Throat Cancer Treatment – Surgery
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Surgical Oncology for Throat Cancer
Surgery may be recommended as a course of action to remove a cancerous tumor from your throat.
Physicians take multiple factors into consideration before determining if surgery is a throat cancer treatment option for you. The stage of the cancer, size of the tumor and your general health factor into throat cancer treatment recommendations they may make. Another critical factor is where the cancer is located in your throat. Surgical procedures performed to treat pharyngeal (throat) cancer, in part, depend on the region of your throat that the cancerous tumor exists in.
The three regions are as follows:
Nasopharynx: In some instances, patients who suffer from nasopharyngeal cancer may be candidates for surgery if they are not responsive to radiation treatment. Surgery may also be recommended if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes.
Oropharynx: Surgery may be used alone or in combination with other forms of conventional medicine (e.g., chemotherapy, radiation therapy) to treat cancer in the middle portion of the throat, the oropharynx.
Hypopharynx: Surgery is a common treatment for cancers located in this region of the throat. Following surgery, patients may also be advised to undergo radiation treatment or chemotherapy to ensure that any remaining cancerous cells are killed off.
In cases where the throat cancer has spread (metastasized), a surgeon may remove lymph nodes and tissues in the neck that are cancerous or at high risk for becoming cancerous in a procedure known as a neck dissection.
For some throat cancer patients, reconstructive surgery may also be necessary. This form of surgery helps to restore function (such as your ability to swallow) and improve appearance.
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