Everyone has experienced times when their breath is not exactly fresh: waking up in the morning, after drinking coffee, and post-consumption of pungent foods. Mouthwash commercials present it as a normal human condition. But can persistent bad breath, called halitosis, be a sign of something more serious?
Head and Neck Cancer
When nasal cancer first appears, people often mistake it for a common ailment, such as a cold or sinus problem, because it can cause the same symptoms:
If these symptoms stick around longer than a month, be sure to see your doctor to get checked out.
An unusual treatment with a very long name is helping cancer patients who are experiencing xerostomia, one of the side effects of radiation to the head and neck. This dry mouth condition can damage salivary glands, causing chronic oral dryness and slowed salivation.
He won’t admit it, but Philip McCarthy, MD, is in the business of saving lives. He gives his patients hope; he gives families hope. He’s a world-renowned physician who has dedicated his career, his passion and his life to providing advanced stem cell transplants to hematological cancer patients.
It was 2005, and 47-year-old Rick Crowley had a lump growing in his neck. The first biopsy indicated that it was benign, but his doctors in Olean, New York, were not convinced. A good thing, too: The second biopsy found cancer.
In 2012, Laurie Rich, PhD, arrived at Roswell Park to begin his doctoral work under the mentorship of Mukund Seshadri, PhD, DDS, Chair of Oral Oncology. He arrived at the same time as a very important piece of equipment, and as some crucial research was taking place.
Most would not count cancer as a blessing, but 61-year-old Mike Paradowski considers his diagnosis of head and neck cancer as one of the best things that has ever happened to him.
If Vishal Gupta, MD, looks familiar, think back to Super Sunday, when he was introduced as part of #TeamRoswell's all-star lineup in our popular television commercial that aired locally during Super Bowl 50. Truly an MVP at Roswell Park and an expert in the field of head and neck cancer, Dr. Gupta has been providing care for patients at Roswell Park since 2013.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) may sound like something out of science fiction, but PDT is actually a highly targeted, minimally invasive way of treating many cancers.