Oral, Head and Neck Pathology
Oral, Head and Neck Pathology
What is Oral, Head and Neck Pathology?
Oral, Head and Neck Pathology includes all diseases and disorders related to the hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity, facial sinuses, bones and soft tissues.
The different tissues and complex anatomy of the head and neck region make accurate diagnosis of pathology a clinical challenge and often patients are referred to a specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon to examine, investigate, diagnose and coordinate the management of the pathology.
What to expect if you are referred for a lump or lesion?
At the initial consultation Dr John Webster will take a thorough history including risk factors, perform an oral, head and neck cancer screening examination and arrange for appropriate investigations. It is important for all patients to know that oral, head and neck cancer is rare compared to the many benign tumours and disorders of the same region. However, if cancer is not detected early within weeks then the treatment and successful patient outcomes can be affected by treatment delay. Prompt referral is necessary.
Investigations can include blood tests, biopsy of the lump or lesion under local anaesthetic, biopsy of the lump or lesion under radiologic guidance, radiologic imaging such as ultrasound assessment, OPG dental x-rays, CT, MRI or PET scans. Dr John Webster will discuss with you the most likely diagnosis and advise the appropriate investigations to confirm the diagnosis and/or exclude cancer.
What is a benign lump or lesion?
A benign lump or lesion can be static or growing in size, but either way is highly unlikely to spread beyond the local area that the lump or lesion is located. Benign disorders can still be destructive at the site and can grow rapidly and will need to be surgically removed.
Some benign conditions can be treated with medicines, creams or ointments until complete resolution. In some cases, removing the initiating factor or utilising risk factor reduction such as alcohol or tobacco cessation can often assist in resolving the benign condition. However it is important to know that some cancers can develop from within a benign condition and therefore ongoing management and monitoring may be required.
Dr John Webster will discuss optimum management options for your diagnosis using the latest evidence-based approaches.
What happens if you are diagnosed with an Oral, Head and Neck cancer?
Many cancers are curable especially if detected early.
Research has shown that Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons that manage higher volumes of cancer cases have better surgical outcomes and overall survival for their patients.
After initial investigations and diagnosis, you will be referred on for consultation at one of the higher volume centres to ensure you have access to the best surgical and oncology team to manage your condition.
Oral, Head and Neck Cancer is nearly always managed via a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meaning you and your investigations will be reviewed and discussed with Specialist Surgeons from Oral and Maxillofacial, ENT and Plastic Surgery training, Radiation Oncologists, Medical Oncologists, Dentists, Dietitians, Speech Pathologists and more to ensure you can make an informed decision on how best to proceed with managing and curing your condition.
You will still have the option of having your treatment completed in the private or public health sectors and Dr John Webster can advise you of which team in Queensland has the highest volume of treatments and experience in managing your particular condition.
