Head and neck cancers are composed of a group of cancers that include mouth, nose, throat, sinuses (cavities that sit behind the forehead and cheeks), larynx or voice box and salivary glands. This section combines head and neck, oral, laryngeal, salivary, nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancers.
According to the Canadian Cancer Statistics 2025, an estimated 8,100 people will be diagnosed with head and neck cancer (5,800 males and 2,300 females). As for deaths, an estimated 2,200 people will die from head and neck cancer in 2025 (1,600 males and 620 females).
Head and Neck Cancer Risk Factors
The following increases the risk of getting head and neck cancer:
- Alcohol consumption
- Tabacco and betel nut chewing
- the human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Epstine-Barr Virus (EBV)
- Occupational exposure to asbestos, wood dust, stone dust, etc.
- Genetic history
- Exposure to radiation
- Poor oral hygiene
For more information, visit Cleveland Clinic or the National Cancer Institute.
Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosis
The following are methods used to diagnose head and neck cancer:
- Health history and physical exam
- Biopsy
- CT Scan
- Ultrasound
- MRI
- X-ray
- Biomarker Testing
For nasal and paranasal sinus
- Nasal endoscopy
For Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal
- Laryngoscopy
- Videostroboscopy
Head and Neck Cancer Treatment
Treatment depends on the specific type of cancer that each patient has. These are some of the more common types of treatment:
- Surgery, including laser surgery, excision, lymph node or neck dissection and reconstructive surgery (mainly in post-treatment).
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy, such as tumor-agnostic therapy or EGFR inhibitors
- Immunotherapy
For more information, visit Cancer.net or Cleveland Clinic.
Head and Neck Cancer Stories
We currently do not have any head and neck cancer stories. If you know of any, please share them with us at info@survivornet.ca.
International Head and Neck Cancer Groups
- Head and Neck Cancer Alliance
- American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
- American Head and Neck Cancer Society
- Throat Cancer Foundation
- Thyroid Head and Neck Cancer Foundation (THANC)
- Mouth Cancer Foundation
- Gromada Head & Neck Cancer Foundation
- The Oral Cancer Foundation
- Oral Cancer Awareness (OrCA)
- Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC)