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Head and Neck Cancer

head and neck cancer
Published By Dr. Rachel Hall at 26 September, 2011

What Is Head and Neck Cancer?

Head and neck cancer is more common in people aged 40 and over, and men are two to three times more likely to develop head and neck cancer although the disease is becoming increasingly common in women and in people under 40.

Globally, cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx account for almost 5% of all can malignancies, with more than 600,000 new cases and more than 350,000 related deaths documented in 2008.

The majority of head and neck cancers occur in the oral cavity (42%), pharynx (35%), and larynx (24%).

How Are Head and Neck Cancers Detected?

At present, most cases are diagnosed when the disease is at a late stage, and more than half of patients will relapse following treatment of their primary tumour.

For patients with recurrent and/or metastatic disease treated with chemotherapy alone, the median survival is six to nine months. (which is quite poor.) In Europe alone, roughly 132,300 new cases of head and neck cancer were diagnosed in 2008, with over 62,800 deaths due to the disease.

How Can Oral Cancer Be Reduced?

In a present survey, patients cited five major areas of unmet need:

  • improved education on head and neck cancer to allow for earlier diagnosis
  •  simplified information about the disease and treatment options
  • help in adopting a positive attitude to deal with the disease
  •  guidance to consider the best available treatment strategy for the individual patient # improved support and counselling from a variety of resources to help patients cope with the disease burden

The initial About Face survey, conducted in 2009, showed “worryingly” low levels of awareness about head and neck cancer, its risk factors, and some of its symptoms.

For example, awareness of the term head and neck cancer was found to be low, with 75% of respondents stating they were not familiar with the term.

In addition, nearly three-quarters of individuals surveyed said they were not aware of the frequency of the disease in Europe. In fact, about 20% thought that head and neck cancer affects fewer than 1,000 people in Europe, which is actually one hundred times less than the correct figure.

For more information on oral cancer treatment.


  • Dr. Rachel Hall

    Dr. Rachel Hall

    Rachel is the founder and principal dentist at Evolve Dental Healing with over 30 years experience, practising holistically since 2001. Not your typical dentist, Rachel is a passionate opinion leader, challenging convention to empower people to make better dental and health choices, helping thousands to have healthy natural smiles. A respected writer and presenter on holistic dentistry, health and wellness it is Rachel’s mission to revolutionise the way people look at their dental health.

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