Neck Tumors: Find Information and Specialists

Alcohol abuse and tobacco use remain among the most common causes of head and neck tumors. In addition, studies have detected human papillomaviruses (HPV) in tumor tissue samples. For this reason, it is now believed that the papillomaviruses HPV16 and 18 cause some throat cancers.

Cigarettes and alcohol are the most common causes of head and neck tumors @ LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS /AdobeStock

HP viruses are among the sexually transmitted pathogens. Experts believe that the viruses enter the mouth and throat early in life through oral sex. According to a recent study, the risk of throat cancer is 4.4 times higher in people who have engaged in active oral sex.

Head and neck tumors often remain completely asymptomatic for a long time. Precursor lesions, as seen with other types of tumors, are usually absent. In the case of oral cavity carcinoma, whitish changes in the oral mucosa may occur. Specialists refer to this as leukoplakia. It is classified as a precancerous condition—a precursor to cancer.

In advanced stages, head and neck tumors present with the following symptoms:

• Hoarseness
• Cough
• Difficulty swallowing

Changes in the voice, such as those that can occur with laryngeal cancer, are also early signs of a possible tumor.

If hoarseness persists for more than four weeks or if you experience chronic difficulty swallowing, you should consider the possibility of a neck tumor.

Head, throat, and neck tumors are diagnosed using imaging techniques. Typically, this involves a doctor performing an endoscopic examination of the mouth, throat, and larynx.

To do this, the doctor inserts a probe through a tube into the mouth and throat. This allows the doctor to examine even the larynx and the vocal cords. If the findings are unclear, the doctor often consults an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) is used to precisely characterize a potential tumor site. To determine how advanced the throat tumor is, doctors take a tissue sample—a procedure known as a biopsy.

MRI is used to accurately diagnose the neck tumor @ IEDNlab /AdobeStock

In cases of advanced disease and to rule out metastases, an examination of the lungs (thorax) and the abdominal cavity (abdomen) is also performed.

Because of their proximity to vital structures in the head and neck region, neck tumors must always be treated using an interdisciplinary approach. The primary goal is to surgically remove the primary tumor in the neck.

If the neck tumor is confined to the head and neck region, a cure can be achieved in 30–40% of cases, even at an advanced stage. This is often accomplished using multimodal treatment approaches. In addition to surgery, options such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy are available.

Chemotherapy is one of the treatment options for neck tumors @ tonefotografia /AdobeStock

If the neck tumor has already formed secondary tumors (metastases), a cure is no longer possible. In this case, palliative therapy is provided. This means that the primary goal is to maintain quality of life for as long as possible by slowing the growth of the metastases. Ideally, this is achieved with the help of chemotherapy or one of the modern immunotherapies.

The prognosis for neck tumors depends in particular on the stage and the location of the tumor in the head and neck region. The more advanced the tumor is, the worse the patient’s prognosis generally is. If distant metastases are already present, a cure is no longer possible.

Treatment for neck tumors is interdisciplinary. Therefore, a range of experts from a variety of medical specialties are involved, such as:

• Oncologists
• Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialists
• Head and neck surgeons
• Psycho-oncologists and
• Dentists