Head & Neck Cancer Treatment Options
How are head and neck cancers treated?
There are several ways to treat head and neck cancers. The primary ways are local and systemic types of treatments, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.
Local treatment is when only the cancer is treated. This is done with surgery and radiation. Systemic treatment, on the other hand, reaches cancer cells throughout the entire body. This is accomplished with chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy. In some cases, patients may need a combination of both local and systemic treatments.
The treatment plan for an individual patient depends on a number of factors, including the type of head or neck cancer one is diagnosed with, the exact location of the tumor, the stage of the cancer, and the person’s age and general health.
Learn about treatment options for different types of head and neck cancers below.
Treatment for HPV-positive Oropharyngeal Cancer
People who are diagnosed with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer may be treated differently than people with oropharyngeal cancers that are HPV-negative. Recent research has shown that patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal tumors have a better prognosis and may do just as well on less intense treatment. An ongoing clinical trial is investigating this question.
Questions to ask the oncologist:
- What treatment do you think is best for me?
- What is the goal of treatment? Could it cure the cancer?
- If I need surgery, what will it be like and who will do it?
- Will I need additional treatments?
- What side effects might I have?
- How soon do I need to start treatment?
- Can I do anything to help the treatment work better?
Head and Neck Cancer Treatment Available in Brevard County
Treatment options should be considered carefully. Consult with an oncologist so they can help determine what type of cancer treatment is best for you. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with a type of head and neck cancer, the experts at Cancer Care Centers of Brevard are ready to help. We have treatment centers available throughout Brevard County, including Melbourne, Rockledge, Merrit Island, and Palm Bay, FL.