5 Things to Know about Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

Head and neck cancer is cancer that originates in the head and neck areas with a few exceptions, such as cancer that originates in the brain.

Head and neck cancers can originate in the following sites:

• Nasopharynx
• Cancer of the oral cavity including lips, gums, inside of cheeks, part of the tongue, floor of the mouth under the tongue, palate and area behind wisdom teeth
• Salivary glands
• Paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity
• Oropharynx (Base of tongue, tonsils)
• Larynx, or voicebox
• Hypophyarnx
• Lymph nodes of the neck

Because head and neck cancer is often located in difficult to reach areas, it’s important to ask a lot of questions from your head and neck cancer treatment team.

About Head and Neck Cancer

There are approximately 42,000 new cases of head and neck cancer in the United States every year. And, while the biggest risk factor for head and neck cancer is smoking and tobacco use, the fastest growing population of people affected by head and neck cancer is young, otherwise healthy adults. This is due to the rise in cases of HPV.

Here are 5 things to know, or ask your cancer center before having head and neck cancer treatment.

What type of surgery is offered for head and neck cancer?

Penn physicians Drs. Gregory Weinstein and Bert O’Malley invented and developed the TransOral Robotic Surgery procedure, or TORS.

TORS, for the first time, has allowed surgeons to gain greater access to the areas of the throat for the removal of cancers and benign lesions via a minimally invasive robotic approach. The surgeon benefits by having improved access to the tight confines of the throat and the patient benefits in the short-term by faster and easier recovery and, in the long-term, by outstanding cancer results and improved swallowing results compared to alternative treatments.

Benefits of TORS can include:

• Quicker return to normal activity
• Shorter hospitalization
• Reduced risk of long-term swallowing problems that are more commonly seen when chemoradiation or traditional open surgery is used for definitive treatment instead of robotic surgery
• Fewer complications compared to traditional open surgery
• Less scarring than traditional open surgery
• Less risk of infection
• Less risk of blood transfusion when compared to open surgery
• No routine use of tracheostomy during surgery compared to routine use for open surgery

The medical literature confirms that TransOral Robotic Surgery's revolutionary technique contributes to improved outcomes for cancers and benign lesions of the mouth, voice box, tonsil, tongue and other parts of the throat.

"Thank you for saving my life."- A patient from Penn writes about her experience with TORS and Penn Medicine. Read her story here.

How will my radiation oncologist, surgeon and medical oncologist all know what each other is doing?

One of the benefits of getting your cancer care at the Abramson Cancer Center is getting multi-disciplinary care in a comprehensive cancer center.

To you, the patient, this means seamless care from a center designated as “exceptional” from the National Cancer Institute. It means never having to worry one physician won’t know what the other is doing. It also means getting access to all specialists under one roof.

To us, it means collaboration. It means that we know and trust each discipline to offer you the best, world-class cancer care.

Does your cancer center offer proton therapy?

Proton therapy for head and neck cancer offers more cancer-focused radiation extreme precision. This means that radiation can be delivered to difficult-to-reach areas of the head and neck with less exposure of surrounding tissues and organs, translating to potentially significant reductions in patient-experienced side effects

The Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine is the largest and most advanced proton therapy facility in the world. It’s also the only proton therapy center housed within an academic medical institution.

Will I be able to get pencil-beam proton therapy for head and neck cancer?

Pencil beam proton therapy allows for precise radiation delivery to the areas at risk for cancer involvement, while minimizing dose to normal tissues. We currently offer pencil beam proton therapy primarily to patients with cancers of the oropharynx, whether after surgery, or for patients who cannot receive surgery, in place of surgery. Only a few proton centers in the United States offer pencil beam proton therapy, and Penn Medicine is one of them.

What support services will I have access to?

As a comprehensive cancer center, the Abramson Cancer Center is proud to offer patients access to many support services.

From patient navigators who can walk patients through each step of care, to social workers who can help patients get outside support, the Abramson Cancer Center wants to ensure all patients get world-class care.

The Abramson Cancer Center also offers patients:

• Nutrition services
• Integrative medicine and wellness services including yoga, acupuncture and reiki
• Support groups
• The LIVESTRONG Survivorship program
• Access to clinical trials for cancer

Learn More About Head and Neck Cancer Treatment At Penn

To learn more about head and neck cancer, and to learn if you are a candidate for TORS or proton therapy for head and neck cancer, please make an appointment with a Penn specialist by calling 1-800-789-PENN (7366).

Learn more about head and neck cancer treatment at Penn Medicine from the Focus on Head and Neck Cancers Conference.