Cancer begins when healthy cells change and grow out of control, forming a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be cancerous or benign. A cancerous tumor is malignant, meaning it can grow and spread to other parts of the body. A benign tumor means the tumor can grow but will not spread. Treatment of Head & Neck Cancer “Head and neck cancer” is the term used to describe a number of different malignant tumors that develop in or around the throat, larynx, nose, sinuses, and mouth (see below). Most head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. This type of cancer begins in the flat squamous cells that make up the thin layer of tissue on the surface of the structures in the head and neck. Directly beneath this lining, which is called the epithelium, some areas of the head and neck have a layer of moist tissue, called the mucosa. If cancer is only found in the squamous layer of cells, it is called carcinoma in situ. If cancer has grown beyond this cell...