Head and neck cancer surgery
Many people with a cancer of the head or neck undergo surgery.
Surgery is used to remove as much of the tumor as possible. This can mean removing
some of the healthy tissue around the tumor, as well.
Other surgeries may also be required to remove the lymph nodes in the neck, if your
doctor thinks the cancer has spread. This is called “lymph node dissection.”
Additionally, surgery may be followed by radiation therapy.
What are the side effects of surgery?
Head and neck surgery often changes how someone chews, swallows, and talks.
They make look different after surgery, as the face and neck may be swollen. This
usually goes away after a few weeks. But if lymph nodes were removed, the body has
less of what it needs to heal, and the swelling may last for a long time.
Specific side effects depend on the surgery. If the surgery removed the voice box
(larynx), the neck might be numb. If lymph nodes were removed, the shoulders and
neck might be weak or stiff.
Discuss what to expect after surgery with your healthcare team. And bring up any
side effects you’re experiencing with your team—they may have ideas about how to
manage them.
Find out about radiation therapy for head and neck
cancer