Head and Neck cancer treatment hospital in india

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Head And Neck Cancer
For More Information www.dharamshila.com
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Head And Neck Cancer

• Information on cancers of the head and neck,
  including their symptoms, how they are diagnosed,
  treatments you might have, possible side effects
  and how to get further support. Head and Neck
  cancers are the commonest cancer in Men.
  Unfortunately, even young adults are being
  diagnosed with the disease because more and more
  children are using pan masala / Gutka and other
  tobacco products. Inspite of the fact that head
  and neck cancers are completely preventable, the
  incidence is rising at an alarming speed.
• By Early detection and optimum treatment, it is
  possible to cure all the above cancers.

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TYPES OF HEAD AND NECK CANCERS ?

• About 90 head and neck cancers begin in the
  cells that line the mucosal surfaces in the head
  and neck area, e.g., mouth, nose, and throat.
  Mucosal surfaces are moist tissues lining hollow
  organs and cavities of the body open to the
  environment. Normal mucosal cells look like
  scales (squamous) under the microscope, so head
  and neck cancers are often referred to as
  squamous cell carcinomas.
• Head and neck cancers can also develop from other
  types of cells
• Lymphomas develop from the cells of the lymphatic
  system.
• Adenocarcinomas develop from cells that form the
  lining of glands in the body.
• Sarcomas develop from the cells which make up
  muscles, cartilage or blood vessels.
• Melanomas start from cells called melanocytes,
  which give colour to the eyes and skin.
• Cancers of the head and neck are further
  identified by the area in which they begin
• Oral Cavity / Mouth Cancer
• Paranasal sinuses and nasal cavitygt
• Pharynx - Nasopharynx - Oropharynx - Hypopharynx
• Salivary glands
• Lymph nodes in the upper part of the neck
• You can see information on cancer of the Larynx

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• Oral cavity. The oral cavity includes the lips,
  the front two-thirds of the tongue, the gingival
  (gums), the buckle mucosa (lining inside the
  cheeks and lips), the floor (bottom) of the mouth
  under the tongue, the hard palate (bony top of
  the mouth), and the small area behind the wisdom
  teeth.
• Para nasal sinuses and nasal cavity. The par
  nasal sinuses are small hollow spaces in the
  bones of the head surrounding the nose. The nasal
  cavity is the hollow space inside the nose.
• Pharynx. The pharynx is a hollow tube about 5
  inches long that starts behind the nose and leads
  to the esophagus (the tube that goes to the
  stomach) and the trachea (the tube that goes to
  the lungs). The pharynx has three parts
• - Nasopharynx. The Nasopharynx, the upper part of
  the pharynx, is behind the nose.
• - Or pharynx. The or pharynx is the middle part
  of the pharynx. The Oropharynx includes the soft
  palate (the back of the mouth), the base of the
  tongue, and the tonsils.
• - Hypo pharynx. The hypo pharynx is the lower
  part of the pharynx.
• Salivary glands. The salivary glands produce
  saliva, the fluid that keeps mucosal surfaces in
  the mouth and throat moist. There are many
  salivary glands the major ones are in the floor
  of the mouth, and near the jawbone.
• Lymph nodes in the upper part of the neck.
  Sometimes, squamous cancer cells are found in the
  lymph nodes of the upper neck when there is no
  evidence of cancer in other parts of the head and
  neck. When this happens, the cancer is called
  metastatic squamous neck cancer with unknown
  (occult) primary.
• Larynx. The larynx, also called the voice box, is
  a short passageway formed by cartilage just below
  the pharynx in the neck. The larynx contains the
  vocal cords. It also has a small piece of tissue,
  called the epiglottis, which moves to cover the
  larynx to prevent food from entering the air
  passages.
• Cancers of the brain, eye, and thyroid as well as
  those of the scalp, skin, muscles, and bones of
  the head and neck are not usually grouped with
  cancers of the head and neck.

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HEAD AND NECK CANCERS Symptoms

• Oral cavity
• - Raised growth, swelling or lump
• - Changes in colour red, brown, white or black
  spots / patches
• - Continuous bleeding or a sore which does not
  heal
• - Tingling, burning or numbness in tongue or lip
• - Pain anywhere in the mouth
• - Painful, sensitive or loose teeth
• - Difficulty in swallowing or talking
• Nasal cavity and sinuses
• - Blocked sinus, chronic sinus infections, not
  responding to antibiotics
• - Nose bleeds
• Pharynx
• - Ear pain, Difficulty in hearing
• - Difficulty in breathing Speaking
• - Frequent headaches
• - Pain or ringing in the ears
• Larynx
• - Hoarseness of Voice
• - Difficulty in Swallowing

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HEAD AND NECK CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND STAGING
WORK UP

• To find the cause of symptoms, a surgical
  oncologist evaluates a person's medical history,
  performs a physical examination, and orders
  diagnostic tests. The exams and tests conducted
  may vary depending on the symptoms. Examination
  of a sample of tissue under the microscope is
  always necessary to confirm a diagnosis of
  cancer.
• Some exams and tests that may be useful are as
  under
• Physical examination may include visual
  inspection of the oral and nasal cavities, neck,
  throat, and tongue using a small mirror and/or
  lights. The surgical oncologist may also feel for
  lumps in the neck, lips, gums, and cheeks.
• Endoscopy is the use of a thin, lighted tube
  called an endoscope to examine areas inside the
  body. The type of endoscope the Surgical
  Oncologist uses depends on the area being
  examined. For example, a laryngoscope is inserted
  through the mouth to view the larynx an
  esophagoscope is inserted through the mouth to
  examine the esophagus and a nasopharyngoscope is
  inserted through the nose so that the surgical
  oncologist can see the nasal cavity and
  nasopharynx.
• Laboratory tests examine samples of blood, urine,
  or other substances from the body.
• X-rays create images of areas inside the head and
  neck on film.
• CT scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas
  inside the head and neck created by a computer
  linked to an x-ray machine.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (or MRI) uses a
  powerful magnet linked to a computer to create
  detailed pictures of areas inside the head and
  neck.
• PET scan uses sugar that is modified in a
  specific way so it is absorbed by cancer calls
  and appears as dark areas on the scan.

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• The stage of a cancer is a term used to describe
  its size and whether it has spread beyond its
  original site. Knowing the extent of the cancer
  helps the doctors to decide on the most
  appropriate treatment.
• A common way of staging head and neck cancers is
  the TNM staging system.
• T describes the size of the tumor and whether it
  has begun to spread to nearby structures, such as
  the skin or muscle.
• N describes whether the cancer has spread to the
  lymph nodes.
• M describes whether the cancer has spread to
  another part of the body (secondary or metastatic
  cancer).
• The staging of the different types of head and
  neck cancers are all slightly different. Your
  doctor or nurse can give you more details about
  the stage of your cancer.
• Grading Grading refers to the appearance of the
  cancer cells under the microscope. The grade
  gives an idea of how quickly the cancer may
  develop. Squamous cell cancers of the head and
  neck are graded from 13.
• Low-grade or grade 1 means that the cancer cells
  look very like normal cells in the head and neck
  area.
• In high-grade or grade 3 cancers the cells look
  very abnormal and are more likely to spread.
• Moderate-grade or grade 2 cancers fall between
  these two grades and have a level of activity
  somewhere between.

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HEAD AND NECK CANCER TREATMENT

• Tumour Board Evaluation Each and every Head and
  Neck cancer patient is evaluated by a special
  team of surgical oncologists (Head Neck unit),
  medical oncologists, Radiation Oncologists,
  Onco-pathologists and Imaging Specialists.
  Depending on the age, general condition, type of
  pathology and stage of the disease, a custom made
  treatment plan is charted out for each and every
  patient as per International Treatment
  Guidelines.
• Modalities of Treatment Available for Head and
  Neck Cancers
• - Surgery
• - Radiation
• - Chemotherapy
• - Rehabilitation
• The treatment plan for an individual patient
  depends on a number of factors, including the
  exact location of the tumor, the stage of the
  cancer, and the person's age and general health.
  The patient and the surgical oncologist should
  consider treatment options carefully. They should
  discuss each type of treatment and how it might
  change the way the patient looks, talks, eats, or
  breathes.
• SURGERY
• The surgeon may remove the cancer and some of the
  healthy tissue around it. Lymph nodes in the neck
  may also be removed (lymph node dissection), if
  the Surgical Oncologist suspects that the cancer
  has spread. Surgery may be followed by radiation
  treatment.
• Head and neck surgery often changes the patient's
  ability to chew, swallow, or talk. The patient
  may look different after surgery, and the face
  and neck may be swollen. The swelling usually
  goes away within a few weeks. However, lymph node
  dissection can slow the flow of lymph, which may
  collect in the tissues this swelling may last
  for a long time. After a laryngectomy (surgery to
  remove the larynx), parts of the neck and throat
  may feel numb because nerves have been cut. If
  lymph nodes in the neck were removed, the
  shoulder and neck may be weak and stiff. Patients
  should report any side effects to their Surgical
  Oncologist or nurse, and discuss what approach to
  take.
• Department of Surgical Oncology at Dharamshila
  Hospital Research Centre is pioneer in performing
  challenging Head and Neck Cancer Surgeries. These
  are not being performed by any other cancer
  centre in North India with such high success
  rate. The main objective of these surgeries is to
  restore normal facial appearance, chewing,
  swallowing and speech, ensuring a cancer free
  good quality of life. To know, why Head and Neck
  Cancer Surgeries are challenging. Read More..

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• RADIATION THERAPY
• Radiation therapy is also called radiotherapy.
  This treatment involves the use of high-energy
  beams to kill cancer cells. Radiation may be
  given with linear accelerator (external radiation
  therapy). It can also be given from radioactive
  materials placed directly into or near the area
  where the cancer cells are found (internal
  radiation therapy or Brach therapy).
• In addition to its desired effect on cancer
  cells, radiation therapy often causes unwanted
  effects. Patients who receive radiation to the
  head and neck may experience redness, irritation,
  and sores in the mouth a dry mouth or thickened
  saliva difficulty in swallowing changes in
  taste or nausea. Other problems that may occur
  during treatment are loss of taste, which may
  decrease appetite and affect nutrition, and
  earaches (caused by hardening of the ear wax).
  Patients may also notice some swelling or
  drooping of the skin under the chin and changes
  in the texture of the skin. The jaw may feel
  stiff and patients may not be able to open their
  mouth as wide as before treatment. Patients
  should report any side effects to their
  Oncologist or nurse and ask how to manage these
  effects.
• Dharamshila Hospital has commissioned a world
  class Elekta Synergy with VMAT Technology linear
  accelerator which can give radiation at 1/10th
  the dose being given by conventional linear
  accelerator. This technology minimizes the above
  mentioned side effects.
• CHEMOTHERAPY
• Chemotherapy, also called anticancer drugs. This
  treatment is used to kill cancer cells throughout
  the body. The side effects of chemotherapy depend
  on the drugs that are given. In general,
  anticancer drugs affect rapidly growing cells,
  including blood cells that fight infection, cells
  that line the mouth and the digestive tract, and
  cells in hair follicles. As a result, patients
  may have side effects such as lower resistance to
  infection, sores in the mouth and on the lips,
  loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea,
  and hair loss. They may also feel unusually tired
  and experience skin rash and itching, joint pain,
  loss of balance, and swelling of the feet or
  lower legs. Patients should talk with their
  medical oncologist or nurse about the side
  effects they are experiencing, and how to handle
  them. There are very few side effects with modern
  chemotherapy protocols at Dharamshila Hospital.

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HEAD AND NECK CANCER PREVENTION

• EARLY DETECTION
• The earlier cancer is detected the better are the
  chances of cure and complete recovery. It is
  important to realize that many cancers today are
  curable.
• Monthly self examination by each and every one of
  us will go a long way in detecting cancer at the
  early stage. One can stand in front of large
  mirror and look for the following -
• Mouth Change in colour of gums, lips and
  cheeks, White, Brown or red patches, ulcer, sore
  or scab, thickening in any part of the oral
  cavity.
• Neck Look for any lump, swelling or any other
  abnormality.
• If you find anything abnormal, record it on a
  notebook and report it to your doctor. In case
  everything is normal, RELAX!
• ANNUAL HEALTH CHECK UP
• For Head and Neck Cancer Dental and ENT Check up
  is must for both the sexes. In case of suspicion,
  one should go for Endoscopy, biopsy, X-Ray, CT
  Scan, MRI, PET CT
• This is most important for all of us because it
  is through these annual check ups that we can
  find out about the status of our health.
• HOW TO PREVENT HEAD AND NECK CANCERS?
• Avoid active and passive smoking.

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• Avoid Alcohol
• Maintain Good oral and dental hygiene
• All smokers and tobacco chewers need several
  counselling sessions to leave the habit and
  ensure they do not start taking tobacco, after
  quitting it. CAUSES / RISK FACTORS
• Eighty-five percent of head and neck cancers are
  linked to tobacco use. People who use both
  tobacco and alcohol are at greater risk for
  developing these cancers than people who use
  either tobacco or alcohol alone.
• Other risk factors for cancers of the head and
  neck include the following
• Oral cavity Sun exposure (lip) poor oral
  hygiene, possibly human papillomavirus (HPV)
  infection. There are certain stages before
  development of frank cancer which present as
  White patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth which do
  not get rubbed off or Red patches
  (Erythroplakia).
• Salivary glands. Radiation to the head and neck.
  This exposure can come from diagnostic x-rays or
  from radiation therapy for noncancerous
  conditions or cancer.
• Paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity. Certain
  industrial exposures, such as wood or nickel dust
  inhalation. Tobacco and alcohol use may play less
  of a role in this type of cancer.
• Nasopharynx. Exposure to wood dust and
  consumption of certain preservatives or salted
  foods.
• Oropharynx. Poor oral hygiene HPV infection and
  the use of mouthwash that has high alcohol
  content are possible, but not proven, risk
  factors.
• Hypopharynx. Plummer-Vinson (also called
  Paterson-Kelly) syndrome, a rare disorder that
  results from iron and other nutritional
  deficiencies. This syndrome is characterized by
  severe anemia and leads to difficulty swallowing
  due to webs of tissue that grow across the upper
  part of the esophagus.
• Larynx. Exposure to airborne particles of
  asbestos, especially in the workplace.
• More than 5 million children in India are
  addicted to gutkha, a smokeless tobacco product
  that is a key driver behind the country's soaring
  oral cancer rates. People who are at risk for
  head and neck cancers should come to us for check
  ups and learn to reduce their risk. They should
  also discuss how often to have checkups.

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Contact Us

• Dharamshila Hospital And Research
  Centre (Your Partner in Cancer Care)Vasundhara
  Enclave, Near New Ashok Nagar Metro StationDelhi
  110096 (India)Patient Helpline
  91-8130000120, 91-11-43066353E-mail ID
   contact_at_dharamshila.com