Treatment Options

Departments Wards Charities

The Cancer Therapy Team at Salisbury District Hospital offer ‘prehabilitation’ which is the work done to build up your physical and mental health, before your cancer treatment starts. This aims to put you in the best place possible to manage the treatment to come. For more information on the Cancer Therapy Team visit: Cancer Therapy Team

Macmillan Cancer Support have also put together the following information and videos: Prehabilitation videos for people living with cancer | Macmillan Cancer Support

The following treatment options may be used on their own, or in combination to treat head & neck cancers:

Surgery

One of the main treatment options for head and neck cancers is surgery, with the aim to completely remove the cancer and/or affected lymph nodes.

For more information on surgery for head & neck cancers, visit: Head and neck cancer surgery | Macmillan Cancer Support

Surgical treatment is given at University Hospital Southampton, please click on the following link to visit their website for more information: Surgery - University Hospital Southampton (uhs.nhs.uk)

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells. Radiotherapy is given to destroy any cancer cells at the cancer site and surrounding area.

For more information on radiotherapy treatment for head & neck cancers, visit: Head and neck cancer radiotherapy | Macmillan Cancer Support

Radiotherapy is carried out at Bath RUH or Poole Hospital, depending where you live. For more information, visit their websites via the following links:

Radiotherapy at University Hospital Bath

Radiotherapy at Poole Hospital

Liverpool Head & Neck Centre have put together some excellent information about what you can expect during radiotherapy treatment on their website: Radiotherapy | Liverpool Head & Neck Centre (livheadandneck.co.uk). As well as a video which explains the process of having a radiotherapy mask fitted, you can find this video via the following link: https://youtu.be/lycyn9snqXw

Please be aware that treatment may be slightly different at your treatment centre.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a treatment using anti-cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells. Different types of chemotherapy drugs are used to treat different head & neck cancers and can be administered in different ways and at different points in your treatment pathway.

For more information on chemotherapy treatment for head & neck cancers, visit: Head and neck cancer chemotherapy | Macmillan Cancer Support

Chemotherapy is carried out at Bath RUH or Poole Hospital, depending where you live. For more information, visit their websites via the following links:

Chemotherapy at University Hospital Bath

Chemotherapy at Poole Hospital

What if I am unwell after receiving cancer treatment?

If you are an existing patient receiving chemotherapy treatment and you have a temperature, feel unwell, or need advice on chemotherapy side effects or complications – as chemotherapy treatment is given at Bath RUH or Poole Hospital, please contact their 24-hour cancer care emergency phone lines for advice.

Treatment for specific head and neck cancers

Cancer Research UK have put together extensive information on each of the head and neck cancers, which includes treatments which may take place for each individual cancer.

If you would like to read this information, please visit their website Head and neck cancer | Cancer Research UK. From here, click on the specific cancer you would like to know about, then click on ‘treatment for X cancer’.

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