Head and Neck Cancer Treatment: Terms You Need to Know

Chemotherapyis the use of medicines and drugs to treat cancer.Radiation therapyuses X-rays or radiation to treat cancer.Concurrent chemoradiationis a treatment that uses both chemotherapy and radiation therapy at the same time. Another type of therapy is calledimmunotherapy,which is the use of your body’s own immune system to help fight cancer.Targeted therapyuses drugs to identify and attack specific cancer cells, leaving normal cells unharmed.

Several different types of radiation may be used.External beam therapy (EBT)is radiation therapy that delivers a beam of high-energy x-rays or proton beams to the tumor site.Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)is a high-precision radiotherapy that uses advanced software to plan a precise dose of radiation, based on tumor size, shape, and location. It delivers radiation in sculpted doses to match the shape of the tumor.Brachytherapyuses radiative implants, such as seeds or needles, which are inserted near the site of the tumor.

There are many types of surgery that may be used to treat these cancers.Microsurgeryis surgery that requires a high-powered microscope, and微血管手术is a type of microsurgery to repair blood vessels. Anendoscopeis a long, thin tube with a camera that a surgeon can use to examine hard to reach areas and remove tumors with a high-intensity laser.Transoral robotic surgeryis the use of a surgical robot to remove a tumor from the mouth or throat. The robotic arm allows the surgeon to access areas that their hands couldn’t reach.

• Laryngectomy:removal of all or part of the larynx, or voice box
• Pharyngectomy:removal of all or part of the pharynx, or throat area behind the nose and mouth
• Cordectomy:removal of all or part of the vocal cords
• Glossectomy:the tongue
• Mandibulectomy:removal of all or part of the mandible, or lower jaw bone
• Rhinectomy:removal of all or part of the nose
• Maxillectomy:removal of all or part of the maxilla, or upper jawbone

Neck dissectionis surgery to remove thelymph nodesfrom the neck. Lymph nodes are small organs located within thelymphatic system, or channels within the body which carry white blood cells that fight infection.Vocal cord strippingis when the outer layers of tissue on the vocal cords are stripped away. Atracheotomyis performed to create a hole, or stoma, in the trachea, or windpipe, which is used as an alternate pathway for breathing.

重建苏尔geryis a procedure to restore structure and function of the affected area following extensive surgery for cancer. If cancer removal leaves a wound that is left to heal on its own, it is calledhealing by secondary intention.Primary closureis when stitches, staples, or glue are used to close a wound. Askin graftmay be used to cover the wound with a layer of skin from another part of the body; eventually, blood vessels will grow into the new skin to help it heal.

Flap surgery使用一块组织仍然是附加的major artery and vein to cover a wound. Alocal flapis tissue that is transferred from a nearby area.Free flap or free tissue transferis tissue, such as skin, muscle or bone, which is taken from another area of the body and transplanted to the site that needs to be reconstructed. The flap's blood supply is surgically reconnected to the blood vessels adjacent to the wound.

Facial lymphedemais the swelling of the head and neck area and is a common complication follow surgery or treatment.Mucositisis a complication from radiation therapy or chemotherapy in which the lining of the digestive system becomes inflamed, causingsoresin the mouth and throat.Neurotoxicityis damage to the nervous system caused by some treatments.Rampant dental decay and demineralizationis the erosion of the tooth’s surface as a result of changes to the saliva following treatment.

Functional disabilitiesare limitations in ability, such as impairment to eating, speaking, or swallowing, following treatment or surgery.Dysarthriais impairment of speech, such as slurred speech or inability to pronounce words clearly.Dysphagiais difficulty swallowing. To assess these types of impairment, health care providers use theKarnofsky Performance Scale (KPS). It uses a score from 0 to 100 to convey a person’s ability to perform daily activities, with 100 indicating completely normal functions.

When it comes to treating head and neck cancer, there are many types of therapies, procedures, and surgeries that may be used. Learning the terminology early can help you better navigate your care, or the care of a loved one. Interested in learning more terms related to types of head and neck cancers and the diagnosis process? SeeHead and Neck Cancer Diagnosis: Terms You Need to Know.