Introduction

Head and neck cancer is a term used for a range of different cancers that can occur in or around the throat, larynx (voice box), mouth, nose, and sinuses. It does not include skin cancers. In 2008, an estimated 47,560 new cases of head and neck cancer will be diagnosed in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. In the United States, men are twice as likely as women to develop head and neck cancer.

There are five main types of head and neck cancer: laryngeal and hypopharngeal cancer, nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cavity cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, and salivary gland cancer. The majority of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas—cancers that begin in the thin, flat, scale-like cells found in the tissue that line the mouth, throat, nasal cavity, and associated structures.

The two primary risk factors for head and neck cancer are tobacco use or heavy alcohol drinking. Tobacco use that increases head and neck cancer risk by 85 percent or more includes smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes, chewing tobacco, or taking snuff. It is possible that some of these cases may be caused by infection with a wart virus called the human papilloma virus (HPV). Another possible cause of head and neck cancer is too much sun exposure over time, for example, causing lip cancer.