Head and neck cancer

We provide patient-centered care from a multidisciplinary team that focuses on treating cancers of the head and neck. Head and neck cancers and benign tumors are originated in:

žEar

žNose and sinus cavity

žLarynx (Voice box)

žNasopharynx

žOropharynx (tonsil, base of tongue)

žHypopharynx

žOral cavity (tongue)

žSkull base

žSalivary glands

žThyroid gland

žParathyroid gland

 

Head and neck cancer team at Hokuto Hospital includes not just head and neck surgeons, but it also includes radiologists, oral surgeons, dentists, and plastic surgeons. Others in many subspecialties—neurosurgeons, ophthalmologists, doctors practicing palliative medicine, pathologists, anesthesiologists, pharmacists, speech therapists and experienced head and neck cancer nurses—work closely with our core team to deliver comprehensive and personalized care to our patients with head and neck cancer.

We can provide microvascular reconstruction using a free flap for surgical defects after removal of head and neck cancers. We can also take a proactive stance for chemotherapy with anticancer drugs including molecular target drugs and image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT). Patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer face unique challenges that can greatly affect quality of life. Unlike other malignancies, head and neck cancer has the potential to significantly affect a patient’s appearance, speech, swallowing, and other senses. We proactively work to optimize each patient’s quality of life and provide the best treatments for preservation of speech, taste and swallowing functions, as well as maintaining overall physical appearance.