The Head and Neck Cancer Program at City of Hope Chicago, uses a variety of sophisticated technologies and evidence-based therapies to treat patients diagnosed with various types and stages of head and neck cancers, including:
Our multidisciplinary team of head and neck cancer experts and specialists work together, all under one roof, to develop a treatment plan tailored to each patient’s needs, communicating regularly and adjusting the treatment plan when necessary.
Treatment for head and neck cancer often involves surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy, either alone or in a combination of two or more.
Tumor removal: Surgery, to remove the tumor and affected surrounding tissue, is typically the first line of treatment for this cancer.
Reconstructive: Our board-certified plastic surgeons also use a variety of technologies to repair areas of the head and neck using reconstructive microsurgery technologies. These procedures are designed to rebuild the nose, tongue or throat using tissues from other areas of the body. Patients who have had a laryngectomy to remove their voice box may also choose to undergo a tracheoesophageal puncture, which is used to help patients speak.
Learn more about surgical treatment options
Radiation therapy may be recommended to destroy cancer cells, shrink tumors and alleviate symptoms, using highly targeted X-rays or radioactive substances. Radiation for head and neck cancer patients may be used either as the main treatment or after surgery to kill microscopic disease. Radiation therapy may be given alone or in combination with other treatments.
Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy that, may be used during surgery to radiate small areas of cancer and reduce damage to healthy tissue.
Stereotactic radiosurgery, a non-invasive option for patients with inoperable or surgically complex tumors as an alternative to surgery, may also allow our radiation oncologists to deliver high doses of radiation to a targeted area.
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Chemotherapy is often used to treat head and neck cancer patients when the disease has spread to the lungs or elsewhere in the body. The drugs are designed to help slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often combined with radiation for upfront therapy as well.
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Hyperthermia (which means "elevated temperature") destroys cancer cells by raising the temperature of a tumor. During a hyperthermia treatment, the tumor is heated to between 40° and 45° C (104° - 113° F). Since cancer cells cannot tolerate high temperatures as well as healthy cells, parts of the cancer cells can become damaged by the heat. When appropriate, this treatment option may also be used in conjunction with radiation therapy.
Every head and neck cancer is as different as the patient battling it. Each has genomic differences unique to that patient’s tumor. The tools of precision cancer treatment allow us to examine certain cancers at a cellular level in search of abnormalities that may be driving the cancer’s behavior, and if possible, match those mutations to drugs that are designed to target them. Options the team may recommend include:
Immunotherapy uses drugs to trigger the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells. Checkpoint inhibitors are a type of immunotherapy designed to disrupt the signaling proteins that allow cancer cells to disguise themselves from the immune system. Immunotherapy drugs may be used in conjunction with radiation therapy, if it is part of the designed treatment plan.
Targeted therapy uses drugs that target a specific tumor behavior. Advanced genomic testing may be used to sequence the tumor’s DNA profile to help identify whether the tumor has mutations that may be targeted with existing drugs. Targeted therapy drugs may be used in conjunction with radiation therapy, if part of the designed treatment plan.
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After your treatment has ended, your head and neck cancer team will continue to follow up on your progress with scans, blood work and routine physical exams to monitor for cancer recurrence.
This collaborative, personalized approach allows us flexibility along the treatment journey, while also fostering an environment where experts in a variety of disciplines work together, all under one roof. New options may arise or different goals may be proposed during the course of treatment. We monitor the patient throughout treatment and adjust the care plan as needed.
Head and neck cancer patients can experience a variety of side effects. Our multidisciplinary care team works closely with patients to help anticipate, manage and, when possible, avoid cancer-related side effects. Side-effect-management options for patients with head and neck cancer may include nutritional support and speech therapy as well as pain management, naturopathic, psychosocial and spiritual support.
Learn more about the value of supportive care
