Head and neck cancers occur inside the sinuses, nose, mouth, and salivary glands down through the throat. Though it can start with just a small symptom, you must pay much heed to it and try to consult the oncologist in Bhopal at the earliest.

Here in this blog, we’ll cover every single thing related to head and neck cancer. Read the blog with full attention and take the necessary steps!

What are the symptoms of head and neck cancer?

The symptoms of head and neck cancer depend upon its severity. However, you must notice the below-mentioned symptoms at the earliest:

• Pain
• Swelling
• A hoarse voice
• A sore throat that doesn’t get better
• Coughing all the time
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Consistent bad breath
• Unexplained weight loss

What are the causes of head and neck cancers?

Various risk factors are linked with head and neck cancers. However, the main risk factors involved are regular alcohol consumption and tobacco. Well, head and neck cancers are most likely to be developed in people over 40 years of age, and men suffer the most than women.

The other risk factors for head and neck include:

• Viruses including the HPV and the Epstein-Barr
• Low immunity system
• Poor oral health including gum disease
• Being overweight or obese
• Smoking or chewing betel nut or areca nut
• Sun exposure
• Having radiation therapy on the head and neck area in the past
• Inheriting a condition such as Franconia anaemia or Li-Fraumeni syndrome

How the diagnosis of head and neck cancers is done?

If you’ve started to notice any signs or symptoms related to head and neck cancers, then you must contact the best cancer surgeon in Bhopal. The doctor will examine you depending on the symptoms you experience.

Other than physical examination, doctors diagnose the head and neck cancers using the following tests:

• Nasendoscopy: This examination involves a thin flexible tube with a light and camera on the end to be inserted into your nose and throat to look at the nasal cavity, larynx, nasopharynx, and oropharynx.
• Micro laryngoscopy: In this diagnostic test, the doctor looks at your voice box using a tube with a light and a camera at the end and takes a sample for biopsy. This is done under anaesthesia.
• Biopsy: The oncologist removes the tissue cells from the area and these are examined by a pathologist to check for cancer cells in the body.
• X-rays: The doctor may even ask you to go for an x-ray to check for the damage to bones.
• CT scan: CT scan uses x-ray beams to create detailed images of the inside of your body.
• MRI: MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging utilizes powerful magnets and radio waves to create detailed images of the inside of your body. This particular test takes around 30 to 40 minutes.
• PET-CT scan: This particular test helps in pinpointing the place where abnormalities exist. This test is conducted to check if cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
• Ultrasound: The doctor may ask you to go for an ultrasound to check for the cancer cells in the salivary glands, the thyroid, and lymph glands in the neck.

What you can do after a diagnosis of head and neck cancer?

After you’ve been diagnosed with head or neck cancer, it’s obvious for one to feel shocked, upset, or anxious at the same. A diagnosis of such a disease affects every person differently. For many people, it will be a tough time but you must control your emotions and make a decision to support yourselves during that time. Before that, you must talk about the cancer treatment options to your oncologist and get the treatment started.