Smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco can often lead to cancer of the head and neck.
Cancer of the head and neck refers to tumors that start in those areas of the body. For example, tumors that begin in nose, mouth, throat, salivary glands, lymph nodes of the throat, or sinuses are all cancers of the head and neck. (Exceptions are cancers of the brain, eye, thyroid, skin, bones and muscles, which are in different categories.) Head and neck cancer afflicts about 40,000 Americans per year (as of 2005), mostly men older than 50 who smoke or chew tobacco.
Instructions
1. Get an early diagnosis. The sooner your doctor identifies your cancer, the easier it will be to treat. See your doctor immediately if you suspect you might have cancer of the head and neck, especially if you smoke or chew tobacco regularly, or if you are a heavy drinker. Symptoms of head and neck cancer include an ongoing sore throat; a lump, wound or swelling that won't go away; difficulty swallowing; bleeding in your mouth or nose; chronic sinus infections that don't respond to antibiotics; pain in your face, head or neck that doesn't go away; and a change in your voice.
2. Assemble a team of excellent medical specialists. Carefully research the success rates of the hospitals, oncologists (cancer specialists), surgeons, and radiologists who will be working with you. If you can, choose doctors and hospitals who see many cases of head and neck cancer every year and therefore have more expertise in the nuances of your particular case.
3. Choose your treatment options carefully. Your doctors will probably recommend some combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Each of these has its own sets of risks and benefits; chemotherapy has many types. Become as knowledgeable as you can about your options so that you feel confident and educated about your treatment.
4. Join a clinical trial. Participating in a clinical trial might give you access to up-and-coming cancer treatments such as biological treatments (to stimulate your immune system) or chemotherapies with fewer side effects. See "Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies" in the Resource section.
5. Learn from other cancer survivors. Joining a support group or finding a community online will help you get through the psychological aspects of surviving cancer and help you find important medical information. For example, the American Society of Clinical Oncology has a section about "Survivorship" on its website.
6. Give up tobacco and alcohol. Once you are rid of the cancer, your chances of developing new cancer in your head, neck, esophagus or lungs is still higher than for people who have never had head and neck cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, continuing to drink or smoke after you have been treated for head and neck cancer increases your risk of getting cancer again for up to 20 years.
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