Curing the cancer while protecting the way you speak, swallow and smile.
Head and neck cancers sit at the crossroads of survival and identity — they affect how we eat, talk, and are seen. Surgery here demands millimetre judgement: remove enough to cure, preserve everything that makes you, you.
What are head & neck cancers?
These cancers begin in the moist surfaces of the mouth, nose and throat, or in the glands of the region — tongue, cheek, voice box (larynx), tonsil, thyroid, parotid and sinuses. They also include skin cancers of the face and neck node masses whose origin needs tracing.
The encouraging truth: caught early, many are cured with a single well-planned surgery, sometimes without any radiation. Even advanced ones respond remarkably to combined treatment when staging is done properly first.
The neck lump rule: any lump in the side of the neck lasting more than three weeks deserves examination — it is often the first signal.
Warning signs that deserve a specialist’s eyes
Any of these lasting more than three weeks warrants examination. Most will be innocent; the ones that aren’t are exactly why we check.
- ①Mouth ulcer that hasn’t healed in three weeks, or bleeds when touched.
- ②A growing lump in the neck — painless lumps are the ones people ignore longest.
- ③Persistent hoarseness or voice change beyond three weeks.
- ④Difficulty or pain swallowing, food "sticking" on one side.
- ⑤White or red patches inside the mouth, or a growing mouth ulcer.
- ⑥One-sided ear pain with a normal ear examination — a classic throat sign.
- ⑦Bleeding or blocked nostril on one side only, or loose upper teeth / ill-fitting dentures.
- ⑧A swelling in front of or below the ear (parotid/submandibular gland region).
Cancers we treat in this region
◆Mouth & Tongue
Oral cavity cancers including buccal mucosa, floor of mouth, alveolus and tongue — among the commonest sites we operate on.
◆Throat & Voice Box
Oropharynx, hypopharynx and laryngeal cancers — with voice preservation prioritised wherever oncologically safe.
◆Thyroid
Papillary, follicular and medullary cancers plus complex goitres; recurrent laryngeal nerve protection is non-negotiable.
◆Salivary Glands
Parotid and submandibular tumours operated with facial-nerve function protected as standard.
◆Nose & Sinuses
Sinonasal malignancies requiring combined skull-base planning with allied teams.
◆Face Skin & Neck Nodes
Skin cancers of the face, and neck node masses of unknown origin — systematic workup to find the hidden primary.
Operations performed here
- ◆Composite resections for oral cancerPrecise margin control; rim, hemi or total glossectomy as needed, with reconstruction planned from the start.
- ◆Laryngectomy — partial & totalChosen only when voice-preserving options cannot safely cure the disease.
- ◆Transoral laser surgeryNo external cut for selected throat cancers; faster recovery of speech and swallow.
- ◆Neck dissectionsRadical and modified radical — clearing nodes while protecting nerves and vessels.
- ◆Thyroidectomy & parotidectomyNerve identification and preservation as standard practice, not as exception.
- ◆Reconstruction coordinationLocal flaps and free-flap planning with microvascular colleagues for larger defects.
From first visit to full recovery
Examination & endoscopy
The tumour is seen directly; biopsies taken the right way.
Staging scans
MRI/CT and ultrasound map exactly what surgery must address.
Tumour board plan
Radiation and medical oncology weigh in before — not after — decisions.
Surgery
Curative resection with reconstruction, planned to the millimetre.
Rehabilitation
Speech and swallow therapy begins early — often within days.
Surveillance
Scheduled reviews catch anything early, when it’s still easy.
Families usually ask…
In the majority of cases, yes — voice-preservation techniques are the default consideration. When total laryngectomy is truly necessary, modern voice restoration gives most patients strong, usable speech again.
Small laser procedures: 1–2 days. Major resections typically need about a week including swallow training. You get a written day-by-day expectation before consenting.
The common types have excellent long-term outcomes — most patients live completely normal lives after surgery with hormone tablets. Rarer types need individualised plans which we discuss honestly.
Depends entirely on final pathology — depth, margins, nodes. Early cancers frequently avoid it altogether. The decision is made by evidence, not habit.
Yes — painless lumps are precisely the ones people ignore longest. A five-minute examination can settle the question one way or the other.