Head and neck cancer

Abstract

Cancers of the head and neck include a variety of tumors of different histology and behavior. The different subtypes represented by these tumors include squamous cell cancers, paranasal sinus cancers, nasopharyngeal carcinomas, salivary gland cancers, thyroid gland malignancies, melanomas, sarcomas, small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, and lymphomas. By far the most commonly encountered cancers in this group, accounting for more than 90% of tumors, are the squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, and paranasal sinuses. This chapter concentrates on squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and cancers of the salivary glands © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.