Head and neck cancers are common, and on average, 1 in 4 of these patients
lose their lives.
Tobacco is the most preventable cause of these deaths. If head and neck cancers are caught early,
they can be treated. .
The early symptomatology of head and neck cancer enables early diagnosis. You should know the possible warning
signs and warn your doctor as soon as possible.
Remember that successful treatment of head and neck cancers depends on early diagnosis. Knowing some warning signs will save your life in head and neck cancer. It must be detected and treated early!
What Should We Watch for?
• A swelling in the neck
Head and neck cancers usually spread to the lymph nodes in the neck
before spreading anywhere else in the body. . Neck swelling that persists for more than 2 weeks should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible. Of course, not all swelling means cancer. However, swelling or swelling may be the first sign of mouth, larynx, goiter cancer, some lymph cancers and blood cancer. Such swellings are usually
painless and tend to grow gradually.
• Voice change
Many laryngeal cancers cause voice change. Hoarseness or voice changes lasting longer than 2 weeks should alert you to see your doctor. An Ear, Nose and Throat and head and neck
specialist; can examine your vocal cords with easy and painless methods. Although most voice
changes are not caused by cancer, you should not leave it to chance. If your hoarseness lasts longer than
2 weeks, you should make sure that you do not have throat cancer and go to your doctor.
• Lip enlargement
Most tongue and lip cancers cause permanent wounds and swelling. Wounds and swellings are painless unless they become inflamed. Although bleeding may occur, it often does not occur until the later stages of the disease. If a wound or swelling
accompanies a mass in the neck, this should be taken extremely seriously. Your dentist or doctor may
evaluate whether a biopsy (tissue sampling test) is needed and refer you to a head and neck
surgeon for this procedure.
• Bleeding
This is often due to a cause other than cancer. However, mouth, nose, throat and lung tumors
can cause bleeding. If bleeding in your saliva or sputum occurs for more than a few days, you should see a doctor.
• Swallowing problems
Cancers of the throat and esophagus make it difficult to swallow solid foods and sometimes liquids. At a certain point, food creates a stinging sensation and either goes to the stomach or comes back through the mouth. In this case, you should
consult a doctor. The cause is usually revealed by direct examination of the esophagus
through an responds well to the treatment initiated. Although it is most commonly seen in areas where the skin is exposed to the sun, such as the forehead, face, and ears, it can occur anywhere on the skin. Skin
cancer often starts as a small pale wound, grows slowly, and develops into a dimple-shaped hole in the center
or even an ulcer. While part of this area heals, a larger part remains ulcerated. Color change is observed in some skin
cancers.
Other types of cancer seen in the head and neck include; squamous cell cancer and malignant melanoma. Some of the squamous cell cancers are seen in the lower lip and ear. It is similar to skin cancer and does not usually become more dangerous if diagnosed
early and treated appropriately. If you have a non-healing wound on the lip, face or ear, consult a doctor immediately.
Malignant melanoma classically causes a dark blue-black change in the skin. However,
any mole's size, color change, and the beginning of bleeding are also problems. If there is a blue-black spot on the face and neck, especially one that varies in size and shape, a dermatologist or other doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.
• Ongoing ear disease. pain
Pain in and around the ear while swallowing may be due to a tumor or infection growing in the throat.
Such a complaint; It is even more noticeable if it is accompanied by difficulty swallowing, hoarseness or swelling in the neck. These findings will be available as soon as possible. It is also necessary to be evaluated by an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist.
Identification of high risk in head and neck cancers:
About 30% of head and neck cancers are caused by smoking and alcohol use. It is closely associated with long
exposure to specific factors. Mouth and throat cancer
is almost never encountered in adults who do not smoke or drink alcohol. Long-term exposure to sunlight is associated with lip cancer and is the biggest cause of skin
cancer.
What Should You Do?
All the signs and symptoms described above may also exist in non-cancerous conditions. In fact, most of the time
these complaints can also be seen in some other conditions other than cancer. But you cannot say this without a good examination.
Therefore, if you have these complaints, go to your doctor and be sure.
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