Understanding Head and Neck Cancer

From the desk of Beth Battaglino, RN, CEO, HealthyWomen

Head and neck most cancers is a capture-all term that includes cancers of the lips, mouth, voice box, throat and salivary glands. When caught early, these cancers have a pretty fantastic prognosis, with five-12 months survival charges of 70% to 90% with cure. Unfortunately, most conditions aren’t diagnosed until eventually they have achieved a later on phase, making treatment method significantly much less effective.

You may well wonder, if cure performs so effectively for early-stage head and neck most cancers, why aren’t extra persons diagnosed before their most cancers improvements?

HealthyWomen’s new training application explores what is halting individuals from having care quicker. We know racial and socioeconomic disparities can be a barrier. We also know that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in persons skipping preventive treatment and routine screenings. What is additional, head and neck most cancers induced by HPV may carry stigmas that make people today considerably less probably to bring up signs with their health care providers.

And, mainly because head and neck most cancers incorporates a number of kinds of most cancers, signs and symptoms of these cancers are numerous and different. Some of the most widespread ones, this kind of as a chronic sore throat or hoarse voice, can be mistaken for a sign of anything else, like a chilly.

As Lisa Reed informed HealthyWomen, “I realized there was something extra to the lump I felt in my throat. But it nonetheless took 2 1/2 months in 2007 and several visits to an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT) to encourage her to glance more durable and further at my signs. Sooner or later, the ENT did an endoscopy and identified a finger-like development in the back again of my throat. Soon after a biopsy the upcoming morning, I heard the dreaded information: It was cancer.”

Whilst obtaining a head and neck most cancers prognosis is overpowering, what you or a liked just one does upcoming is vital. Dr. Eleni Rettig, a head and neck surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Medical center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Clinical School, shares the issues you ought to inquire your health care provider. We also help you fully grasp your risk variables and the distinct varieties of head and neck cancers — and we provide tips on indicators, early screenings and procedure options.

For Susan Decker McLaughlin, it started with a swollen lymph node, a modest pain-free bump on the left aspect underneath her jawbone and back again molars. Immediately after obtaining her prognosis, she discussed, “I was fearful and shocked: I might never ever read of salivary most cancers ahead of, and there was no acknowledged induce.”

Susan added, “This journey has taught me that I are unable to be afraid to converse up when some thing does not sense correct. Physicians might know extra about medical situations, but they you should not know your entire body superior than you do. If you are not sensation very well, have faith in you — and then fight as tricky as you can to get the treatment you deserve.”

My greatest hope is that you consider this critical assistance, and like Susan, develop into your individual very best advocate.

In great overall health,
Beth Battaglino

This resource was designed with assistance from Merck.