ABSTRACT

Cancer is a leading cause of death in the United States for those under 85, with two to six percent resulting from HNC (El-Sayed 2010; Jemal et al. 2010). The most common HNC tumor type is squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. Roughly 60 percent of those newly diagnosed and 70 percent of all killed by HNC globally are male, with half of all deaths occurring in patients over 65. Diagnosis and treatment of these tumors is subsite specifi c and can be hampered by late presentation of tumors due to their ambiguous symptoms at early stages and diffi culty in identifying deep-seated tumors within body cavities such as the paranasal sinuses or throat. Mortality rates for HNC have changed little in the past 50 years and are still dismal for certain types. For instance, the fi ve year relative survival rate for Stage 1-3 cancer of the pharynx is reported 30 to 40 percent (Edge et al. 2010). Current treatment methods for HNC are still limited, consisting of surgical excision, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and antibody-blocking therapy. Tumors however, may be unresectable or can develop resistance to noninvasive treatments.