Head and neck cancer

Head and neck cancer is cancer that starts in the lip, oral cavity (mouth), nasal cavity (inside the nose), paranasal sinuses, pharynx, larynx or parotid glands.

Most head and neck cancers are biologically similar. 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, so they are called head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). These cancers commonly originate from the mucosal lining (epithelium) of these regions. Head and neck cancers often spread to the lymph nodes of the neck, and this is often the first (and sometimes only) sign of the disease at the time of diagnosis.