Head & Neck

Base of Tongue Cancer What is it?Cancer of the base of the tongue (back side of tongue that is difficult to see when you look in the mouth). SymptomsLump or sore that doesn’t go away, pain in your tongue, trouble swallowing, bad breath, ear pain, difficulty breathing (in advanced cases), ear pain, pain with swallowing.…

Laryngeal Cancer What is it?Cancer of the larynx (“voice box”) SymptomsDifficulty swallowing, persistent cough, sore throat, earaches, persistent hoarseness, breathy voice, lump in neck, difficulty breathing, ear pain, bad breath etc. TreatmentsSurgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Supraglottic Cancer What is it?Cancer that begins in the tissues above the vocal cords. SymptomsDifficulty swallowing, persistent cough, sore…

Evaluation of Cervical Lymphadenopathy and Neck Masses Evaluation of cervical lymphadenopathy and neck masses begins with the medical history of the patient and a physical exam. Often further workup can include CT scan of the neck, ultrasound of the neck or thyroid, lab work, or fine needle biopsy. If diagnosis is still unknown, may require…

Hemiglossectomy is a procedure to remove part of the tongue and the adjacent tissues. It is mainly performed when a cancerous mass is found on the tongue. Risks of the surgery include infection, possible bleeding of the tongue, difficulty swallowing, recurrence of the cancer, and difficulty talking. Recovery time is a few weeks and involves…

Neck dissections are a surgical procedure in which lymphatic tissue (lymph nodes) of the neck are removed. In most cases, neck dissections are performed to remove malignant (cancerous) masses. Risks of the surgery include damage to the nerves, muscles, and veins in the neck, possible bleeding, and infection.

Post laryngectomy speech prosthesis placement is a device (tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis) that allows air to be sent from the lungs into the esophagus and through the mouth. It is used to allow patients who have had their larynx (voice box) removed to talk. As the air passes from the esophagus to the mouth, a vibration…

Skin cancer excision involves removing the cancerous tissue or growth from the skin. Once the cancer has been extracted, the doctor will reconstruct the skin by either a skin graft (piece of skin from another area of the body) or a flap (adjacent healthy tissue). With any procedure, there are risks. Such risks include bleeding,…

Total laryngectomy is a procedure for patients with advanced stage laryngeal cancer or supraglottic cancer. The surgery itself removes the whole larynx. Risks include breathing problems, bleeding, infection, fistulas, problems swallowing, damage to other parts of the trachea and recurrence of the cancer. Patients typically spend at least a week in the hospital with tube…