Head and Neck Tumor
Head and neck tumors encompass a wide range of malignant tumors that can occur in or around the throat, mouth, nose, and sinuses. Head and neck tumor is a term used to describe a group of tumors that arise mostly from the upper aerodigestive tracts' surface layers (UADT). Mouth, larynx, pharynx, and nasopharynx make up the upper aerodigestive tract. Because of the involvement of UADT mucus linings, squamous cell carcinomas account for about 90% of all head and neck cancers. Squamous cell carcinoma is a malignant squamous epithelial tumor with significant differentiation and a tendency for primitive and widespread lymph node metastases. Different types of salivary gland tumors can start in head and neck; however, this type of head and neck cancer is quite uncommon. Head and neck tumors are divided into five separate cancer groupings, according to an AIHW analysis from 2014. This classification is based on the location where these tumors start.
Five types of head and neck cancer are classified into 18 separate cancer sites by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Cancer of indeterminate locations (in the lip, oral cavity, and pharynx) is sometimes classified as part of the 6th group of head and neck cancers. As a result, it is possible for a patient to have many types of tumors in different areas of the head and neck at the same time.