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About Head and Neck Cancer

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Around 50,000 cases of head and neck cancer will be diagnosed this year in the United States.  Head and neck cancer includes the following types:

  • Oral (tongue, mouth)
  • Lip
  • Throat (tonsil, oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal)
  • Laryngeal (voice box)
  • Sinus/Nasal
  • Nasopharyngeal
  • Salivary gland (parotid)
  • Thyroid/Parathyroid
  • Skin cancer of the face/scalp/neck

The majority of head and neck cancers are known as squamous cell carcinomas (SCC).  Most of these cancers are caused by smoking/tobacco chewing and alcohol use.  Certain types of throat (oropharyngeal) cancers are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). 

At Roswell Park, we treat all types of head and neck cancer. The Head and Neck Cancer Center also offers microvascular reconstruction (free flap surgery), plastic/reconstructive surgery, dentistry, voice restoration, and maxillofacial prosthetics.

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