If you have been diagnosed with head and neck cancer, you may have many concerns. That region of our bodies performs many important tasks, including chewing and swallowing, speech, facial expressions, and much more. You may be left wondering how is the cancer going to affect these functions or if the treatment will cause changes to your sense of taste or smell.

At Akumin, we have a team of medical experts who will walk you through your treatment options and answer any questions you have. Our radiation oncologists are experienced in treating head and neck cancers and will not only explain how they are treated with radiation therapy, but will also review what you should expect after treatment and any possible side effects you may have.

Let Akumin help put you at ease and start you on your road to recovery.

Head and neck cancer refers collectively to cancers that arise in the head and neck region. These cancers typically begin in the squamous cells that line the moist surfaces inside the mouth, nose, and throat.


This group of cancers are strongly associated with tobacco use, alcohol use, and the human papillomavirus (HPV virus). The good news is that the number of Americans who smoke is on the decline. The bad news is that some of these smokers switched to smokeless or spit tobacco, assuming it is a safe alternative. By doing so, they are only changing the site of the cancer risk from their lungs to their mouths. While lung cancer cases are decreasing, cancers in the head and neck appear to be increasing, but they are treatable if caught early.

Although eliminating the cancer is the primary goal of treatment, preserving the function of the nearby nerves, organs, and tissues is also very important. When planning treatment, doctors consider how treatment might affect a person’s quality of life, such as how a person talks, eats, and breathes.