Surgical management of head and neck cancers: implications for dental practitioners

Abstract

Surgery remains an important, often primary, treatment modality in the management of head and neck cancers (HNCs). Malignant disease of the oral cavity, oropharynx and larynx may all be treated by surgery alone, or in combination with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Recent decades have seen significant advances in the surgical management of HNC. Refinement of surgical technique (particularly in microvascular surgery), improved training standards, advances in peri-operative care and more recent innovations, including transoral robotic surgery, have resulted in better survival and quality of life outcomes. This paper provides the dental practitioner with an overview of common surgical procedures used in the management of HNC, with an emphasis on the management of squamous cell cancers affecting the oral cavity, oropharynx and larynx. Throughout, there is an emphasis on the implications for the dental team of cancer and its surgical management, at each of these anatomical sites.