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Head and Neck Cancer Australia

Head and Neck Cancer Australia is the first Australian charity dedicated to providing education and support to people living with head and neck cancer, caregivers, family and health professionals.

In Australia nearly 5,000 people are diagnosed with head and neck cancer each year and more than 17,000 people are living with the side effects of treatment. Head and neck cancer is incredibly complex and diverse. It includes more than 10 different cancers that can affect a person’s mouth, tongue, salivary glands, skin or voice box. Each type comes with its own causes, symptoms, characteristics, complexities and treatment options.

The most common causes of head and neck cancer are smoking and alcohol, which affects areas like the mouth, throat and voice box. The human papilloma virus is the most common cause of oropharyngeal cancer - tonsil and base of tongue - which is rapidly increasing in incidence. Skin cancers on the face are mainly due to sun exposure and may extend to the eyes, ears, nose and salivary glands. For many other head and neck cancers, such as thyroid cancer, the cause is unknown.

Vision and mission

To improve the quality of life of everyone affected by head and neck cancer through education and access to support and to raise awareness of head and neck cancer nationally.

How Head and Neck Cancer Australia can help

Head and Neck Cancer Australia was established to provide comprehensive, easy to understand and easy to access information to everyone, regardless of where they live.

They support patients and their families through their cancer journey, from diagnosis to treatment and life after cancer.

Information / help lines

  • Call 1300 424 848 Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm AEST
  • Email: contact@headandneckcancer.org.au

Programs, apps and tools

Recommended links

Last reviewed: September 2020

Information from this partner

Found 28 results

Hypopharyngeal Cancer - Introduction | Head and Neck Cancer Types | Head and Neck Cancer Australia

There are up to 40 different sites and sub-sites of Head and Neck Cancer

Read more on Head and Neck Cancer Australia website

Mouth Cancer - Introduction | Head and Neck Cancer Types | Head and Neck Cancer Australia

What do we mean by 'Mouth Cancer'? Mouth Cancer is a colloquial term for Oral Cancer

Read more on Head and Neck Cancer Australia website

Understanding staging and grading | Head and Neck Cancer Australia

Once your doctor has diagnosed cancer, it important to find out how big the cancer is and where it started to grow

Read more on Head and Neck Cancer Australia website

Head and Neck Cancer Tests

A nasoendoscopy helps your doctor to see inside your nose and throat using a thin, bendy tube with a camera and light on the end (an endoscope)

Read more on Head and Neck Cancer Australia website

2020 Head and Neck Cancer video series | Head and Neck Cancer Australia

A series of 14 videos on innovations in the treatment of head and neck cancer patients has been produced and launched by former patient and Beyond Five Ambassador, Julie McCrossin AM

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Thyroid Cancer - Introduction | Head and Neck Cancer Types | Head and Neck Cancer Australia

What is 'Thyroid Cancer'? It is a cancer the affects the thyroid organ in the neck

Read more on Head and Neck Cancer Australia website

Cancer of an Unknown Primary - Introduction | Head and Neck Cancer Types | Head and Neck Cancer Australia

What do we mean by 'Cancer of an Unknown Primary'? Cancer of Unknown Primary in the head and neck region occurs when the origin of the cancer is unknown, but is found to have spread to the lymph nodes in the neck

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Symptoms of Head and Neck Cancer | Head and Neck Cancer Australia

Head and Neck Cancer can cause different symptoms depending on: Sometimes people do not have any signs or symptoms and sometimes the same symptoms can be caused by other things

Read more on Head and Neck Cancer Australia website

Human Papilloma Virus | Oropharyngeal Cancer | Head and Neck Cancer Australia

Human papillomavirus (HPV) refers to a group of more than 150 related viruses

Read more on Head and Neck Cancer Australia website

Oropharyngeal Cancer - Introduction | Head and Neck Cancer Types | Head and Neck Cancer Australia

What do we mean by 'Oropharyngeal Cancer'? It is a type of Throat Cancer that your doctor might call by the part it has grown in, like tonsil or tongue base cancer

Read more on Head and Neck Cancer Australia website

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