Head & Neck Surgery Department
In the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, our mission is to deliver the highest possible clinical care for patients with cancer of the head and neck. Using an interdisciplinary approach, experts from across disciplines come together to provide state-of-the-art care for patients with all types and stages of head and neck cancer.
Our team of specialists treats patients with tumors of the thyroid gland, salivary glands, oral cavity, larynx, pharynx, paranasal sinus, and skull base; melanomas; nonmelanoma skin cancers; sarcomas of the soft tissue and bone; and ocular, orbital, and ocular adnexal malignancies. In the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, a highly qualified staff with special expertise in head and neck surgery, otology, oral oncology, ophthalmology, neuro-ophthalmology, speech pathology and audiology offers patients with these tumors the latest and most effective treatment options.
The Department of Head and Neck Surgery comprises four subsections, which provide focused centers of excellence for the treatment of patients and development of research:
Section of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology
Section of Oncologic Dentistry and Prosthodontics
Section of Ophthalmology
Section of Speech Pathology and Audiology
In addition, M. D. Anderson's Skull Base Tumor Program, led by world-renowned head and neck surgery and neurosurgery experts, offers patients with benign or malignant tumors of the skull base the most current diagnostic and treatment options available. And the new Oral Cancer Prevention Center, located in the Head and Neck Center, provides a specialized setting for the diagnosis of disease and the monitoring and treatment of patients with precancerous lesions of the oral cavity.
At M. D. Anderson, treatment for head and neck cancer is specifically tailored to address the needs of each patient by a team of experts who specialize in tumors of the head and neck. Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of therapies. Comprehensive treatment plans are designed to provide the highest level of care and to optimize functional outcome. Patients discover that they can exceed the initial limitations after surgery through the help of caring professionals in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery and throughout M. D. Anderson.