At UT Southwestern Medical Center, our Head and Neck Cancer Program is conducted in collaboration with our nationally acclaimed Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Simmons Center is composed of physicians from many clinical departments to create a single place devoted to blending innovative cancer research with the best conventional cancer care.

Head and neck cancers include those affecting the lips, tongue, tonsil, palate, pharynx, larynx, sinuses, saliva glands and neck lymph nodes, as well as skin cancers on the face, scalp or neck, such as squamous cell carcinoma. These cancers often have a profound effect on a patient’s self-image or on breathing, speaking and swallowing. Thus at UT Southwestern, our challenge is not only to cure patients’ cancer but to also restore or safeguard vital organs and functions. In addition, physicians understand patients’ concerns about their appearance and facial symmetry and will work to preserve their quality of life.

Our physicians have access to some of the most advanced diagnostic and treatment tools in the U.S. They frequently utilize magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) and positron-emission tomography (PET) to diagnose head and neck cancers and determine the best course of treatment.

In addition to treating cancer of the head and neck, UT Southwestern has a multi-disciplinary team of physicians who specialize in tumors at the skull base. The Skull Base Surgery program focuses on the removal of tumors from the ear, brain and lateral skull base, as well as other skull base disorders. Our team has extensive experience in the latest minimally-invasive techniques, which minimize complications and preserve normal neurologic and facial function.

UT Southwestern’s researchers and clinicians are nationally recognized leaders in the development and use of radiation therapies to precisely target head and neck tumors while sparing surrounding tissues. The rapid advancement of radiotherapy techniques and imaging technologies has enabled our specialists to determine the location, shape and size of head and neck tumors with an unprecedented level of precision and deliver the most effective radiation treatments available.

Our radiation oncology specialists are achieving remarkable results by applying advanced technologies that include CyberKnife, Gamma Knife, Philips Brilliance, Synergy-S and Varian Linac With On-Board Imaging. These capabilities enable UT Southwestern’s specialists to more effectively plan, simulate, deliver and verify radiation treatments using state-of-the-art technology and techniques such as:

• Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)
• Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)
• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
• Brachytherapy – high-dose rate (HDR) and low-dose rate (LDR)
• Combined-modality treatments

Patients who qualify to participate in one of UT Southwestern’s clinical trials may receive therapies years before they become available to the public. In addition, the clinical trials available may provide superior therapeutic results with fewer side effects when compared to conventional treatments. The doctor can discuss whether evaluation and diagnosis makes patients candidates for these groundbreaking therapies.