Treatment of head and neck cancer in Israel is planned in a way which enables to maximally preserve the patient’s looks and his ability to speak chew and swallow. The treatment is also planned so as to minimize side effects.
Many vital organs are located in the area of head and neck, therefore efforts of various specialists, such as surgeons, dentists, dermatologists and oncologists, are needed for successful cure of tumors.
Head and neck tumors include the following malignant tumors:
- laryngeal cancer;
- pharynx cancer;
- cancer of lymph nodes in the upper part of neck;
- oral cavity cancer (tumors can damage the mouth floor or roof, lips, tongue, etc.)
Surgery is one of the main methods of therapy in head and neck cancer. The main goal of the surgery is to totally resect the tumor. Chemotherapy or radiotherapy is used as an additional method. Chemotherapy can be used before the surgery, in order to reduce the tumor’s size, or after the surgery, in order to destroy the remaining malignant cells. Radiotherapy means irradiation of the tumor by radioactive emission. The modern Israeli medicine actively uses innovative methods of treatment of head and neck cancer, including brachytherapy – internal radiation. In the process of a simple operation, a small radioactive source is placed into the tumor, and it is irradiated from inside causing the tumor’s tissue to be destroyed.
For treatment of head and neck cancer, the Israeli medicine actively uses target intravenous drug therapy. Cetuximab is the most commonly administered target therapy preparation. Cetuximab can be administered as intravenous injection in combination with radiation. Cetuximab blocks development of malignant cells and makes them
more sensitive to radiation.
Biological treatment methods (biological purification) are widely used in the Israeli medicine for blocking, control or suppression of growth of the cancer cells, which give chances to many patients previously considered incurable. Israeli oncologists use Cetuximab in especially difficult cases of head and neck cancer. Biological therapy is aimed at stimulation and enhancement of the immune system response.
Due to highly qualified Israeli oncologists, state-of-the-art equipment of clinics, ongoing research in the field of oncology, development of new treatment methods and modern medications, statistics of oncological diseases give promising results. At present, in Israel about 65-80% of patients survive with a good medical prognosis.