LISA BASHORE, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, CPON

THE HEAD AND NECK can be affected both by tumors that occur in the head and neck and the treatment used to destroy the tumors. Even treatment for cancers elsewhere in the body can affect the vital structures and functioning of the head and neck.

This chapter covers damage to bones, teeth, glands, and other tissues in the head and neck, including signs and symptoms, methods to detect late effects in the head and neck, and the medical management of late effects. Some survivors who were treated for tumors in the head and neck do not develop any late effects.