Types of Head and Neck Cancers

Your tonsils are two oval-shaped pads in the back of your mouth that are part of your body’s germ-fighting immune system. It is also knows as part of the Oropharynx.

This is becoming the most common site of Head and Neck cancers due to the strong link with the human papilloma virus (HPV).

The most common symptoms of cancer in the oropharynx or hypopharynx include a lump in the neck (often painless), a persistent sore throat and/or earache and difficulty swallowing.

Suggested additional sites that may offer helpful information:

HPV Oral Cancer Facts

Maggie’s Centres

HPV Throat Cancer Guide

The throat (pharynx) includes 3 different parts that can be affected by cancer:

• Nasopharynx (Upper throat) – the part of the throat that connects the back of the nose to the back of the mouth.
  • It’s one of the rarest types of head and neck cancer in the UK.
  • Risk factors include:
    • Southern Chinese or if you have an affected relative. 
    • Previous infection with the Epstein Barr virus, a common virus that causes glandular fever. 
    • People aged 40 years and over, and
    • Men are about three times more likely than women to get nasopharyngeal cancer.

• Oropharynx (Middle throat) – the middle part of the throat behind the mouth.  This area includes the base of tongue  (the part you cannot see), the soft part of the roof of the mouth (soft palate), the tonsils and the side walls of the throat to the tip of the voice box.
  • This is becoming the most common site of Head and Neck cancers due to the strong link with the human papilloma virus (HPV).

• Hypopharynx (Lower throat) – the part of the throat connecting the oropharynx to the food pipe and the wind pipe. It is the lower part of the throat that surrounds the larynx and is also called the gullet.

The most common symptoms of cancer in the oropharynx or hypopharynx include a lump in the neck (often painless), a persistent sore throat and/or earache and difficulty swallowing.

Suggested additional sites that may offer helpful information:

HPV Oral Cancer Facts

Maggie’s Centres

HPV Throat Cancer Guide

The oral cavity includes the mouth and tongue. It can affect a number of areas in and around the mouth, including the:

• lips
• tongue
• inside of the cheeks
• floor or roof of the mouth, under the tongue
• area behind the wisdom teeth
• gums and the jaw

Symptoms of cancers within the mouth can include: mouth ulcers or sores that last 3 weeks or longer and unexplained, persistent lumps in your mouth, lip or jaw area, which may be painful. Bad breath (halitosis), red patches (erythroplakia), white patches (leukoplakia) or an ear ache that does not go away – can be signs of Oral cancer.

Suggested additional sites that may offer helpful information:

https://www.mouthcancerfoundation.org

The larynx is commonly called the voice box. This tube-shaped organ in the neck is important for breathing, protecting your windpipe and producing voice. It is located at the top of the windpipe, or trachea.

Symptoms of laryngeal cancer can include: a change in the voice (such as persistent hoarseness), difficulty or pain when swallowing, earache, noisy breathing, shortness of breath, a persistent cough and a lump or swelling in your neck. Some people may also experience bad breath (halitosis), unintentional weight loss, or fatigue (extreme tiredness).

The salivary glands make spit (saliva) and release saliva to keep the mouth and throat moist and help with swallowing and digesting food. There are 3 major (large) and over 600 minor (small) salivary glands.

Tumours of the salivary glands can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).

The 3 pairs of major salivary glands include: the Parotid Gland, Submandibular glands and Sublingual glands.

• Parotid Glands – are found just in front of the ears and behind the jaw. They move saliva into the mouth through a tube called the parotid duct. This tube opens on the inside of the cheek, near the upper molar teeth. The parotid gland is the largest salivary gland and most salivary tumours start here.
• Submandibular Glands – lie under the jawbone, one on each side. They release saliva into the mouth through a duct (tube) that opens in the floor of the mouth, under the tip of the tongue.
• Sublingual Glands – lie under the tongue, one on each side. They release saliva into the submandibular duct and are near the lingual nerves which give feeling and taste to the front of the tongue. The sublingual glands are the smallest of the major salivary glands.
• Minor Salivary Glands – There are hundreds of minor salivary glands throughout the mouth and throat. They can be found inside the mouth, just under the surface including the lips, cheeks and top of the mouth (soft palate).

The main symptoms of salivary gland cancer is a lump or swelling in one of the glands on or near your jaw, or in your mouth or neck. These lumps tend to be tender or give shooting pains. Other symptoms can include numbness in part of your face and drooping on one side of your face.

The nasal cavity is the large, air-filled space behind the nose. Paranasal sinuses are air-filled spaces at the front of the skull and surrounding the nasal cavity. They are found in the cheeks (the maxillary sinuses), above the eyes (the frontal sinuses), between the eyes (the ethmoidal air cells or sinuses) and behind the ethmoidal air cells (sphenoid sinuses).

Nasal and paranasal cancers are relatively rare. The most common location of paranasal sinus cancer is the maxillary sinus. The symptoms of nasal and sinus cancer are similar to viral or bacterial infections, such as the common cold or sinusitis, and include: facial pains, a persistent blocked nose, nosebleeds, a decreased sense of smell and persistent mucus running from the nose or down the throat.  Symptoms are often one-sided.

The thyroid gland is a small gland in the front, lower part of your neck, just below the voice box (larynx). It makes and releases hormones that regulate the ‘body clock’ (metabolic rate, growth and development).

Thyroid cancer affects almost 4,000 people each year in the UK. Women are more likely to get it than men and it is a cancer that is seen in younger age groups.

There are different types of thyroid cancer. The most common types are papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. These types of thyroid cancer together are called differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

• Papillary – This is the most common type of thyroid cancer. It is usually slow-growing and more common in younger age groups and women.
• Follicular – This is a less common type of thyroid cancer. It is mostly found in middle-aged people.
• Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) – is a rare type of thyroid cancer. It can sometimes run in families and is associated multiple endocrine neoplasia.
• Anaplastic thyroid cancer – is a very rare type of thyroid cancer that is fast-growing and aggressive.
• Thyroid lymphomas – start in the lymph tissue of the thyroid. The lymph tissue is part of the body’s lymphatic system. Most thyroid lymphomas are a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Symptoms of thyroid cancer include: a lump and/or pain in the front, lower part of your neck – the lump usually feels hard, slowly gets bigger and is not painful, a hoarse voice, a sore throat, a cough, difficulty swallowing or breathing.

Cancer of Unknown Primary in the Head and Neck region occurs when cancer has spread and is detected in the lymph nodes of the neck but no site of origin of the cancer is identified.