At City of Hope, we understand that oral cancer and its treatment can impact a patient’s quality of life, sometimes in debilitating ways.
Because of their location, oral cancer tumors and treatment-related side effects may impair patients’ ability to eat, swallow and breathe. Our multidisciplinary care team of oral cancer experts works with you to develop a personalized treatment plan based on your individual needs, preferences and goals. We also offer services to manage disease- and treatment-related side effects. We put patients at the center of their care so they can make informed decisions about the road ahead. We treat each patient not just as a whole person, but like we’d want our family to be treated.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) is now City of Hope®, joining forces to expand patient access to personalized, comprehensive cancer care.
Some treatments for oral cancer are invasive. Your care team may recommend surgery, such as a tumor resection, to treat your cancer. Many oral cancer patients who need surgery have concerns about disfigurement, but recent advances in reconstructive surgery offer more options to help patients restore their appearance. Reconstructive surgery may also help restore function affected by cancer or its treatment, including eating and performing other everyday activities.
Learn more about expert oral cancer treatments
Your oral cancer care team works all under one roof. That means you have access to state-of-the-art cancer treatments and supportive care services, all in one location. Your team is led by a head and neck cancer specialist, and your treatment plan is coordinated by a care manager dedicated to orchestrating your schedule, communicating with the rest of your care team, getting your questions answered and helping you access your test results in a timely manner. Your care team may also include a medical, surgical and/or radiation oncologist, oncology nurses and a variety of supportive care clinicians.
Learn more about our approach to cancer care
Our doctors work with supportive care providers to deliver evidence-informed services designed to address the symptoms of your disease and the side effects of treatment. That’s what supportive care is about: keeping you strong so you can better tolerate your treatments and maintain your quality of life. Our supportive care services include nutritional support to help you develop a diet plan to help stay nourished, while pain management physicians offer medication and non-medicinal approaches to help you keep your pain in check. And our spiritual support and behavioral health providers help support your mental and emotional health before, during and after your treatment.
Learn more about supportive care at City of Hope
“Many of my close family members have fought cancer and I understand the difficulty experienced by cancer patients and their families.”
Clinical trials are critical tools researchers and doctors use to determine the safety and effectiveness of new drugs and therapies. At City of Hope, we’re committed to offering our patients innovative and new cancer treatments, including access to clinical trials when appropriate. These trials may provide therapies that are not yet widely available to qualified patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options or whose cancer is advanced or difficult to treat. Our cancer doctors and researchers will work with you to determine whether you qualify for a trial and, if so, help you enroll.
Learn more about clinical trials at City of Hope
From the start, my otolaryngologist was kind and compassionate, and his knowledge and expertise inspired my confidence. He knew that I was a nurse who had worked with cancer patients, but he did not assume that I understood everything. He took the time to explain my diagnosis and his recommended treatment."
