The Head and Neck Cancer Specialty Care Center brings together a multidisciplinary team of leading experts in surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, speech-language pathology, dentistry and oral maxillofacial surgery, rehabilitation and supportive care, pain management, nutrition, and palliative care.
The Head and Neck Cancer Specialty Care Center employs comprehensive, state-of-the-art diagnostic evaluations to assist the treatment team in determining the best course for treatment. Patient assessments may include positron emission- and computed tomography (PET-CT), high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound, as well as a detailed radiographic evaluation, an endoscopic biopsy, or needle biopsy.
Surgeons at the Head and Neck Cancer Specialty Center use minimally-invasive, endoscopic-assisted surgical techniques to remove tumors of the head and neck when appropriate. Using camera-guided technology, the surgeon is able to spare healthy surrounding tissue when removing the tumor, allowing for a quicker recovery and less post-operative pain. Patients are often discharged within a few days.
Medical oncologists specializing in head and neck cancers offer a full range of chemotherapy and biologic targeted therapies for all types and stages of cancer. Patients have access to the latest therapies and clinical trials through our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), western Pennsylvania's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
When appropriate, head and neck cancer patients are placed on a clinical pathway, a disease-specific treatment strategy developed by UPMC Cancer Centers physicians to ensure that all patients receive the same quality, evidence-based care. Each pathway combines innovative and promising clinical trial options with the best standard of care therapies. Ongoing review by the clinical team ensures that each pathway remains to be the best and most effective treatment option available.
Patients have access to the largest variety of advanced radiation planning and delivery systems available in western Pennsylvania.
The Head and Neck Specialty Care Center works closely with experts from the UPMC Swallowing Disorders Center, which includes a multidisciplinary team of ear, nose, and throat specialists (otolaryngologists) and speech-language pathologists who specialize in evaluating and treating swallowing disorders.
Once a patient has had a head and neck cancer, they are at an increased risk for developing a second cancer. The Head and Neck Specialty Care Center offers comprehensive surveillance and diagnostic imaging to monitor patients following treatment.