Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Head and Neck Cancers
Number of Conditions: 6
Salivary Gland Cancer
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Head and Neck Cancers
Symptoms:
painless lump in the mouth, jaw, or neck; numbness or weakness in the face; pain in the mouth or throat; difficulty swallowing; dry mouth
Root Cause:
Malignant tumors in the salivary glands, can arise in major (parotid, submandibular) or minor glands.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Fine needle aspiration biopsy, imaging (CT/MRI), ultrasound, sialography.
Treatment:
Surgery to remove the tumor, radiation therapy, and in some cases, chemotherapy.
Medications:
Chemotherapy agents such as Cisplatin and Doxorubicin ; radiation therapy may be used if surgery is not an option.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, accounting for less than 5% of all head and neck cancers; most cases are in the parotid gland.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Older age, radiation exposure, genetic conditions (e.g., Cowden syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Varies by tumor type; overall 5-year survival rates are good for localized tumors but poor for advanced stages.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Facial nerve damage, difficulty eating and swallowing, recurrence after surgery.
Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Head and Neck Cancers
Symptoms:
nasopharyngeal obstruction; bloody nasal discharge; ear fullness or hearing loss; difficulty swallowing; neck lump; headaches; nasal congestion
Root Cause:
Malignant tumors arising in the nasopharynx, often linked to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Physical examination, imaging (CT/MRI scans), biopsy of nasopharyngeal tissue, endoscopy.
Treatment:
Combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, depending on stage and location.
Medications:
Chemotherapeutic agents such as Cisplatin (alkylating agent), Paclitaxel (taxane chemotherapy), and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, antimetabolite).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare in Western countries, more common in Southeast Asia and parts of North Africa.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Epstein-Barr virus infection, family history, consumption of salted fish and preserved foods, exposure to tobacco and alcohol.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good if detected early, with a 5-year survival rate of around 60-80%; prognosis worsens in later stages.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Metastasis to lymph nodes and distant organs, difficulty with speech and swallowing, radiation side effects (dry mouth, thyroid dysfunction).
Oropharyngeal Cancer
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Head and Neck Cancers
Symptoms:
sore throat; difficulty swallowing; ear pain; lump in the neck; unexplained weight loss; voice changes; mouth sores that don’t heal
Root Cause:
Malignant growths in the oropharynx, often associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination, imaging (CT/MRI), biopsy, panendoscopy.
Treatment:
Surgery (if localized), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination, especially for HPV-positive cases.
Medications:
Chemotherapy drugs like Cisplatin , 5-FU, and Docetaxel ; immunotherapy agents like Pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1 antibody) may be used in advanced stages.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Increasing incidence, especially in younger populations due to HPV-related cancers.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
HPV infection, tobacco use, alcohol use, poor oral hygiene.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
5-year survival rates vary, with HPV-related cancers having a better prognosis than HPV-negative cancers.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Difficulty swallowing, voice changes, metastasis to distant organs, radiation side effects.
Laryngeal Cancer
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Head and Neck Cancers
Symptoms:
hoarseness; sore throat; pain when swallowing; difficulty breathing; persistent cough; lump in the neck
Root Cause:
Malignant tumor in the larynx, often associated with tobacco and alcohol use.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Laryngoscopy, biopsy, imaging (CT/MRI), neck ultrasound.
Treatment:
Surgery (partial laryngectomy or total laryngectomy), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, voice rehabilitation post-surgery.
Medications:
Cisplatin , Docetaxel , and 5-FU are common chemotherapy agents; targeted therapies like Cetuximab (EGFR inhibitor) may also be used.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
More common in men aged 50-70, often linked to smoking and alcohol consumption.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, exposure to asbestos, HPV infection.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Early-stage cancers have a good prognosis (around 80-90% survival rate); later stages have a poorer prognosis.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Difficulty swallowing, speech loss, airway obstruction, metastasis.
Hypopharyngeal Cancer
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Head and Neck Cancers
Symptoms:
difficulty swallowing; painful swallowing; hoarseness; chronic sore throat; neck mass; ear pain; weight loss
Root Cause:
Malignant tumor in the hypopharynx, commonly linked to smoking and alcohol use.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Physical exam, imaging (CT/MRI), biopsy, panendoscopy.
Treatment:
Surgery (often involving partial or total laryngectomy), radiation therapy, chemotherapy.
Medications:
Chemotherapy agents such as Cisplatin , 5-FU, and Docetaxel ; radiation therapy may be used as adjunctive treatment.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare but more common in individuals over 50 years old, with a strong link to tobacco and alcohol use.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking, alcohol consumption, poor oral hygiene, HPV infection.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Often diagnosed at later stages, with a poor prognosis (5-year survival rates around 30%).
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Difficulty swallowing, airway obstruction, metastasis, radiation side effects.
Oral Cavity Cancer (e.g., Tongue, Lips, Gums)
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Head and Neck Cancers
Symptoms:
sore or ulcer on the tongue, lips, or gums; unexplained bleeding in the mouth; pain when swallowing; lumps in the mouth or neck; persistent bad breath
Root Cause:
Malignant growths in the oral cavity, most commonly squamous cell carcinoma.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Oral examination, biopsy, imaging (CT/MRI), endoscopy, lymph node biopsy.
Treatment:
Surgery (wide excision), radiation therapy, chemotherapy (if advanced).
Medications:
Chemotherapy agents like Cisplatin , 5-FU, and Docetaxel ; targeted therapies such as Cetuximab (EGFR inhibitor).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
More common in older adults, especially those with a history of tobacco or alcohol use.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, poor oral hygiene, HPV infection.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Early-stage cancers have a good prognosis (5-year survival rate around 80-90%), but prognosis worsens in advanced stages.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Difficulty swallowing, speech problems, mouth infections, recurrence of the tumor.