Head & Neck Cancer

Our collaborative approach to head and neck cancer treatment

Head and neck tumors are complex conditions that require coordinated care from a comprehensive team of specialists. At UCSF Health, our teams meet weekly to discuss each patient's diagnosis and plan the right timing and sequence of treatments.

You receive care from experts in:

• Head and neck surgery

• Otolaryngology

• Medical and radiation oncology

• Facial plastic and reconstructive surgery

• Speech-language pathology

• Dental oncology

• Neuroradiology

• Head and neck pathology

• Oral medicine and oral surgery

• Maxillofacial prosthodontics

Depending on your needs, we also partner with providers in:

• Nutrition

• Psycho-oncology

• Melanoma oncology

• Oculofacial plastic surgery

• Neurosurgery

• Orthopedic oncology

Head and neck cancer diagnosis

We provide timely, accurate diagnoses so you can start treatment promptly. You can often see multiple specialists and get the tests you need, such as imaging exams or a needle biopsy, in a single appointment. We also offer the convenience of in-office ultrasounds, so you don't need to schedule a separate visit.

Head and neck cancer treatment

Our experts offer many head and neck cancer treatments, and often combine therapies, to help you achieve the best possible outcome.

Head and neck medical oncology

Medical oncologists use drugs, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy, to fight cancer. At UCSF Health, we use sophisticated molecular testing to find out which therapies are most likely to be effective for the type of cancer you have.

We offer:

• Chemoradiation. This combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy is a common treatment for head and neck cancer. You may have chemoradiation on its own or after surgery.

• Immunotherapy. These treatments harness your immune system to fight cancer. Immunotherapy may improve survival rates and quality of life in people with head and neck cancer that has spread to other areas of the body (metastatic).

• Targeted therapy. These treatments interfere with the processes that allow cancer cells to grow and divide. They target specific molecules on cancer cells, making this a highly precise treatment with fewer side effects than chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Head and neck surgical oncology

UCSF Health head and neck surgeons perform advanced procedures using sophisticated technology, with a special focus on minimally invasive approaches.

We offer:

• Transoral robotic surgery (TORS). Surgeons control a robotic arm that allows them to remove tumors in hard-to-reach areas, such as the back of your throat and tongue. They perform this procedure through your mouth, so you don't have visible incisions on your neck or face.

• Minimally invasive skull base surgery. Our surgeons perform minimally invasive surgery using an endoscope (thin tube with a light and camera) to remove skull base tumors through your nose. This endonasal approach avoids the need for major open brain surgery.

• Thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Our team has the diagnostic expertise to determine when surgery is needed versus when to take a watch-and-wait approach. If you need surgery, we offer minimally invasive procedures whenever possible. During surgery, intraoperative monitoring helps preserve important nerves involved in speaking, breathing and swallowing.

• Reconstructive surgery. Our facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons use advanced techniques, such as microvascular surgery and facial reanimation, to rebuild areas of your head or face affected by tumors.

At UCSF Health, we use state-of-the-art radiation delivery systems. Our technology includes a linear accelerator (LINAC) that delivers intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

This approach adjusts the intensity of the radiation to precisely target head and neck tumors, while sparing healthy tissue. Your care plan may include radiation therapy in combination with surgery or medical therapies.

Before radiation treatment, you meet with specialists in oral and dental oncology. They help prevent and treat potential side effects of radiation near your mouth and teeth, including dry mouth, infections and tooth decay. They may recommend fluoride rinses, dental cleanings, tooth extractions or other preventive treatments to help keep your mouth healthy.