Treatment options

A team of specialists will meet to discuss the best way to treat your cancer. They will include surgeons, oncologists, nurses and other allied health professionals, such as dietitians, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists.

The aim of any treatment will be to remove the cancer and reduce the risk of it coming back. There are a lot of factors that will determine the treatment recommended by your team. Some treatments may also have an effect on your appearance, speech and swallowing. This will be clearly explained to you.

Surgery

Surgery is one of the main treatments for head and neck cancer. The type of surgery can range from a simple 20 minute operation to remove your tonsils to a major operation to remove and reconstruct your jaw bone. Depending on your cancer, surgeons may also need to remove your lymph nodes. Your recovery after surgery will depend on the operation that you have had.

Our team of highly skilled surgeons use our state-of-the-art robots to perform some head and neck surgeries. Using the robot allows our surgeons to perform operations with greater precision than open surgery, as well as providing high-definition views of the surgical area.

The NHS website (opens in new tab) and the Macmillan website (opens in new tab) both have more information about the different surgical procedures for head and neck cancer.

Oncological treatments

Radiotherapy - is a treatment where radiation is used to kill cancer cells. This could be given with or without chemotherapy. Clinics to receive treatment run Monday to Friday and you will receive a course of treatment lasting between two and six weeks. Before starting treatment, a special mask will be made for you. This is sometimes called a mould and helps to make sure your treatment is as accurate and precise as possible. The mask does this by holding your head and neck in the right position. Once your personal mask has been created, you will have a planning CT scan wearing the mask.

Chemotherapy – is a cancer treatment which uses medicine to kill cancer cells and is given intravenously (directly into your veins). Treatment is normally given in a three week cycle.

Find out more about chemotherapy at Royal Surrey Cancer Centre.

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy – is when you have both radiotherapy and chemotherapy together.

Immunotherapy – uses our immune system to fight cancer and works by helping your immune system to recognise and attack the cancer cells.

Learn more about immunotherapy treatment at Royal Surrey Cancer Centre.