What are ENT/Head and Neck Cancers

Institut Curie is an expert center specializing in the management of ENT (Otolaryngological) cancers, or VADS (upper aerodigestive tract) cancers, which are in more general terms referred to as head and neck cancers. Their diagnosis and rapid management are a major challenge to optimize the chances of recovery of patients.

ENT cancers can affect both women and men, but men are three times more likely to be affected. They affect young people as well as the elderly, with a significant number of cases observed around the age of 50-60. They occur very often, and it is the 5th most common type of cancer in France with more than 15,000 new cases annually*.

The scientific knowledge of this set of pathologies continues to grow and become more specific, with great advances having occurred in the last ten years.

ENT cancers develop mainly in the upper respiratory and digestive tracts and more specifically within the mucosa, which lines this aerodigestive tract. Therefore, they mainly affect the following anatomical regions:

• The oral cavity (or mouth): tongue, palate, floor of mouth;
• The pharynx: oropharynx (tonsils, base of tongue), hypopharynx (close to the esophagus);
• The larynx: the vocal cords and surrounding tissues.

These three zones represent what is called the "ENT sphere".

The expertise in the ENT and head and neck surgery department offered at Institut Curie also includes the management of all head and neck tumors, some of which are more rare:

• Salivary gland tumors: main salivary glands (parotid glands, submandibular glands and sublingual glands) and accessory glands (distributed throughout the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract);
• Tumors of the nasopharynx (or nasopharynx or cavum): the region located behind the nasal cavity;
• Tumors of the facial area: base of the skull, infratemporal fossa, sinuses, nasal cavity;
• Thyroid tumors, for which a specific course has been defined and is offered at the Saint-Cloud and Paris sites.

Our team also specializes in the management of skin and eyelid tumors:

• Skin tumors of the face and neck;
• Tumors affecting the orbit, its contents, the eyelids or its appendages (lacrimal glands)

Risk Factors for ENT Cancers

Tobacco and alcohol consumption are undoubtedly major risk factors for developing ENT cancer. But the following risk factors may also be involved - certain viruses such as HPV (Human PapillomaVirus) may cause oropharyngeal cancer, and EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus) - cancer of nasopharynx. It is likely that there are still other risk factors to be identified, especially in young non-smokers.

The number of cases of ENT cancer per year attributable to tobacco and alcohol consumption has been declining among men in recent years, proving the effectiveness of health campaigns to prevent and combat smoking and alcohol consumption. On the other hand, the number of cases of ENT cancers in women is growing, primarily due to the increase in tobacco and alcohol consumption among women since the late 70s.

The proportion of HPV-related VADS cancers is steadily rising, making it important to raise public awareness of the role of these viruses, and to promote HPV vaccination.

*Source Institut National du Cancer – 2018