Head & Neck
Head & Neck - Peter Mac Cancer Centre
| Aerodigestive Tract (Mouth, Jaw, Throat and Larynx), Salivary Glands, Skin of the Head and Neck (including Melanoma), Thyroid, Upper |
| Advanced head and neck cancers often require complex treatments. As a major referral centre for patients with these cancers, Peter Mac has extensive experience and expertise in the management of head and neck cancers. |
| Most head and neck cancers begin in the cells that line the mucosal surfaces (moist lining) in the head and neck area, e.g. mouth, throat, and voicebox. These cancers are most commonly squamous cell carcinomas. Any part of the mouth, nose or throat may be affected by cancer. A cancer may start in: |
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| As the cancer grows the cancer cells increase in number and spread into surrounding tissues (including muscle and bone) and/or to the lymph nodes in the neck. From there it may spread to other parts of the body, although cancers of the mouth, nose and throat are generally slow to do this. |
| Salivary gland cancers |
| Cancers can develop in the glands that are found throughout the lining of the mouth and throat. There are several types of minor salivary gland cancers, including adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and polymorphous low-grad adenocarcinoma. |
| Head and Neck Skin Cancers |
| These types of cancers (basal and squamous cell carcinomas) are thought to be caused in part by exposure to the sun, especially the head (face, ear and lip) and neck. |
| Basal Cell Carcinoma |
| This tends to be slow growing. It is very rare for a basal cell cancer to spread to nearby lymph nodes or to distant parts of the body. However, if a basal cell cancer is left untreated, it can grow into nearby areas and spread to the bone or other tissues beneath the skin. |
| Squamous Cell Carcinoma |
| Squamous cell carcinomas of the skin tend to be more aggressive than basal cell cancers. It is more likely to spread to the fatty tissues just beneath the skin, lymph nodes and/or distant parts of the body, although this is still uncommon. |
| For more information on salivary gland, thyroid cancers and other head and neck cancer types and service, go to Head and Neck Service. |
| Useful Links |
| Cancers of the mouth, nose & throat: Booklet by the Cancer Council of Victoria >> |
| Mouth Cancer: Factsheet [Better Health Channel] >> |
| Throat Cancer: Factsheet [Better Health Channel] >> |
