Fortunately, head and neck tumors are quite rare. They can, however, have a devastating effect on a person's appearance and how a person speaks, swallows, and breathes. At ChicagoENT, our goal is to not only eliminate the disease, but also restore our patient's appearance, function and ability to recover emotionally.
Finding new and better ways to treat our patients with head and neck cancer remains a top priority to Dr. Michael Friedman. He recently developed and published articles highlighting many new techniques for reconstructing the trachea and larynx to allow surgical removal of the tumor. Even better, this cutting-edge technique allows patients to lead relatively normal lives. But Dr. Friedman's not the only surgeon committed to offer less invasive options. All the head and neck surgeons at ChicagoENT often recommend using non-invasive surgical techniques combined with guidance of virtual real time computerized scans to remove tumors without more debilitating---and more invasive--- open procedures. ChicagoENT also performs minimally-invasive surgery for skull base tumors. For more information on specific cancers of the head and neck, please click here.
Neck Tumor Cancer Chicago
The symptoms for head and neck cancer differ greatly depending on what type of cancer is present. If you have any of the symptoms listed below, please call ChicagoENT and schedule an appointment to meet with one of our specialists.
Symptoms of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers:
- Change in the voice or hoarseness that doesn’t go away
- Sore throat that does not go away
- Difficulty swallowing or pain when swallowing
- Ear pain
- Lump in the neck
- Coughing
Symptoms of oral cancer:
- A lump on the lips or in the mouth
- A sore on the lips or in the mouth that does not heal
- A red or white patch on the gums, tongue, tonsils, or lining of the mouth
- Bleeding or pain in the lips or mouth
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
- Loose teeth
- Sore throat
- Swelling in the jaw
Symptoms of oropharyngeal cancer:
- A lump in the back of the mouth, throat, or neck
- A sore throat that does not go away
- Cough
- Difficulty swallowing
- Pain behind the breastbone
- Pain in the ear
- Unintended weight loss
- Voice changes
Symptoms of salivary cancer: It's important to note that salivary cancer often does not have any symptoms. It may be discovered during a routine dental check-up or physical exam. Sometimes these symptoms are present:
- A lump in the cheek, ear, jaw, lip, or inside of the mouth
- Difficulty opening the mouth fully
- Difficulty swallowing
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Numbness or weakness in the face
- Pain in the face that does not go away
Symptoms of thyroid cancer:
- A lump in the side of the neck
- Difficulty swallowing
- Hoarseness or other voice change
For information on diagnosing cancer of the head and neck, please click here.
For information on treating cancer of the head and neck, please click here.
If you have more questions on Head and Neck Cancer, please click here for our FAQ.
