What is Head and Neck Cancer?

Head and neck cancer is the 6th most common cancer globally, with approximately 55,000 new cases diagnosed annually in the U.S. alone, leading to 14,000 deaths annually. The most common type of head and neck cancer is squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck cancer encompasses several different malignant tumors that are categorized by five different organ sites in the head and neck region:

• Oral cavity (mouth)
• Larynx (voice box)
• Pharynx (throat – area behind the mouth, including the tonsils,
  that leads to the esophagus and trachea)
• Nasopharynx (upper part of the throat, the airway behind the nose)
• Hypopharynx (bottom part of the throat, the area adjacent
  to the esophagus)