Head and Neck Center in Seoul National University Cancer Hospital (SNUCH)
Head and neck cancer includes a broad category of cancers such as oral cancer, nasal and paranasal sinus cancer, tonsil and pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, thyroid cancer, and ear cancer in the section from the skull base to the mediastinum. As this area of the body is highly involved with the physical functions of eating, breathing, and talking, it is very important not only to treat the cancer, but also to ensure patient quality of life after treatment.
We Pursue the Best Performance through Organized Cooperation with Various Departments
The Head and Neck Center in SNUCH involves the highest-level medical staff from otolaryngology, radiation oncology, hemato-oncology, endocrinology, and radiology. Our organized and cooperative care system that embraces various departments is essential for patients with cancer in the oral, pharynx, larynx, and nasal cavity areas, which may cause functional and apparent problems after treatment, and particularly for patients with thyroid cancer that has metastasized to major organs such as the airway and larynx. After surgery, proper reconstruction is required, and various approaches are used to promote the best functional recovery of the patient.
We Aim for Accurate Diagnosis and Optimal Personalized Treatment
The most critical component for treating head and neck cancer is to identify the exact stage before treatment. We provide the best personalized treatment for individual patients based on systematic and professional diagnoses through collaborative work with the department of radiology, oncology, radiation oncology, otolaryngology, and head and neck surgery. For advanced cancers where surgical treatment is not possible, we first make the patient operable through preoperative chemotherapy. We then apply various treatments to individual patients including surgical treatment and post-operative radiation with the aim of complete recovery to achieve the best results. For eligible patients, endoscopic surgery and robotic surgery are performed to minimize the scars caused by surgery in consideration of quality of life after surgery. This collaborative treatment team, which is the leading team not only in Korea, but also in the world, provides optimal patient-specific treatment and has been excellent in functional preservation and treatment outcomes, some of which have been published in world-renowned journals.
We Consider Patient Quality of Life After Surgery
We operate a specialized clinic to support early recovery from speech and swallowing disorders that can occur after surgery. In addition, we perform cutting-edge endoscopic and robotic surgery for head and neck cancers, cranial tumors and functional preservation surgery for nose cancer (nasal cancer). The head and neck cancer surgery is a highly advanced surgery that is performed over a long time and must be supported by abundant surgical experience. For ear cancer, we propose a variety of solutions by considering how to restore or rehabilitate hearing after the cancer has been successfully treated.