Head &amp; neck cancers: What you’ll see, how to proceed

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Applied Evidence

Head & neck cancers: What you’ll see, how to proceed

J Fam Pract. 2019 November;68(9):E1-E7

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References

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If malignancy is suspected, the initial diagnostic evaluation should include ultrasonography (US); concurrent FNA biopsy should be performed if a mass is detected.²⁷ US-guided FNA has a sensitivity of 73% to 86% for salivary neoplasm.⁷ CT and magnetic resonance imaging are useful for further characterization of tumors and can be advantageous for surgical planning.

How is it treated? Treatment of a salivary gland tumor involves surgical resection, followed by radiotherapy for patients in whom disease is more extensive or who exhibit high-risk pathology. Primary radiotherapy can be used in patients with an unresectable tumor. Typically, chemotherapy is used only for palliative purposes in relapsing disease, when a tumor is not amenable to radiotherapy, and in metastatic disease.²⁵

Prognosis varies by histotype but is generally favorable. The survival rates for a malignant salivary gland tumor are 83% at 1 year, 69% at 3 years, and 65% at 5 years.²⁸ Distant metastases are the most common cause of death, occurring primarily in the lungs (80%), bone (15%), and liver.²⁷ Factors that indicate poor prognosis include facial nerve involvement, trismus, a tumor > 4 cm, bone involvement, nodal spread, and recurrence.²⁵

Thyroid cancer

What you need to know. Thyroid cancer is the most rapidly increasing cancer diagnosis in the United States, with an annual incidence of 4.5%.¹ In the United States, most thyroid cancers are differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), which includes papillary and follicular cancers. Less-differentiated medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), typically associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) 2A or 2B, and undifferentiated or anaplastic thyroid cancer are less common. The increasing incidence of thyroid cancer is primarily the result of an increase in nonclinically relevant DTC.

What is the diagnostic strategy? Thyroid cancer usually presents as a thyroid nodule found by the patient or incidentally on physical examination or imaging. Other presenting signs and symptoms include hoarseness, voice changes, and dysphagia.

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