Head and Neck cancers refer to a diverse
group of cancers that involve this region of the body. Most
of these cancers stem from the tissues that line the airways
in nostrils, nasopharynx, salivary glands and throat, as
well as inside the mouth, gums, tongue and upper part of
food pipe. Smoking and tobacco use, along with alcohol,
impose a great risk on individuals to develop these cancers.
Except for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC),
which is the 6th most frequent malignancy in Singaporean
males, statistically, these cancers may not be the leading
cancer. However, by inflicting relatively young people NPC
with presentation at a late stage and terrible morbidity
with the disease, its treatment make these cancers a major
health concern.
This anatomical area is rich in blood vessels,
lymphatic and nerve fibers. It abounds in essential organs
of speech, sight and deglutination and has proximity to
the brain. Hence, cancers here not only cause severe symptoms
like pain, bleeding, and loss of vital senses, but also
a major cosmetic debacle and loss of function.
Due to this reason, principles of oncological
management differ for this region. Firstly, even without
distant metastases, a tumour may have poor prognosis and
staged as Stage IV if it has a large size invading important
vital structures or having large nodal spread. Also, surgical
resection may be functionally devastating, as organ conservation
is a new theme in evolving therapy.
Care of those afflicted with these requires
not only early detection, but also a closely integrated
multidisciplinary treatment. Furthermore, preventable addictions
like smoking being major etiological agent; behavioral modifications
to quit smoking can have phenomenal impact on control on
these cancers.
The articles in this issue feature a variety
of specialties that involve a spectrum of team effort for
treating these patients. We hope this issue will not only
provide a concise overview, but also a succinct account
of the best of what various fields of medicine can offer
for treating these cancers.
Dr Sandeep
K Rajan
Editor
