Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

From your very first appointment, you’ll meet with everyone on your head and neck cancer treatment team, including a medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, surgeon, speech therapist and more — all in one place. You won’t even need to leave your chair because each specialist will come to you. And when you have questions after you leave, which is natural, you’ll have a number to call that will directly connect you with a head and neck nurse who will give you the answers you need.

At Winship, our multidisciplinary team of experts specializes in treating a range of malignant tumors affecting the head and neck. These include:

• Sarcomas, such as rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, liposarcoma, angiosarcoma and desmoid tumor.
• Carcinomas, including squamous cell carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma.

In addition to addressing malignant conditions, our experts are skilled in treating benign conidtions such as congenital tumors, salivary tumors and jaw tumors.

Integrated care also means your team will work together to review your case and create a head and neck cancer treatment plan that’s unique to you and your cancer. Because every patient is different, we want to make sure your treatment is ideally suited to your needs. We take into account your goals for treatment and provide you with the most aggressive treatment available while also minimizing the side effects associated with head and neck cancer treatment as much as possible.

As Georgia’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winship researchers are pioneers in head and neck cancer treatment, leading clinical trials to develop and study new treatment options each year. In fact, many of the drugs used to treat cancer today came out of clinical trials performed at Winship, which means our patients were some of the first to benefit. This means we can offer you access to the latest head and neck cancer treatment you won’t find at other cancer centers. We make every effort to match as many patients as possible with ongoing research.

At Winship, we offer the most comprehensive array of head and neck cancer treatments in Georgia and the expertise to treat every type of head and neck cancer. Based on your unique cancer, your treatment plan may include:

Surgery

Most head and neck cancers are addressed through surgery to remove the tumor and any impacted lymph nodes. Utilizing a less invasive method known as Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS), we can facilitate a quicker recovery in selected cases. Our surgeons excel in both tumor resection (removal) and head and neck reconstruction. We employ advanced reconstruction techniques to restore function and appearance as much as possible during the initial surgery, so you don’t have to wait to start your recovery.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. It’s commonly used in the treatment of head and neck cancer, usually after surgery, sometimes in combination with chemotherapy, or on its own. Winship radiation oncologists use external beam radiation and proton therapy, depending on the location and extent of the cancer.

Proton Therapy

Winship is the only cancer center in Georgia, and one of an elite group in the nation, to offer proton therapy, a powerful and precise form of radiation therapy used to treat head and neck cancers in some patients. Proton therapy delivers a high dose of radiation to a tumor while preventing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. This is particularly important in head and neck cancer treatment since tumors tend to be in close proximity to other vital organs and structures, including the eyes, spine and brain.

Chemotherapy

This treatment involves the use of medication taken orally or injected to attack cancer cells throughout the body. Not all patients with head and neck cancer will require chemo. When it is included in a head and neck cancer treatment plan, multiple drugs may be prescribed together to increase efficacy. Chemotherapy also may be combined with radiation therapy (called chemoradiation) to help make the radiation more effective.

Targeted Therapy

This type of drug therapy is different from chemotherapy in that it targets a cancer’s specific gene mutations, selectively targeting cancer cells while producing fewer side effects. Winship is currently collaborating in a large-scale clinical trial that monitors patients’ response to targeted therapy. Depending on how their genomic profile changes during treatment, we can match patients whose cancer has mutated with additional therapies.

Immunotherapy

This type of treatment uses drugs to help your body’s immune system recognize and enhance its ability to attack cancer cells. At Winship, we are pioneering the use of immunotherapies for head and neck cancers. Besides leading immunotherapy clinical trials for head and neck cancers , Winship has an entire immunotherapy research program that is advancing the world’s understanding of how our immune system can be harnessed to successfully fight cancer.

At Winship, we strive to deliver the most effective treatment while also minimizing side effects. But coping with head and neck cancer and the side effects of head and neck cancer treatment can be challenging — particularly those related to speech and eating. That’s why we provide patients with a supportive oncology team of specialized doctors and nurses on staff to help you with the physical, psychological and emotional aspects of living with cancer, including symptom management and counseling. This team — with the help of counselors, speech and swallowing therapists, dietitians, social service professionals and others — will be with you every step of the way, supporting you along your care experience.