HEAD AND NECK CANCER

The earlier the diagnosis, the less invasive the treatment that may be required...this is where PET can help.

Head and neck cancer is a general description used for a number of different types malignant tumours. These occur in the mouth, throat, thyroid gland, sinuses and nasal spaces, the larynx, salivary glands, and the cervical lymph nodes. Tumours of the brain are usually not considered to be a part of this general category of tumours. Head and neck cancers that spread usually do so through the lymph nodes in the neck, although they also can spread to other parts of the body.

How PET Can Make a Difference

• PET can diagnoses malignant nodes from normal and normal reactive nodes.
• PET can stage the extent of disease, even lymph node involvement.
• PET can monitor for recurrence and detection of residual disease following the initial therapy. Altered anatomy does not present a difficulty for PET in disease detection.

Diagnosis

Early cancers of the head and neck may be found by a number of symptoms, including the following:

• A sore on the lip or in the mouth that does not heal
• A lump on the lip or in the mouth or throat
• Unusual bleeding, pain, or numbness in the mouth
• A sore throat or a feeling that something is caught in the throat
• A change in the voice

While these symptoms may often be caused by other, less serious problems, it is important to see a doctor about any symptoms like these. Physicians screen for head and neck cancers through physical examination (the doctor probes gently around the neck and mouth areas). If an abnormal area is found, your doctor must order a biopsy to determine whether the abnormal area is cancer. A PET scan may be needed to determine how far the cancer has spread.

A PET scan can show where tumour cells are growing, which helps your doctor determine the best course of treatment.

The PET scan can accurately detect the cancer and see how far it may have spread. Call your physician or CareImaging PET Scan Clinic in Ontario for information about whether you might be a candidate for PET or to schedule a PET Scan.

Treatment Follow-Up and Cancer Recurrence

Treatment for head and neck cancer may involve surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, depending on the stage of the cancer when it is first found. Aggressive cancer treatment may affect normal cells as well as cancer cells, giving patients a variety of symptoms in the follow-up period.

This is also where PET can help. PET is the most useful test that you can have when doctors are staging or re-staging your cancer because it is more accurate than CT or any other test. PET can show if the new symptoms are a result of changes from the radiation therapy or due to new growth of tumour.

Imaging with PET is also critical to looking for the return of the cancer. In many patients with head and neck cancers, a mass may remain after treatment. The mass itself may be on CT scan, but CT cannot determine if the tumour has been successfully treated or if residual cancer remains that must be treated. PET can be used to image tumour response to therapy and to detect recurrence in successfully treated lesions. After surgery and other treatments, PET is extremely important to monitor to see if the cancer cells have returned and if treatment should be re-started.

Find the support you need

Find the support and information you need. Cancers of the head and neck can be extremely difficult to cope with. Not only can the diagnosis be life-threatening, but many patients as a result of the disease and its treatment, must also endure alterations in facial and neck appearance as well as alterations in speech, sight, smell, chewing, swallowing and taste perception. Survivors and their families often look for a program of support.

Support programs exist in a variety of formats, including counseling, support groups, and self-help programs. For those who cannot attend meetings, there are also on-line mechanisms that may allow a patient to "chat" with other people facing similar situations. These types of programs can provide a way for you to relate your experience firsthand with others and may provide treatment-related tips about drug side-effects that will be helpful to you.

More Information About Head and Neck Cancer:

Canadian Cancer Society
Cancer Care Ontario