What is Head and Neck Cancer?

 

“Head and Neck cancers” are cancers arising in the head and neck region excluding the central nervous system (brain). The main types of cancers that come under this umbrella are:

  • Cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) (mouth, throat, voice box, upper oesophagus, nose and sinuses) (the commonest type-see below).
  • Cancers of salivary glands (mainly parotid and submandibular)
  • Thyroid gland cancer
  • Advanced skin cancer
  • Cancer arising in cervical lymph nodes (glands in the neck)
  • Cancers of skull base (cancers that have spread to or involve the bones and structures that separate the brain from the face/neck -e.g. some nasal/sinus cancers, advanced skin cancers, advanced parotid cancers, cancers of the ear and temporal bone, some orbital cancers)

 

Cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) are mainly squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The regions of the upper aerodigestive tract from which SCC arise are:

·         Oral cavity (mouth)

·         Oropharynx (throat)

·         Nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses (Sinonasal)

·         Nasopharynx (back of nose)

·         Hypopharynx and cervical oesophagus (throat/gullet)

·         Larynx (voice box)

Other sites of origin of SCC are rarer and include the external and middle ear, salivary glands and trachea.

 

The incidence of head and cancer (most of which is HNSCC) in the North-West is about 13/100 000/year, accounting for roughly 3% of all cancers. The site distribution within the head and neck region is shown in the figure below.