Head and Neck Cancers

1. sinuses,
2. lining of the nose,
3. nasopharynx,
4. tongue,
5. oropharynx,
6. hypopharynx,
7. larynx,
8. spinal cord,
9. vertebrae,
10. esophagus,
11. Trachea

In the United States, there will be an estimated 47,500 new cases of head and neck cancer (HNCA) in 2008, with 11,200 people dying from the disease. Globally, there are an estimated 533,100 new cases a year, and it is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. In contrast, HNCA does not rank in the top 10 in the US, accounting for only 3% of all cancers. The variations in rates around the world are a result of differences in dietary and tobacco habits, alcohol use, and viral and environmental exposures.

You can see that this category encompasses quite a few different cancers. All cancers begin when abnormal cells in a part of the body begin to grow in an out-of-control manner. That is about where the similarities end, as different cancer types are treated in different ways, and head and neck cancers are no exception. This is an introductory article, so you may need to use the links on the left to get more detailed information on specific types of head and neck cancer.