Treatments and Services

We work in tandem with the Division of Head and Neck Oncology to provide a wide-range of reconstructive surgical options for patients with head and neck cancer and scarring after treatments for thyroid and salivary gland disorders. Surgery on the head or neck to remove cancer or other lesions can result in changes to the normal appearance of the face or facial function. Reconstructive surgery plays an essential role in the treatment process and helps those with head and neck cancer return to a more normal appearance and a higher quality of life.

Chemotherapy is a medication or combination of medications used to treat cancer. Chemotherapy can be given orally (as a pill) or injected intravenously (IV).

CyberKnife delivers highly targeted beams of radiation directly into tumors, in a pain-free, non-surgical way. Guided by specialized imaging software, we can track and continually adjust treatment at any point in the body, and without the need for the head frames and other equipment that are needed for some other forms of radiosurgery.

Some tumors are hard to reach through surgery because of where they are. However, a laser can strike small tumors in delicate or hard-to-reach areas. When conducting a laser resection, the surgeon inserts a tool through a small incision, directs the laser at the tumor, and transmits the high-energy beam, which destroys cancerous tissue by vaporizing it.

If the physician performs a sentinel lymph node biopsy, and cancer is found in the sentinel nodes, it is likely a lymph node dissection will be advised to remove the other lymph nodes in the area.

Some breast cancer patients may need lymph node surgery. Lymph node surgery is performed for staging purposes to find out whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm (axillary lymph nodes). One or more lymph nodes may be removed for examination under a microscope in one of two ways:  an axillary lymph node dissection or a sentinel lymph node biopsy.

A biopsy is when your doctor removes a small piece of tissue from an organ, muscle, or growth. Biopsies of your organs or muscles can be used for to diagnose various conditions or abnormalities, including cancers, inflammatory diseases, and more. In some cases, a biopsy may remove the entirety of the abnormal tissue.

Percutaneous ethanol injection uses ethanol, a type of alcohol, to destroy cancer cells. The physician guides the ethanol directly into the tumor using ultrasound. Generally, this procedure only requires local anesthesia. If the patient has multiple tumors, it may require general anesthesia.

Radiation uses special equipment to deliver high-energy particles, such as x-rays, gamma rays, electron beams or protons, to kill or damage cancer cells. Radiation can be delivered internally through seed implantation or externally using linear accelerators.

Robotic surgery is a type of surgery where the surgeon uses very small tools attached to a robotic arm. The surgeon controls the arm and the tools with a computer.