Head and neck cancers include many different cancers that begin in the organs and tissues of the head and neck. These include cancers of the larynx (voice box), throat, lips, mouth, nose, and salivary glands. Most types begin in squamous cells that line the moist surfaces inside the head and neck — areas like the mouth, nose, and throat.
Cancers of the head and neck account for a relatively small percentage of all cancers in the United States. If you are at risk, or already diagnosed, our physician-experts are here for you and your family. Sylvester specialists see many more head and neck cancer cases than seen at other hospitals in South Florida. Our experience and expertise offer you the best possible outcomes.
Specialists at Sylvester and the University of Miami Health System treat pituitary and thyroid cancers (endocrine cancers), skin cancers, head and neck sarcomas and esophageal cancers.
Conditions and Treatments
- Head and Neck Endocrine Cancers (Thyroid, Parathyroid, Pituitary)
- Head and Neck Lymphomas
- Head and Neck Sarcomas
- Hypopharyngeal Cancer
- Laryngeal Cancer (Larynx or Voice Box)
- Lip and Oral Cavity (Mouth) Cancer
- Nasopharyngeal Cancer
- Oropharyngeal Cancer
- Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer (Nose and Sinuses)
- Salivary Gland Cancer
- Skin Cancers
Why Choose Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center?
Sylvester is an NCI-designated cancer center. The National Cancer Institute has reaffirmed us as South Florida’s only NCI-designated cancer center. We have been recognized for our scientific leadership, our commitment to training the next generation of cancer researchers and providers, as well as our engagement with the communities that we serve. For patients, this designation translates into greater access to leading-edge treatment options, including clinical trials that prioritize your specific cancer.
Ranked in the nation’s top tier by U.S. News & World Report. The ranking reflects the team’s dedication to excellence in research patient care and outcomes. Surgeons, audiologists, biomedical engineers, speech pathologists, researchers, and psychologists collaborate with many research programs at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to deliver the best possible multidisciplinary care to pediatric and adult ear, nose, and throat patients.
More board-certified head and neck surgical specialists than any other South Florida provider. We have experts covering every aspect of your head and neck care. In the majority of cases requiring reconstruction, you have just one operation for cancer removal and any reconstructive surgery. Sylvester is one of the best places in the country for simultaneous head and neck cancer surgery and microvascular reconstruction.
One of the best multidisciplinary speech and swallowing rehabilitation programs in the country. If you undergo surgery affecting your jaw, face and/or neck, you will be personally supported by some of our nation’s top experts to restore your quality of life.
Advanced radiation oncology tools. Our leading edge technology offers crystal clear tumor targeting, improved results, and less potential damage to nearby healthy tissue. These tools include RapidArc® intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and a Siemens 4D-CT scanner. We can offer patients the benefit of proton therapy with modulated scanning, which can target the tumor more precisely than X-rays and can reduce the side effects of treatment.
Radiation re-treatment expertise for recurrent head/neck tumors. Re-treatment is a complex process that may follow surgery for recurrence (when cancer grows back). Radiation re-treatment may also be offered if surgery is not feasible. Few other South Florida providers offer these options.
Clinical trials that focus on robotic surgery, chemotherapy, reducing radiation toxicity and immunotherapy are often available for head and neck cancer patients. You get new treatments that are not available elsewhere: Your access to trials that match your specific cancer gives you the best chance for the best treatment outcomes.
One of only six designated Cancer Centers of Excellence in Florida. We treat cancer and only cancer, giving you the best potential outcomes. The likelihood of surviving cancer after five years at a Dedicated Cancer Center is 17 percent higher than at other hospitals.
Multidisciplinary care teams with nationally recognized expertise. Your care team is made up of experts in your exact type of cancer, and every single aspect of it and your doctors talk to each other.
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