About Head and Neck Cancer Surgery

Surgery is an effective treatment option for selected oropharyngeal cancers, especially in the disease’s early stages. Treatment goals for oropharyngeal cancer surgery are to:

• Remove the cancer and any lymph nodes that may be involved
• Preserve as much normal function, such as speech and swallowing, as possible

Oropharyngeal cancer is one of several types of head and neck cancer.

More than 90% of cancers of the mouth and throat are squamous cell carcinomas. Squamous cells are the thin, flat cells that make up the lining inside of your mouth, nose, larynx, and throat. These cancers can grow very deeply into surrounding tissue and spread to other parts of the body.