HEAD AND NECK CANCER: THE FACTS

There are more than 30 different places that cancer can develop in the head and neck area

It is thought that about three out of four head and neck cancers (75%) are linked to tobacco or alcohol use

A diet high in animal fats and low in fresh fruit and vegetables may increase the risk of developing head and neck cancer

Exposure to sunlight over a prolonged period of time increases the risk of developing cancer on the outside of the lip. About one in three people diagnosed with lip cancer work outdoors.

Other risk factors include gender, age and infection with a virus called HPV 16

Head and neck cancer is more common in men than women

It is most common in people over 50, although younger people can be affected too

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The treatment offered depends on where the cancer is in the head or neck, the stage of the cancer, its size and the patient’s general health

Small cancers in the mouth can often be removed with surgery. This may cause only small changes to speech, chewing or swallowing that can be adapted to quite quickly

Radiotherapy is often offered for cancers in areas of the head and neck that are difficult to reach, or where removing tissue can cause major changes in speaking or swallowing

If a head and neck cancer is larger, or has spread to lymph nodes in the neck, more than one type of treatment is usually needed. This may be either a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, called chemoradiation, or surgery followed by radiotherapy, chemotherapy or chemoradiation

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