Head and neck cancer is a group of cancers that starts in the mouth, nose, throat, larynx, sinuses, or salivary glands. Symptoms for head and neck cancer may include a lump or sore that does not heal, a sore throat that does not go away, trouble swallowing, or a change in the voice. The three main types of treatment for managing head and neck cancer are radiation therapy, surgery, and chemotherapy. The primary treatments are radiation therapy, surgery, or both combined; chemotherapy is often used as an additional, or adjuvant, treatment. The optimal combination of the three treatment modalities for a patient with a particular head and neck cancer depends on the site of the cancer and the stage (extent) of the disease. Head and neck cancer develops in almost 65,000 people in the United States each year. Head and neck cancer comprises a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the lip, oral cavity (mouth), nasal cavity (inside the nose), paranasal sinuses, pharynx and larynx. Most head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas that originate from the epithelium of these regions. Head and neck cancers can also begin in the salivary glands, but salivary gland cancers are relatively uncommon. Head and neck cancer treatment depends on the type, location and size of your cancer. Head and neck cancer refers to malignancies of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, paranasal sinuses, nasal cavity or salivary glands.