What is head and neck cancer?
Head and neck cancers may be found inside your nose, throat, mouth, larynx (voice box) or lips, including near or in your nasal cavity or salivary glands. These cancers tend to start in the squamous cells that line the surfaces of your head and neck.
If you’ve been treated for head or neck cancer, your doctor may recommend reconstructive surgery to improve the cosmetic and/or functional outcomes of certain procedures.
Removing cancer in or around your cheeks, for example, may leave a gap that can be disfiguring and serve as a constant reminder of your diagnosis. Through advances in technology and techniques, reconstructive surgery can help fill the cheek area, improving its look and aiding your emotional recovery. Or if surgical treatment of tongue cancer makes it hard to swallow afterward, rebuilding your tongue can help restore this function.