Treatment Options

Depending on the type of cancer diagnosed, treatment may involve surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, speech and swallowing therapy. Nutritional support and physical rehabilitation may also be part of the treatment plan. When surgery is required, wherever possible, minimally invasive techniques are used. This can mean dramatically less discomfort for the patient, less risk of infection, and a faster recovery time.

Treatment plans are individualized to take into account a number of factors, including:

• Tumor size, location and type
• Involvement of lymph nodes, if any
• Presence of cancer elsewhere in the body
• Patient’s wishes
• Patient’s age and other medical conditions
• Prior treatment, if any

If surgery is required to treat the tumor, additional surgery may follow to reconstruct the affected area. This can include skin grafts, flaps composed of muscle and skin from the region, and microsurgical transfer of bone, muscle and/or skin.

Post-treatment care includes continued monitoring to identify the earliest signs of possible recurrence of the tumor or spread of the cancer to the neck or elsewhere in the body. Patients are evaluated regularly through office visits, x-rays and laboratory studies.