Medically reviewed by Eleni Rettig, M.D.
Head and neck cancer is cancer anywhere in the head or neck region.
Head and neck cancer is the 7th most common cancer worldwide.
Men and people who smoke are more likely to get head and neck cancer, but it is also seen in women and never smokers.
The most common symptoms of head and neck cancer are pain or a new mass in the mouth or throat or a neck mass.
Symptoms may vary depending on where the cancer is.
Mouth cancer
Patches inside your mouth that can’t be scraped away
Sores on your lips or in your mouth that bleed easily and last 2+ weeks
Rough or crusty spots on your lips or inside your mouth
Bleeding in your mouth for no reason
Pain, tenderness or numbness in your mouth or on your face and neck
Trouble moving your jaw or tongue
Trouble opening your mouth
Problems chewing, swallowing or speaking
Chronic bad breath
Ear pain
Throat cancer
Sore throat that doesn’t go away
Pain or difficulty when swallowing
Voice changes that don’t go away
Hoarseness
Lump in the back of your throat
Feeling like something is caught in your throat
Unexplained choking
Neck mass
Nose cancer
Stuffy nose
Nosebleeds
Facial pain/numbness
Trouble breathing/noisy breathing or speaking
Headaches
Hearing loss
Feeling of fullness in your ears
Trouble opening your mouth
Ear infections that won’t go away
General symptoms
Lump in the back of your neck
Unexplained weight loss
Coughing up blood
Swollen lymph nodes in your neck
Fatigue
Swelling in your jaw, neck or side of your face
Frequent sinus infections that don’t go away with antibiotics
Ear pain
Progressive headaches that don’t get better
Typically, symptoms that are related to cancer worsen over time.
If you’re having these symptoms or want to learn more about head and neck cancer, talk to your healthcare provider.
This educational resource was created with support from Daiichi Sankyo and Merck.