drugs by mouth, IV infusion, or injection.Immunotherapy\u00a0boosts your body’s cell-killing immune response so it can destroy cancer cells. Immunotherapy comes in different forms, including vaccines and drugs that directly boost your immune system. Other forms of immunotherapy contain immune cells to fight your cancer.Radiation\u00a0uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. Doctors often recommend radiation when they need to target a specific area within the head and neck region.Surgery can be used to remove the tumor. Your surgeon may also remove nearby lymph nodes to determine whether cancer has spread.UPMC Experts Tailor Your TreatmentYour cancer care team will recommend personalized treatment options based on your specific circumstances. Doctors can choose to use these treatments alone or in combination based on your medical needs.For example, doctors often combine surgery and radiation therapy. The radiation targets any cancer cells that surgery didn’t remove.Doctors may also combine chemotherapy with radiation to boost results. Chemo increases the tumor’s sensitivity to radiation.But using multiple treatments can also increase the side effects associated with each type. Your doctor will explain the pros and cons of each treatment regimen. You and your doctor will work together to decide what’s right for you.To learn more about new cancer research and treatment methods, visit\u00a0UPMC Hillman Cancer Center online or contact us today."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2015","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2015\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"06","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2015\/\/06\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Head and Neck Cancer Treatment: New Approaches","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2015\/06\/head-neck-cancer-treatment\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]