Head Cancer Specialist

What is head cancer?

Head cancer can take various forms, affecting any of the structures and organs within your head. Some types of head cancer might include:

• Esthesioneuroblastoma
• Floor of the mouth cancer
• Lip cancer
• Mouth cancer
• Nasal and paranasal tumors
• Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
• Pituitary tumors
• Salivary gland tumors
• Skin cancer
• Soft palate cancer
• Tongue cancer

There are often close links between head cancers and neck cancers. The type of head and most widespread neck cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which affects the cells lining the inside of your nose, mouth, and throat.

Smoking and infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) are the most common causes of squamous cell carcinoma. Excessive alcohol consumption could also increase your risk of developing head cancer.

How is head cancer treated?

Your treatment for head cancer depends on the type of cancer you have and what stage it's reached.

Early-stage treatment for head cancer might involve radiation therapy or surgery. You might need to have radiation therapy after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells, or if the tumor is too large to remove at its current size, a course of radiation therapy before surgery to shrink it.

At a more advanced stage, you might need combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

What type of radiation therapy is used for head cancer?

The Greater Houston Radiation Oncology team uses the most technologically advanced approaches to treating head cancer. These include:

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)

SBRT is a technology developed from stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), a method initially used to treat small brain tumors. SBRT increases the delivery accuracy of radiation therapy while at the same time, reducing the risk of any adverse effects from the treatment.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)

IMRT technology uses many photon and proton radiation beams at different intensities. This makes them adapt to match the shape of your tumor, to improve precision, and to reduce the radiation levels.

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)

IGRT is often combined with IMRT and SBRT to deliver exact doses of radiation to your cancer. It's particularly useful for your head, where vital structures like your optic nerve and salivary glands might be close to the tumor.

RapidArc™ Volumetric Arc Therapy

RapidArc™ Volumetric Arc Therapy (VMAT) enables your provider at Greater Houston Radiation Oncology to complete your radiation therapy more quickly, using a lower dose of radiation.

To learn more about the advanced radiation therapies available for head cancer, call Greater Houston Radiation Oncology or book an appointment online today.