Many head and neck cancers are known as squamous cell carcinomas. Squamous cells make up the moist surfaces inside the mouth, head, and neck. Squamous cell cancer of the head and neck is common, with tens of thousands of cases being diagnosed in the United States annually.
The different types of head and neck cancers, some of which are squamous cell carcinomas, are named based on where they begin:
Oral Cavity
This includes your lips, tongue, gums, the inside of your cheeks and the bottom and top of your mouth.
Pharynx
This is your throat, a tube that has three different parts:
- Nasopharynx: The top part behind your nose
- Oropharynx: The middle part that includes the back of your mouth, tongue and tonsils
- Hypopharynx: The bottom part of the throat that connects to the esophagus.
Larynx
The larynx, also called the voice box, is a hollow, tubular structure connected
to the top of the windpipe (trachea). Air passes through the larynx on its
way to the lungs. The larynx also produces vocal sounds and prevents the
passage of food and other foreign particles into the lower respiratory tracts.
Salivary Glands
These are glands that produce saliva and are found inside and near the
mouth. Salivary gland cancer is relatively rare, however, there are many
different types of salivary glands where cancer can occur. Hundreds of
minor salivary glands line the cheeks, mouth, tongue, lips, nose, sinuses,
and voice box. There are also three pairs of major salivary glands where
cancer can occur:
- Parotid glands: The largest of the salivary glands, these glands are located on the sides of the face, below the cheekbones and in front of the ears. They secrete saliva into the inside lining of the cheek.
- Submandibular glands: These glands are located below the jaw and secrete saliva into the floor of the mouth.
- Sublingual glands: These glands sit right under the tongue and are the smallest of the major salivary glands.
Skin
There are multiple types of skin cancers, caused by an uncontrolled growth of abnormal skin cells. The most common types of skin cancers are:
- Melanoma: Occurs in a skin cell that produces the pigment melanin
- Basal cell carcinoma: Occurs in the lower part of the epidermis, or skin layer
- Squamous cell carcinoma: Occurs in the outermost part of the epidermis, or skin surface
Thyroid Gland
This gland sits at the base of the throat and produces hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight. There are multiple types of thyroid cancer, which are classified based on how the cells appear under a microscope:
- Follicular: Forms in the follicular cells in the thyroid. It grows slowly and is highly treatable.
- Papillary: Forms in follicular cells in the thyroid and grows slowly in small finger-like shapes. It is the most common type of thyroid cancer.
- Medullary: Develops in C cells of the thyroid, which make a hormone (calcitonin) that helps maintain a healthy level of calcium in the blood.
- Anaplastic: A rare type of thyroid cancer where the malignant cells look very different from normal thyroid cells and spread rapidly.
