Head and neck cancer mainly includes cancers of the nose, mouth, sinuses, throat, salivary glands, and lymph nodes in the neck. In most of the cases it begins in the moist tissues that line the mouth, nose and throat. Common symptoms of head and neck cancer includes, a sore throat that does not go away, a lump or sore that does not heal, a change or hoarseness in the voice and trouble swallowing.

Surgery is one of the main options for head and neck cancer treatment. The treatment option is basically focused on completely removing the cancer tumor and the extent of surgery depends on the size of the cancer and its location. Some of the common types of head and neck cancer surgery include:

Reconstructive Surgery

Reconstructive surgery is adopted in cases where the operation involves removing tissue that is important for appearance, speech or swallowing. In this type of surgery, the tissue is taken from another part of the body such as thigh, chest or forearm to replace the tissue of head and neck.

In case you cancer is in the jawbone, the affected bone will be removed and replaced by bone taken from another part of the body. Before surgery, your surgeons will give you specific information about this type of operation.

Neck Dissection

In case the cancer cells spread from the head or neck, they usually go to the lymph nodes in the neck first., a A neck dissection operation can be  performed to remove some or all of the lymph nodes in one or both sides of the neck. 

Before performing a neck dissection operation, your cancer specialist will evaluate the risk of cancer spread to lymph nodes to decide whether a neck dissection is appropriate for you

Prosthetics

With some cases, the surgery may involve the removal of bones from the face, such as the cheekbone or palate, to remove all of the cancer. Deepening on the extent of the operation, the patients are offered an artificial replacement called prosthesis.

Usually, the prosthesis is a soft, plastic replacement for the part that has been removed from the body. Obturator is the most common type of prosthesis that is used as a denture with an extension to cover the gaps in the roof of the mouth.

If you are suffering from any form of head or neck cancer, fix an appointment and visit Cancer Center of Chicago for complete diagnosis and treatment of the condition. Your cancer specialist will evaluate your tumor and explain all the treatment options available for you. So, fix and appointment now and head towards a healthy life.