More than 55,000 Americans will develop cancer of the head and neck (most of which is preventable) this year; nearly 13,000 of them will die from it.
Early Detection Of Head And Neck Cancer
Tobacco is the most preventable cause of these deaths. In the United States, up to 200,000 people die each year from smoking-related illnesses. The good news is that this figure has decreased due to the increasing number of Americans who have quit smoking. The bad news is that some of these smokers switched to smokeless or spit tobacco, assuming it is a safe alternative. This is untrue – they are merely changing the site of the cancer risk from their lungs to their mouth. While lung cancer cases are down, cancers in the head and neck appear to be increasing. Cancer of the head and neck is curable if caught early. Fortunately, most head and neck cancers produce early symptoms. You should know the possible warning signs so you can alert your doctor to your symptoms as soon as possible. Remember – successful treatment of head and neck cancer can depend on early detection. Knowing and recognizing the signs of head and neck cancer can save your life.
Symptoms Of Head And Neck Cancer
A lump in the neck… Cancers that begin in the head or neck usually spread to lymph nodes in the neck before they spread elsewhere. A lump in the neck that lasts more than two weeks should be seen by a physician as soon as possible. Of course, not all lumps are cancer. But a lump (or lumps) in the neck can be the first sign of cancer of the mouth, throat, voicebox (larynx), thyroid gland, or of certain lymphomas or blood cancers. Such lumps are generally painless and continue to enlarge steadily.
Change in the voice… Most cancers in the larynx cause some change in voice. Any hoarseness or other voice change lasting more than two weeks should alert you to see your physician. An otolaryngologist is a head and neck specialist who can examine your vocal cords easily and painlessly. While most voice changes are not caused by cancer, you shouldn’t take chances. If you are hoarse more than two weeks, make sure you don’t have cancer of the larynx. See your doctor.
A growth in the mouth… Most cancers of the mouth or tongue cause a sore or swelling that doesn’t go away. These sores and swellings may be painless unless they become infected. Bleeding may occur, but often not until late in the disease. If an ulcer or swelling is accompanied by lumps in the neck, be very concerned. Your dentist or doctor can determine if a biopsy (tissue sample test) is needed and can refer you to a head and neck surgeon to perform this procedure.
Bringing up blood… This is often caused by something other than cancer. However, tumors in the nose, mouth, throat or lungs can cause bleeding. If blood appears in your saliva or phlegm for more than a few days, you should see your physician.
Swallowing problems… Cancer of the throat or esophagus (swallowing tube) may make swallowing solid foods difficult. Sometimes liquids can also be troublesome. The food may “stick” at a certain point and then either go through to the stomach or come back up. If you have trouble almost every time you try to swallow something, you should be examined by a physician. Usually a barium swallow x-ray or an esophagoscopy (direct examination of the swallowing tube with a telescope) will be performed to find the cause.
Changes in the skin… The most common head and neck cancer is basal cell cancer of the skin. Fortunately, this is rarely a major problem if treated early. Basal cell cancers appear most often on sun-exposed areas like the forehead, face, and ears, although they can occur almost anywhere on the skin. Basal cell cancer often begins as a small, pale patch that enlarges slowly, producing a central “dimple” and eventually an ulcer. Parts of the ulcer may heal, but the major portion remains ulcerated. Some basal cell cancers show color changes. Other kinds of cancer, including squamous cell cancer and malignant melanoma, also occur on the skin of the head and neck. Most squamous cell cancers occur on the lower lip and ear. They may look like basal cell cancers and, if caught early and properly treated, usually are not much more dangerous. If there is a sore on the lip, lower face, or ear that does not heal, consult a physician. Malignant melanoma classically produces dense blue-black or black discolorations of the skin. However, any mole that changes size, color, or begins to bleed may be trouble. A black or blue-black spot on the face or neck, particularly if it changes size or shape, should be seen as soon as possible by a dermatologist or other physician.
Persistent Earache… Constant pain in or around the ear when you swallow can be a sign of infection or tumor growth in the throat. This is particularly serious if it is associated with difficulty in swallowing, hoarseness or a lump in the neck. These symptoms are best evaluated by an otolaryngologist.
Identifying High Risk of Head and Neck Cancer
As many as 90 percent of head and neck cancers arise after prolonged exposure to specific factors. Use of tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco or snuff) and alcoholic beverages are closely linked with cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box and tongue. (In adults who neither smoke nor drink, cancer of the mouth and throat are nearly nonexistent.) Prolonged exposure to sunlight is linked with cancer of the lip and is also an established major cause of skin cancer.
What You Should Do… All of the symptoms and signs described here can occur with no cancer present. In fact, many times complaints of this type will be due to some other condition. But you can’t tell without an examination. So, if they do occur, see your doctor–and be sure.
REMEMBER: When found early, most cancers in the head and neck can be cured with relatively little difficulty. Cure rates for these cancers could be greatly improved if people would seek medical advice as soon as possible. So play it safe. If you think you have one of the warning signs of head and neck cancer, see your doctor right away.
BE SAFE: See your doctor early! And practice health habits which will make these diseases unlikely to occur.
Ear
Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
Buying a Hearing Aid
Child's Hearing Loss
Cholesteatoma
Cochlear Implants
Dizziness and Motion Sickness
Doctor, Please Explain Ear Tubes
Doctor? ¿Por Qué a Mi Hijo Le Duele El Oído?
Doctor? ¿Qué Causa El Ruido En El Oído?
Ear Infections and Earache
Ear Plastic Surgery
Ears and Altitude
Earwax
Fact Sheet: Better Ear Health
Fact Sheet: Hyperacusis -- An increased sensitivity to everyday sounds
Fact Sheet: Know the Power of Sound
Fact Sheet: What you should know about otosclerosis
Fact Sheet: Your Genes and Hearing Loss
How the Ear Works
Infant Hearing Loss
Loudness-Scale
Meniere's Disease
Noise & Hearing Protection
Perforated Eardrum
Swimmer's Ear
Tinnitus
Why Do We Fall?
Throat/Mouth
Coblation Tonsillectomy Download MP3 [26 MB]
Bell's Palsy
Doctor? ¿Para Qué Sirven Las Amígdalas Y Los Adenoides?
Fact Sheet: About Your Voice
Fact Sheet: Effects of Medications on Voice
Fact Sheet: Laryngeal (Voice Box) Cancer
Fact Sheet: Nodules, Polyps, and Cysts
Fact Sheet: Tips for Healthy Voices
Fact Sheet: Tonsillectomy Procedures
Fact Sheet: Vocal Cord Paralysis
Fact Sheet: Voice Disorders
Fever Blisters and Canker Sores
Gastroesphageal Reflux (GERD) & Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR)
Hoarseness
Salivary Glands
Smell & Taste Disorders
Sore Throats
Swallowing Trouble
Temporo-Mandibular Joint
Tonsils and Adenoids
Head and Neck Surgery
Children and Secondhand Smoke
Ear Plastic Surgery
Facial Sports Injuries
Fine Needle Aspiration
Head and Neck Cancer
Nose Surgery FAQs
Spit Tobacco
Thyroid Gland
Cancer
Fact Sheet: Laryngeal (Voice Box) Cancer
Head and Neck Cancer
Spit Tobacco
Pediatric
Child's Hearing Loss
Children and Secondhand Smoke
Fact Sheet: Child Screening for Hearing Loss
Fact Sheet: Tonsillectomy Procedures
Infant Hearing Loss
Pediatric Sinusitis
Tonsils and Adenoids
About Otolaryngology
What Is An Otolaryngologist?
Nose
Airflow Pathway 1
Airflow Pathway 2
Allergies and Hay Fever
Antihistamines, Decongestants, and "Cold Remedies"
Cillary Flow of Mucous Membrane
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
Diet and Exercise Tips to Avoid Sleep Apnea and Snoring
Drainage Path Close-Up
Drainage Paths of the Sinuses
Endoscopic Sinus Surgery 1
Endoscopic Sinus Surgery 2
Fact Sheet: 20 Questions about Your Sinuses
Fact Sheet: Allergic Rhinitis, Sinusitis, and Rhinosinusitis
Fact Sheet: Antibiotics and Sinusitis
Fact Sheet: Build Your Own Sinus Mask
Fact Sheet: Deviated Septum
Fact Sheet: Injection Snoreplasty
Fact Sheet: Sinus Surgery
Fact Sheet: Sinusitis: Special Considerations for Aging Patients
Front View of the Sinuses
Frontal Sinus Drainage Path 1
Frontal Sinus Drainage Path 2
Fungal Sinusitis
Inferior Turbinate Reduction
Laser Assisted Uvula Palatoplasty (LAUP)
Maxillary Sinus View 1
Maxillary Sinus View 2
Maxillary Sinus View 3
Middle Turbinate 1
Middle Turbinate 2 - Concha Bullosa
Middle Turbinate 3
Middle Turbinate 4
Nasal Polyps
Nasal Polyps 2
Nasal Septal Deviation 1
Nasal Septal Deviation 2
Naso-Antral Windows 1
Naso-Antral Windows 2
Normal Sinuses
Nose Surgery FAQs
Nosebleeds
Oblique View of the Sinuses
Pediatric Sinusitis
Post-Nasal Drip
Side View of the Sinuses
Sinus Headaches
Sinus Pain - Can Over-the-Counter Medications Help?
Sphenoid Sinus
Sphenoid Sinus, Carotid, Optic Nerve
Stuffy Nose
The "Ostio-Meatal" Complex 1
The "Ostio-Meatal" Complex 2
The Inferior Turbinate
The Inferior Turbinate, Close-Up
The Nasal Septum
Uncinate Process 1
Uncinate Process 2
What Causes Nosebleeds
What is Sinusitis?
Your Nose: The Guardian Of Your Lungs
