Cases in Head and Neck Cancer: A Multidisciplinary Approach

This 279-page hardcover book comprises A4-size glossy pages with good quality pictures. It is divided into seven sections. The first section gives an overview of head and neck cancer, including tumour biology, staging, treatment modalities and the role of multidisciplinary team members. The next five sections cover cancer cases of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx and supraglottis, and larynx, and the less common presentations of head and neck cancer (nasopharynx and unknown primary). Each of these sections opens with a short case history, and describes the management of the patient from diagnosis and treatment to follow up. Squamous cell carcinoma cases and other rarer types are presented. Each section has an accompanying list of videos available online.

There is a sufficient supply of patients with locally advanced or recurrent disease to generate good illustrations of free flaps, robotic surgery, palatal augmentation, prostheses to improve trismus post-treatment and other advanced topics. The final section discusses the communication options in head and neck cancer. This is an intriguing section that revisits anticipated topics like voice rehabilitation in laryngectomy patients, but in addition it introduces new discussions like the unmet communication needs of head and neck cancer patients, augmented and alternative communication assessments, and interventions and mobile technologies. A patient’s experience of a head and neck cancer service is narrated, which addresses the importance of taking into account the health literacy of our head and neck cancer patients when explaining diagnosis and management plans in a consultation setting.

This book is designed to appeal to the clinician who has firmly decided to pursue a career in head and neck surgery, or one who is already fully established in this subspecialty.