Head & Neck

Head and Neck are cancers of the mouth, throat and larynx (voice box) as well as other rarer cancers in the head and neck region.

Head and Neck cancer is the eighth most common cancer in the UK.

Some of the most common head and neck cancers include:

• mouth and oropharynx
• voice box (larynx)
• thyroid gland

With symptoms including:

• A lump, swelling or sore in the mouth that does not heal within three weeks.
• Persistent sore throat, pain on swallowing or changes in voice.
• A lump on the neck.
• Blocked nose and/or bloody discharge from the nose.

If you have any concerns, contact your dentist or GP.

The Team

Some of our Head & Neck team, including our Specialist Nurses

The Head and Neck team comprises of differing specialties, specifically dedicated to the treatment of Head and Neck cancers, including Surgeons and Specialist Nurses. Additionally the Speech and Language Team (SALT) and Dieticians, based at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) may also be involved in your care.

The team holds a weekly multi-disciplinary team meeting (MDT), where individual patient cases are discussed, with scans and biopsies being reviewed. Following this, patients are seen in clinic, within the Oral Health department at the NNUH on a Wednesday afternoon.

A key point of contact following diagnosis and throughout treatment are the Specialist Nursing Team. Their contact details will be provided at diagnosis.

Conditions Treated

• Mouth
• Tongue
• Throat
• Voice box
• Nose
• Sinuses
• Middle Ear
• Thyroid

Treatment type

Treatment for these types of cancer includes, Surgery, Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy all of which takes place at the NNUH, which is the central hub.

For patient support services please click on the images below...