Your doctor will discuss treatment options with you, taking into consideration
among other things the type and stage of the cancer, your overall health, and
the chances of attaining a cure. Treatments for mouth and oropharynx cancers
usually include one or more of the following procedures:
Surgery: the cancer is
removed, along with surrounding affected tissues.
Chemotherapy: “anti-cancer”
drugs that can be administered through the mouth, through the vein,
through the skin as a shot, and/or through the spine.
Radiation therapy: external
radiation uses a machine to target a beam at the tumor. With internal
radiation, tiny pieces of radioactive material are placed into or near the
tumor.
Depending on your individual
situation, your doctor may also talk to you about clinical trials
of medication in the testing phase.