Home Head & Neck Cancer Program

Our Team & Approach

Our Head & Neck Program specialists care for patients with head and neck cancer using a multidisciplinary, team-based approach. We prioritize quality of life as a primary measure of success.

Pacific Head & Neck is a specialty practice embedded in our center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI) where all of our surgeons have extensive training and experience to provide complex care for patients with head and neck cancers.

Patient Centered Decision Making for Head & Neck Cancers

Our specialists treat cancer affecting internal and external areas of the head and neck from the collar bone to the base of the brain. Tumors that develop in the mouth, tongue, throat, or skull base can be very complex affecting delicate areas of the head and neck. Surgery is sometimes a good option, and in other cases chemotherapy and radiation might be considered better. We advocate for shared decision making with our patients to ensure an individualized treatment plan that aims for optimal outcomes.

Head & Neck Cancer Conditions We Treat

Our team of experts handle complex head and neck tumors offering a personalized approach that puts patient’s needs first. We offer a comprehensive care for benign and malignant head and neck tumors, including HPV-related, sinus and skull base, orbital, skin, oral cavity, and throat. We have special interest in thyroid and parathyroid disease.

General Categories

Conditions

Parotid tumor
Salivary cancer
Adenoid cystic carcinoma
Acinic cell carcinoma
Pleomorphic adenoma
Perineural tumor spread
Oral cavity cancer (squamous cell carcinoma)
Tonsil cancer (HPV related)
Base of tongue squamous cell carcinoma
Transoral robotic surgery
Larynx cancer
Sinus cancer

Transoral laser surgery
Tongue cancer
Buccal carcinoma
Mucosal melanoma
Oral leukoplakia
Severe dysplasia oral cavity
Olfactory neuroblastoma
Head and neck cancer
Head and neck sarcoma
Medullary thyroid carcinoma
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
Papillary thyroid carcinoma

Head & Neck Cancer Treatment & Services

We specialize in minimally-invasive surgery, state-of-the-art reconstruction to complex cancer care. We utilize the latest technologies with image-guided surgery, intra-operative nerve monitoring, and virtual surgical planning.

Surgical Oncology

Transoral robotic and laser surgery
Thyroid and parathyroid care
Salivary gland surgery with facial nerve monitoring
Evaluation of suspicious lesions
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy
Immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted agents
Repair of skin cancer excision (MOHS)

Facial Plastics and Reconstruction

Microvascular free tissue transfer (bone and soft tissue reconstruction)
Reanimation for facial paralysis
Aesthetic and functional reconstructive surgery

Rehabilitation and Psycho-oncology

Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) services
Speech and swallowing
Head and neck cancers can impact a person’s ability to speak, swallow, and breathe. Treatments such as surgery or radiation often lead to changes in speech and swallowing. Our Speech-Language Pathologists support individuals throughout their cancer journey— before, during, and after oncology treatment—by addressing swallowing difficulties, voice and speech changes, and communication needs, including voice prosthesis management after total laryngectomy. Through personalized therapy plans, we aim to help patients maintain quality of life, improve communication, and ensure safe, effective swallowing throughout treatment and recovery.
Psychosocial support
Audiology

Clinical Trials

We work closely with the Saint John’s Cancer Institute to provide collaborative and personalized cancer treatment, and offer clinical trials and immunotherapy for advanced tumors affecting the head and neck.