Surgeon Dr. Mark S. Persky discusses the different types of cancer affecting the head and neck, as well as approaches to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Photo: Bud Glick
Head and neck cancer is an umbrella term for the different types of cancers that can start in the mouth, nose, and throat. 鈥淭reatment of head and neck cancer can vary, depending upon the site, the type of tumor, whether it鈥檚 HPV-positive or not, and the staging of the tumor,鈥 , professor in 好色tv Langone鈥檚 and director of the Head and Neck Center at Perlmutter Cancer Center, tells HealthiNation.
Approaches to treatment of head and neck surgery include surgery, radiation therapy, and drugs including traditional chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
Many of the primary risk factors for head and neck cancer are lifestyle related, meaning most people have a real opportunity to manage their risk. 鈥淎buse of alcohol and tobacco certainly increases the risk for developing the cancer. If you do one or the other, either could potentially cause cancer, but if the smoking and drinking are combined, then the chance of developing cancer is much increased,鈥 says Dr. Persky.
