Head and Neck - Cancer

Head and Neck - Cancer

Head and neck surgery has been primarily developed to treat head and neck tumours both benign and malignant. It has evolved within a number of surgical specialties including Plastic and Reconstructive surgery.

Plastic surgeons with an interest in head and neck tumours are uniquely placed as they have expertise not only in the resection of such growths but also in the reconstruction of the defects created by the surgery. The confidence of resection margins for example can potentially be influenced by the ability to reliably reconstruct a defect with techniques that are aesthetically acceptable and restore function as best as can be achieved.

Treatment of benign tumours may involve the removal of small growths and cysts from the lining of the oral cavity or lumps from the salivary glands located in front of the ears (parotid), the regions beneath the jaw (submandibular and sublingual) or within the oral cavity. Surgery is usually the only treatment required for these lesions however scars and residual cosmetic deformities can be minimised with techniques familiar to most plastic surgeons.

The management of malignant tumours of the head and neck region is complex. Most larger tumours require a coordinated approach to treatment between those performing the surgery, the reconstruction surgeons and other specialists such as medical and radiation oncologists, nursing staff, speech therapists, physiotherapist and dentists, preferably within a multidisciplinary environment.

Smaller lesions may be adequately treated with local resection and reconstruction using techniques familiar to plastic surgeons through our routine training. The ears, nose, eyelids and lips are specific structures that require aesthetically and functionally acceptable restoration using procedures that can not be offered by other specialties involved in the management of skin cancers.

Malignancies such as malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) both of the skin and oral cavity and larynx, malignant tumours of the salivary glands and other tissues are routinely encountered in the head and neck region by those with special interest in Head and Neck Cancer.

At APSA, we have surgeons with active involvement in the management of Head and Neck tumours at Flinders Medical Centre and the Royal Adelaide Hospital in multidisciplinary units and who are members of the principle Australasian academic society The Australian and New Zealand Head and Neck Society

Other reconstructive surgery services we provide are